Southeast Region
Post-Isaac Assessments Reveal Only Minor Damage
Over the past few days, parks affected by Hurricane Isaac have conducted damage assessments and found only minor impacts. The following reports have been received:
- Gulf Islands NS – Damage assessments have been largely completed on the park's Mississippi District islands. On West Ship Island, Isaac caused damage to part of the island's pier and part of a boardwalk, but all facilities there were found to be intact. Some areas were washed out and others had sand deposits that will need clearing. An elongated finger spit/shoal area was extended by the storm along the south shoreline, creating an intertidal pool of water between the new beach face and berm that will require the recreational beach to be reestablished to the west of the pier. The south shoreline also has considerable wrack that washed in with the storm along with debris that will require removal as cleanup of the island proceeds. High water (~3 feet deep) was observed within the interior of Fort Massachusetts, which prevented the reentry/core team from completing a full assessment for any damages that may have been sustained to the structure. Power via generators was confirmed to be operational, as was the island water system. On Horn Island, damage was also discovered to the pier, but none was found in the park facility there. Overwash widened a breach in the frontal dune structure near the pathway leading from the facility compound to the south side of the island. All Mississippi island areas, with the exception of West Ship Island, were reopened to visitors on Sunday. West Ship Island will remain closed for passenger ferry transport until such time as a more detailed damage assessment and cost estimate to repair the pier can be completed. Cleanup of scattered debris within the compound and along the shoreline, as well as demarcation of the recreational beach area to the west of the boardwalk, will also be completed before the island is reopened and concession operations resume.
- Jean Lafitte NHP&P – The park had not yet completed assessments as of Friday morning, but expected to find many trees down in its Barataria Unit. Some trees were also reported down in the Chalmette Unit.
- Natchez Trace Parkway – As of early Friday, trees had been cleared from the southern end of the parkway and from Milepost 125 to Milepost 145. Remaining sections of the road were to be cleared on Friday and plans were to reopen the parkway on Saturday morning.
- Vicksburg NMP – Most of the park remained closed as of Friday morning. Many trees were down, but the park expected to have them cleared by day's end and planned on reopening on Saturday.
No reports have yet been received from any inland areas (excepting
the above) regarding any flooding from heavy rains from the remnants of
Isaac. Those rains will continue in the East today.
[Submitted by
Compiled from regional and park reports]
Blue Ridge Parkway
Man Charged With Armed Robbery, Assault, Drug Distribution
On Sunday, July 29th, Plateau District rangers received a report of
an armed robbery that had taken place underneath a parkway overpass in
the area of Milepost 115. The victim showed up at a local grocery store
and was later transported to a local hospital, where ranger Jim Lyon
interviewed him. The man said that a woman with whom he was familiar had
picked him up to give him a ride. She also picked up a second man on the
way, saying that she needed to give him a ride as well. She then drove
to a location within the park where the second man pulled out a pistol,
assaulted the victim, and stole cash, credit cards and personal effects
from him. As his assailants drove away, the man grabbed onto the car and
was dragged for about a quarter mile, sustaining additional injuries.
The assailants then charged over $2,500 worth of goods at local
retailers on the victim's credit cars. They were subsequently identified
and the woman was found and interviewed. She confessed to her
involvement and identified the man who was with her. A joint
investigation began, with Blue Ridge Parkway as the lead agency. Also
participating were the US Attorney's Office, ATF, DEA, Roanoke City PD,
Salem PD and Roanoke County PD. A number of leads were developed that
involved a variety of criminal acts, including distribution of heroin,
distribution of bath salts,
credit card fraud, prostitution, and weapons violations. During the week
of August 20th, the man was indicted on seven charges, including armed
robbery, assault, use of a firearm in the commission of a crime, and
four counts of distribution of heroin. Additional charges are pending in
state court. Lyon is the case agent.
[Submitted by Bobby D. Miller,
Plateau District Ranger]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
NIFC/NPS Fire and Aviation Management
National Fire/Incident Situation Highlights
National Fire Activity – Preparedness Level 3
NIFC is at PL 3.
The preparedness level has gone down one step. Preparedness Level 4 drops to Preparedness Level 3 when significant demobilization is occurring and the following conditions are met:
- Fifty plus crews are being released daily and sent to home units.
- One hundred rested crews are available for new fires.
- All military resources have been released.
