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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Tuesday, January 25, 2011 INCIDENTS National Park of American Samoa Tropical Cyclone Wilma Hits American Samoa At about 4 a.m. Sunday morning (local time), Tropical Cyclone Wilma struck Tutuila and Aunu'u Islands with sustained winds of 65 mph, gusts up to 80 mph, and heavy rain. The eye of the cyclone remained positioned over the islands for two hours, intensifying during that period. It then moved south, but the islands are continuing to be hit by heavy rain and strong gusty winds, likely to last for a couple of days. The storm snapped a massive cable from an old cable car system that stretched a mile across and about 1600 feet above Pago Pago Harbor and into the park. Other impacts included damage to some homes, downed trees, flooding, and an eleven-hour-long, island-wide power outage. In preparation for Wilma's arrival, the park secured its visitor center windows with boards, readied a generator, and implemented a communication protocol to ensure park staff and their families were safe. Park staff were to begin assessing damage along park roads on Monday morning (local time). When weather conditions improve, staff will also assess and begin work to clear trails and determine the effects of the snapped cable. The Pacific Area Command Center, located at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, served as a communication link and alerted the park of Tropical Cyclone Wilma's early arrival. [Michael Larson, Public Information Officer] Cape Hatteras NS Suspected Bank Robber Apprehended By Rangers On Friday January 14th, rangers were notified by Dare County dispatch that a man wanted for an armed bank robbery in New Jersey might be in the Outer Banks area. Around 4 p.m., the Dare County Sheriff's Office advised rangers that J.T.L. of Randolph, New Jersey, was on a chartered fishing boat operating out of the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, which is a park concession operation. J.T.L. was taken into custody without incident when the chartered boat returned to the marina. J.T.L. was held on a New Jersey fugitive warrant at the Dare County Detention Center. [Paul Stevens, Chief Ranger] OTHER NEWS The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS. To see the full text, including images, NPS employees should go to the InsideNPS home page ( HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index). Non-NPS employees can see most of them on the NPS Digest page ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/): Independence NHP - The Philadelphia Martin Luther King, Jr, Association for Nonviolence, Inc, once again honored the memory of Dr. King with a bell tapping ceremony at the Liberty Bell last week. Valley Forge NHP - Scores of volunteers - including members of the Young Friends of Valley Forge National Park - celebrated the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday by rolling up their sleeves and volunteering their time to help with park projects. Photo. Climate Change Response Program - The January 2011 issue of the Climate Change Response Program's newsletter is now available. A link is provided. Southeast Region - Tim Stone has been named the new superintendent of Fort Sumter National Monument, which includes Fort Moultrie and Charles Pinckney National Historic Site. Photo. * * * * Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov). --- ### --- |