NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Monday, March 14, 2011

INCIDENTS

Pacific Coastline Parks

Tsunami Causes Little Damage To Parks

The 8.9 earthquake that struck Japan last Friday - the fifth largest quake in the world since 1900 and nearly 8,000 times stronger than the one that recently devastated Christchurch, New Zealand - produced a tsunami that crossed the open and came up on the shores of park beaches from Guam to the West Coast. No visitor or employee injuries have been reported. The following summarizes reports submitted from all affected areas:

American Memorial/War in the Pacific - There was a two-and-a-half foot surge on Saipan and a half foot surge on Guam.

Hawaii Volcanoes - No known injuries or damage.

USS Arizona - The park was closed from 7 a.m. until 10 a.m. on Friday while awaiting notice of further possible surges, It subsequently reopened.

Pu`uhonua o Honaunau and Kaloko Honkohau - The parks continue to assess tsunami-related damage. The tsunami overtopped walls and surged inland hundreds of feet at both parks. At Kaloko Honokohaum the unimproved road to Kaloko Fishpond remains closed as the coastal trail and parking area at the pond have been damaged and debris covers the parking area and picnic areas. Pu`uhonua o Honaunau will remain closed indefinitely as resource crews assess damage to the park and begin clearing debris. The tsunami surges entered the palace grounds and shore fishponds throughout the day, scattering marine debris and coastal vegetation throughout park grounds. Damage to park features has yet to be determined and significant debris is blocking safe access into the park.

Haleakala - The Kipahulu area closed during the event. There's no report yet of any damage.

Kalaupapa - During the early hours of Friday morning, 56 residents of the Kalaupapa community, including a number of patients from the care facility, were evacuated to a location a mile inland. No damage to park resources or facilities has been reported.

Alaska Region - The massive earthquake and possibility of a tsunami led to several precautionary measures to Alaska, but in the end no real effects from the quake and subsequent tsunami were felt. In Sitka (Sitka NHP), some precautionary evacuations were made in the town and the city airport was closed briefly but soon reopened. Elsewhere in Alaska, only small waves and stronger and unusual currents were expected, and were soon seen in the Aleutian Islands. Dutch Harbor (ALEU) reported an 18 inch surge in water levels. The outer coasts of Katmai, Kenai Fjords, and Lake Clark also may have been slightly impacted.

Olympic - No impacts - the surge there was less than a foot.

Redwood - Tsunami waves began hitting beaches around 8 a.m. on Friday. Initially, the waves were not as large as expected, but subsequent waves grew in size and caused significant damage to the local harbor in Crescent City. Additional large waves as high as eight feet were predicted throughout the day, but never realized. By early Friday evening, the evacuation order for Crescent City was lifted. The headquarters facility in downtown Crescent City was unaffected, and only some minor debris was deposited in one picnic area parking lot. More remote areas are being checked, but little or no damage is anticipated. Park staff were intimately involved in the emergency response to this incident, assisting in the evacuation of Crescent City, local beaches, and remote beaches both inside and adjacent to the park. Rangers worked with IT staff to safeguard critical electronic systems at HQ, and provided assistance to local emergency personnel throughout the day. Only one fatality has been reported - an instance in which a person ignored warnings to stay off the beach and was swept out to sea while taking photographs of the incoming wave front. This happened at the mouth of the Klamath River on an inholding within the park. Crescent City harbor, which is adjacent to the park, was heavily damaged by the extreme currents caused by the surges. Most of the harbor's docks were destroyed, about 10 boats were sunk, and over 30 boats severely damaged. In the midst of this incident, rangers in the park's South District also performed a medical/SAR carryout of two individuals from the Lady Bird Johnson trail with assistance from California Department of Forestry work crews and Orick Volunteer Fire Department.

Point Reyes - There were no impacts to the park.

Golden Gate - There were closures throughout the park from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., at which point all beaches from Stinson to Rodeo were reopened. Closures continued for some time along all beaches in San Francisco County, including Fort Point, China Beach, Baker Beach, Ocean Beach and Fort Funston. Rangers and U.S. Park Police officers coordinated operations with San Francisco PD. Only slight surges occurred, due largely to the fact that they occurred during low tide.

Santa Monica Mountains - No known impacts.

Channel Islands - No known impacts. Employees were temporarily evacuated and vessels launched to open ocean as a precaution.

[Dean Ross, Deputy Chief of Emergency Services, WASO; Karen Gatewood, Acting Regional Chief Ranger, PWRO; Steve Chaney, Superintendent, REDW; Kim Coast, Acting Chief Ranger, GOGA; John Quinley, Public Affairs, ARO]

Hawaii Volcanoes NP

Section Of Chain Of Craters Road Reopened

A six mile section of Chain of Craters Road, closed due to the recent eruption on Kilauea, has reopened, as trade winds have helped reduce sulfur dioxide emissions. Scientists are continuing to closely monitor the eruption. For further information, click on these links:

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory HYPERLINK "http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/activity/kilaueastatus.php" eruption updates

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory HYPERLINK "http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/cams/" volcano webcams

Hawaii Volcanoes NP HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm" closure information

[Mardie Lane, Public Affairs Officer]

Cuyahoga Valley NP

Heavy Rains Cause Flooding In Park

Heavy rains that have fell over the region for a week and a half caused both the Cuyahoga River and the Ohio & Erie Canal - both of which run through the park - come out of their banks, causing near record flooding in many areas. Warmer temperatures and significant snowpack were contributing factors. The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, the park's premier multi-use trail, was closed to visitors on Monday, February 28th. It was partially reopened on Tuesday, March 3rd, after the rain subsided and park maintenance staff ensured the trail was safe to reopen for visitors. The rains returned on March 9th, though, again causing flooding along the Towpath Trail. The entire trail is now closed. Damage to the trail includes downed trees and debris and erosion of the limestone surface in some areas. The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, which operates scenic excursions and alternative transportation through the park, cancelled services for the weekend. The park continues to manage the flooding under the incident command system. [Mary Pat Doorley]

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/):

The White House - President Obama has directed that all United States flags be lowered to half staff from sunrise to sunset on Tuesday, March 15th, in memory of Army Corporal Frank W. Buckles, the last surviving American veteran of World War I.

Interpretation and Education - The National Education Council met in January, with new members, a new direction, and a new web presence. Photo.

Legislative and Congressional Affairs - This week's update on past and upcoming hearings and the status of legislation pertinent to the NPS. Today's summary contains five new bills of interest to the NPS, including one that would establish Valles Caldera National Preserve in New Mexico as a unit of the National Park System.

* * * *

Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of Communications and the Office of the Chief Information Officer. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).

--- ### ---