NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Friday, June 6, 2008
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INCIDENTS
National Capital Region
Violent Thunderstorms Cause Damage, Closures To Parks Throughout Region
On Wednesday, June 4th, a series of powerful thunderstorms passed through the National Capital Region, prompting the National Weather Service to issue 70 severe thunderstorm, marine, and tornado warnings in the Baltimore/Washington area. The storms left over 500,000 homes and businesses with out power and spawned four tornados. While none of the tornados struck any parks in NCR, virtually all NCR areas suffered damage from downed trees and power lines. The following is a synopsis of the preliminary storm impacts. The full extent of the damage may not be know for several days.
Antietam NB - The park has no power or phones. Downed trees on Maryland Route 65 forced the detour of traffic through the battlefield until park staff could clear them and reopen Route 65. Maryland Route 34 was also blocked by downed trees; these were cleared by state highway crews. Many historic trees from the Civil War era have been destroyed on damaged throughout the park. From eight to ten trees came down inside the national cemetery and the cemetery flagpole was actually bent by the high winds. The cemetery will be closed until further notice. An employees personal vehicle was damaged by a fallen limb, and one building was damaged, the park's barn. No injuries were reported. The visitor center and park tour road are open.
Catoctin Mountain Park - The well pump at Quarters 6 was hit by lighting and knocked out, but no other damage or injuries were reported.
C&O Canal NHP - Numerous trees are reported down across the towpath. There's no power at Great Falls or the Ferry Hill Complex outside of Sharpsburg. Power lines fell across the entrance road to Great Falls, trapping nine vehicles inside the park. That road and MacArthur Boulevard were later opened. Downed trees and a power line trapped three visitor cars at Swain's Lock; the visitors walked out to River Road to get transportation home. Canal Road in Washington County, Maryland, was blocked by a number of downed trees, trapping a number of cars inside. Rangers cut one vehicle out, fire and rescue personnel removed the rest of the trees and freed the remainder of the vehicles. PEPCO's power plant in Dickerson, Maryland, advised that they had a high voltage line down across the plant's entrance road and requested permission to use the towpath to allow workers to exit the plant (C&O Canal runs through the power plant grounds). Rangers found, however, that the towpath downstream of the plant was not passable due to downed trees. Road access to the towpath upstream of the power plant was also closed due to downed trees, so plant employees were unable to exit the plant via the towpath. At Edwards Ferry, old brick house ruins collapsed, blocking one lane. Access to Lock 25 has been closed pending removal of downed and hazard trees.
George Washington Memorial Parkway - Numerous trees were blown down, but maintenance crews were able to quickly clear all roads. A large number of tree limbs still have to be cleared from the roadway shoulders and several trails remain closed. Park fencing and 12 motor vehicles were damaged by downed trees.
Harpers Ferry NHP - Many trees are down, but there are no reports of structural damage or injuries.
Manassas NB - The park is without power. A large number of trees are down across roadways and trails. Virginia DOT is clearing trees from roadways in the park. The park planned to check on the status of its trails yesterday. A downed tree hit a transformer on Featherbed Lane, which caught on fire, but the fire did not spread beyond the power pole. The Chinn Ridge area of the park is closed due to downed trees across the road.
Monocacy NB - Worthington Farm Lane is closed due to downed limbs, but was scheduled to reopen yesterday. Minor damage is reported on the Worthington Farm trail.
National Capital Parks East - There's no power at headquarters. Some trees are down at Greenbelt Park and in the campground, but there have been no injuries. The paint shop at Fort Washington has damage to its overhangs. Six large trees are down, as are many limbs.
Prince William Forest Park - There's no power and the radio repeater is out. All park roads are open and no structural damage has been detected. Park trails were to be checked on Thursday.
Rock Creek Park - Numerous trees are down, but no structural damage or injuries have been reported.
Wolf Trap Park - Many trees were destroyed or damaged, and some damage was inflicted on the creek that runs along Theatre in the Woods Road. There is some water damage to the ticket office. Power is off.
[Don Boucher, Emergency Services Coordinator, NCRO]
Herbert Hoover NHS
Storm Causes Flooding Throughout Park
A line of severe thunderstorms moved through the region on the morning of June 3rd, producing strong lightning and very heavy downpours. At approximately 8:30 a.m., extremely heavy rain hit the park and surrounding community. By 9 a.m., the creek that runs through the park was rising rapidly and preparations for a potential flood were underway. The city of West Branch also activated its flood plan. The creek quickly rose approximately nine feet after about three inches of rain fell on the immediate area. The park's maintenance complex was soon flooded. Staff members worked to fill sandbags and created a dike around the shop doorway to keep the water out of the building. Flood water by that time was flowing on the pavement and gravel drives between the buildings and soon came within 20 feet of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library, which is located on park grounds, threatening to inundate the main transformer boxes for the building. Waters also rose to within feet of several other historic park buildings and filled the visitor center parking lot, closing it to the public for several hours. The main street into West Branch from Interstate 80 is Parkside Drive, which is an NPS-owned road that runs through the park. The flood waters inundated the street, and NPS staff members had to direct traffic so that vehicles could safely navigate the flooded roadway. Similarly, South Second Street, another NPS-owned street for much of its length, was inundated in front of the town police and fire departments and had to be barricaded as a safety precaution. A post-flood assessment showed large areas of bank erosion in the creek, especially in the bends near the Presidential Library. The historic retaining wall suffered erosion damage, and fill near the main support for the southwest corner of the Parkside Drive Bridge eroded away. The visitor center parking lot was completely covered in a layer of mud and debris that had to be cleaned up. The park was back in full operation by 1 p.m. that afternoon.
