NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
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INCIDENTS
Florida Parks
Tropical Storm Fay Passes Over Florida
Tropical Storm Fay made landfall in the United States in South Florida yesterday and is currently moving up the state's east coast:
Big Cypress NP - Initial assessments have been completed and little damage has been found. As the time of the report yesterday afternoon, power was out but restoration of service was imminent; water service went out during the storm, but park staff had gotten it back on line - an important accomplishment because the park provides water to a number of private residences and businesses in the Ochopee area.
Biscayne NP - As of yesterday morning, the park had not reopened due to the continuing tropical storm warning for the area. The park's re-entry team was expected to return late in the day, though, as it appeared likely that the warning would be lifted on Tuesday afternoon. Only minimal damage is expected. If all goes as planned, the park will likely reopen by tomorrow morning, if not sooner.
Everglades NP/Dry Tortugas NP - Dry Tortugas reports no damage. The M/V Fort Jefferson will be returning to Key West from Miami today when sea conditions improve. Everglades fared well, too, with only minor tree damage and flooding reported. Park staff returned to their residences in Flamingo last night. The power is still out at the Trail Center on the Tamiami Trail. Both parks will reopen to visitors this morning.
Canaveral NS - The park is closed.
[Pedro Ramos, BICY; Susan Gonshor, BISC; Dan Kimball, EVER; Mike Anderson, SERO]
Grand Canyon NP
Supai Canyon Evacuation Completed
The eleven individuals previously reported missing in the Supai Canyon flood area have been located and all are safe. As a precaution, Coconino County Sheriff's Office officials are currently crosschecking information with those who were evacuated and those who left the area through the exit checkpoint over the past few days. As of yesterday, approximately 426 people had been evacuated by helicopter from the canyon. No fatalities or serious injuries resulting from this incident have been reported to the sheriff's office. Some residents of the Supai Village chose not to be evacuated and remained in the canyon. On Monday, a flyover was conducted and officials found no one in need of assistance. Water levels in the area are still too high to conduct an extensive ground search, but search and rescue personnel from several agencies plan to do a more extensive search when the water levels subside. The Red Cross reception center housed eight residents of Supai Canyon on Monday evening. Another sixteen elders are staying at a local lodge and the Red Cross is providing meals for them. All of the evacuated tourists have left the area. Supai Canyon residents should be able to return to their homes today. All lifeline systems are currently operating in the canyon, including water, power and telephone services. The Hualapai Tribe has received three truckloads of donated supplies from St. Mary's Food Bank and the National Relief Charities. Items include meal kits, blankets, water, Gatorade and hygiene products. [Coconino County Sheriff's Office]
Grand Canyon NP
Stranded Boaters Rescued
Late on the afternoon on Saturday, August 16th, Havasu Canyon, a popular side canyon of the Grand Canyon, flash flooded as a result of heavy, localized, monsoon rains. That evening, park dispatch received word that five unmanned rafts had been seen floating down the Colorado River with supplies and lifejackets aboard. Initial investigation by park staff revealed that these rafts belonged to a single, private boating party of 16 people whose itinerary would have put then in the vicinity of Havasu Canyon at the time of the flood. Around 11 a.m. on Sunday morning, a park helicopter found the party stranded on a ledge at the confluence of Havasu Creek and the Colorado River. There were short-hauled, one at a time, from the ledge to the shore of the Colorado River, where they could be picked up by helicopter and flown to Hualapai Hilltop. From there, the group was transported by bus to a Red Cross shelter in Peach Springs. To ensure the safety of park visitors, river rangers also contacted groups who were still upriver from the confluence of Havasu Creek and the Colorado River to inform them of the conditions at the confluence, and aerial checks of the river corridor were also conducted. Commercial river operators carry satellite phones which worked well throughout this event. No other reports of difficulties due to these flood conditions were received by the park. No park roads or facilities were damaged, the park remains open and fully operational. For more information on the effects of this flood in Grand Canyon National Park, contact the Public Affairs Office at 928-638-7958. For information on continuing efforts to aid those affected by the flood within Havasu Canyon and Supai Village, contact the Incident Information Center at 928-679-4161. If you are checking on family members with permits to float the river or backpack in the backcountry of Grand Canyon National Park, please contact Grand Canyon's river information line at 928-638-7884. [Shannan Marcak, Public Affairs Officer]
Lowell NHP
Suicidal Man Rescued From Merrimack River
On the afternoon of August 9th, ranger Matt Collins heard a radio call from Lowell PD reporting that someone had just jumped off the Bridge Street bridge into the Merrimack River. When he arrived at the bridge, he could see a man swimming towards the bank of the Concord River about 200 yards downstream. He climbed a 12-foot-high iron fence, headed down a riverside walkway toward the man, and found him clinging to a tree in the river. Collins threw a lifejacket with a lifeline attached to it to the man and told him to hold onto it and the tree until other rescuers could arrive on scene. A Lowell PD officer threw a life ring to the man, who was able to secure it with his other arm. Collins and the officer then pulled the man to shore, and, with the assistance of a second city officer, got him up onto the river walk. He was taken to a local hospital. An eyewitness told a Lowell officer that she told the man not to jump, but that the man had told her that he didn't want to live. The rescue was complicated by recent heavy rains and a river flow of over 22,000 cubic feet per second. [Matt Collins, Park Ranger]
OTHER NEWS
Other stories can be read on InsideNPS at one or the other of these two sites:
NPS readers - HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index
Non-NPS readers - HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/
Please note that both publications carry a combined NIFC/NPS fire report. That is generally posted around 8 a.m. Eastern.
Among the stories in today's edition are the following:
Glacier Bay NP&P - The Tweedsmuir Glacier in British Columbia, Canada, is surging into the Alsek River, threatening to block it. Outburst flooding from beneath the glacier could occur at any time, threatening river rafters, fishermen, visitors, concessioners and park staff in Dry Bay.
Office of Public Affairs - On Monday, Deputy Secretary of the Interior Lynn Scarlett and Under Secretary of Agriculture Mark Rey accepted historic preservation awards on behalf of their departments, honoring the heritage tourism and history education achievements of the National Historic Trails Program.
Niobrara NSR - Dan Foster, currently the chief of resource management at Wind Cave National Park, has been selected as the new superintendent for Niobrara National Scenic River. Foster will report for this new assignment on September 15th.
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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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