[Neil Korsmo, Chief Ranger]
Rock Creek Park
USPP Officers Arrest Man Firing M-15 In Park
Park Police officers Eric Basek and Andrew Watson were on patrol of Rock Creek Park just after 2 a.m. on June 5th when they heard a series of gun shots from within the park. The officers immediately headed towards the sound of the gunfire to investigate. While searching Beach Drive, they came upon two vehicles and three males in Grove 10. The officers took the three men into custody and made the scene safe. During the on-scene investigation, one of the men admitted he was firing a rifle and told the officers that it was in the trunk of one of the vehicles. An Armalite M-15 rifle, high capacity magazines, and ammunition were recovered. The man was arrested and charged with District of Columbia violations. The officers in this case are to be commended for their brave and quick response. By relying on their good judgment and police training, they were able to safely arrest the man without injury to themselves, to him, or to the public. [Sergeant Rob Lachance, Public Affairs Officer]
Redwood N&SP
Taser Employed In Arrest Of Convicted Felon
On Sunday, May 31st, the park received a report of some intoxicated juveniles at the Nickel Creek campground, which is located down a steep, narrow trail adjacent to some cliffs. An NPS ranger and a state ranger responded and encountered two men who appeared to be drunk. One of them, an adult, was very intoxicated and verbally abusive and challenged the rangers. The NPS ranger noted that he had tattoos that were consistent with those found on prison inmates and/or gang members. He employed his taser to subdue the man and take him into custody. A check revealed that he had an extensive criminal history with multiple felony convictions, including battery on a peace officer and escape from a jail by force. California Highway Patrol officers and a Crescent City canine unit provided backup. [Nancy Wizner, Chief Ranger]
Colorado NM
Armed Confrontation With Suicidal Person
A ranger came upon a 26-year-old woman from Grand Junction passed out in her vehicle at the Upper Serpents trailhead on the evening of May 30th. In plain view on the passenger seat was a suicide note and a black bag filled with prescription pill bottles. The ranger revived the woman and was in the process of radioing for an ambulance when the woman produced a .40 caliber handgun and raised it alongside her head with the barrel pointing skyward. The ranger drew his sidearm and took cover behind his patrol vehicle while issuing verbal commands for the woman to drop the gun and put her hands up. After some hesitation, the woman lowered the gun and complied with the ranger's commands to get out of the vehicle. After placing the woman in handcuffs and securing the scene, the ranger provided medical care. An ambulance and several sheriff deputies arrived on scene shortly after to assist. The woman is currently in stable condition under psychiatric detention at a local mental health center. [Phil Akers, Chief Ranger]
Organ Pipe Cactus NM
Man Sentenced In Drug Smuggling Case
On May 16th, R.D.L.C.-M., an illegal alien from Mexico, was sentenced to five years in an Arizona state prison and ordered to pay $1,775 in fines and assessments following his conviction for smuggling marijuana into the country. On November 11, 2007, a tactical tracking team comprised of protection rangers and an NPS special agent interdicted a group of suspected marijuana backpackers in the park. The men were tracked seven miles before rangers contacted and confronted them with the assistance of an Arizona National Guard helicopter. R.D.L.C.-M. and two other smugglers were arrested and 193 pounds of marijuana recovered. Due to local federal prosecution thresholds, the United States Attorney's Office declined prosecution, but the Pima County attorney took the case, filing felony charges against them for transportation of more than two pounds of marijuana for sale (Arizona Revised Statutes Title 13 Section 3405). R.D.L.C.-M.'s companions were sentenced a few weeks ago (see the link below for that report). Sentences for the three men totaled eleven-and-a-half years in prison. Upon release, all three will be transferred to federal custody for immigration proceedings. [Matt Fisher, NPS Special Agent]
HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=3894" http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=3894
OTHER NEWS
The following stories (among others) can be read on InsideNPS:
Santa Monica Mountains NRA - After 24 hours of exploration and documentation, Santa Monica Mountains' “BioBlitz” - an intensive day-long count of species within the park held last weekend - provided a snapshot of the many species that call Santa Monica Mountains NRA home.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6571" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6571
Midwest Region - Reggie Tiller, currently superintendent at George Washington Carver National Monument, has been named the new superintendent for William Howard Taft National Historic Site.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1947" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1947
Training Calendar - A listing of upcoming training courses offered by both the National Park Service and its partners across the nation. Today's additions include ICS-300/400 training in Atlanta in August, a meeting and training session on all taxa biodiversity inventories in Colorado in July, and a wildlife diseases course in Wyoming.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Conferences&id=775" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Conferences&id=775
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Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found at the following web site:
HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363
Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).
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