- No red flag conditions are forecast for the next 24 hours and higher humidity or lower temperatures are forecast for the major fire areas.
Fire Weather Forecast
Isolated thunderstorms will form over the higher terrain over the Four Corners region. Breezy conditions will continue over the northern Rockies and the northern Plains. Thunderstorms and heavy rain will spread from the central Gulf States to New England as a slow-moving front slides toward the Appalachians. Thunderstorms will also develop around the Great Lakes and the upper Mississippi Valley. Hot weather will return to the southern and central Plains.
To see a NOAA map of today's critical fire weather areas, click on this link: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/fire_wx/fwdy1.html
Fire Summary (Five Day Trend)
|
Day |
Tue |
Wed |
Thu |
Fri |
Tue |
|
Date |
8/28 |
8/29 |
8/30 |
8/31 |
9/4 |
|
Initial Attack Fires |
80 |
82 |
99 |
141 |
123 |
|
New Large Fires |
1 |
11 |
6 |
2 |
1 |
|
Large Fires Contained |
3 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
|
Uncontained Large Fires |
20 |
29 |
34 |
30 |
22 |
National Resource Commitments (Five Day Trend)
|
Day |
Tue |
Wed |
Thu |
Fri |
Tue |
|
Date |
8/28 |
8/29 |
8/30 |
8/31 |
9/4 |
|
Area Command Teams |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
NIMO Teams |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
|
Type 1 Teams |
7 |
10 |
10 |
9 |
7 |
|
Type 2 Teams |
7 |
8 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
NPS Fire Summaries
No updates on National Park Service fires have been received since yesterday.
For additional information on all fires, check the following National Park Service and NIFC web sites:
NIFC
- Summary of current fires – http://www.nifc.gov/nicc/sitreprt.pdf
- Detailed reports on major fires – http://www.inciweb.org/
- Fire news and fire year in perspective – http://www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/nfn.htm
- Map of fire locations – http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/lg_fire2.php
NPS
- Details on current NPS fires – http://www.nps.gov/fire/wildland-fire/fires.cfm
- InsideNPS Fire and Aviation – http://inside.nps.gov/fire
- InsideNPS Structural Fire – http://inside.nps.gov/fire/structuralfire
- NPS Fire and Aviation - http://www.nps.gov/fire
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Yosemite National Park (CA)
Hantavirus Response Continues At Yosemite
Yosemite National Park continues to scale up its public health response and outreach as a result of six confirmed cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in individuals who visited the park in June of this year.
The National Park Service Office of Public Health is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to heighten public health awareness and detection and has issued a call for cases to state and local health departments nationwide.
Hantavirus is a rare but serious disease that occurs throughout the United States and is caused by a virus that individuals get through contact with the urine, droppings or saliva of infected rodents. The types of hantavirus that cause HPS in the United States cannot be transmitted from one person to another. Early medical attention is critical for individuals who contract Hantavirus.
"Early medical attention and diagnosis of Hantavirus are critical," stated Don Neubacher, superintendent of Yosemite. "We urge anyone who may have been exposed to the infection to see their doctor at the first sign of symptoms and to advise them of the potential of hantavirus."
The National Park Service Office of Public Health has confirmed six cases of hantavirus that have been linked to Yosemite National Park. Two of the six cases have resulted in fatalities. The other four individuals are improving or recovered.
An extensive outreach effort is underway by Yosemite National Park and the park concessioner to contact visitors who stayed in the "Signature Tent Cabins" at Yosemite's Curry Village since mid-June, where four of the people with confirmed cases stayed.
Approximately 3,000 registered parties have been contacted through email, mail or phone calls to inform them of the recent cases of hantavirus and to advise them to seek immediate medical attention if they exhibit any symptoms of the virus.
Two community and employee meetings were held in Yosemite National Park on August 29th to discuss awareness and precautions related to hantavirus. In addition, a non-emergency phone line has been set up–for questions and concerns related to hantavirus in Yosemite (209) 372-0822. The phones are staffed from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. Hantavirus information is distributed to every visitor entering Yosemite and notices are posted throughout the park.
"The park and public health officials are contacting visitors and raising awareness in the medical community to increase the chances that any additional cases that may be incubating will be successfully diagnosed and treated early," stated Dr. Danielle Buttke, an epidemiologist with the National Park Service Office of Public Health.
Most infections are caused by breathing small particles of mouse urine or droppings that have been stirred up into the air. If the virus is contracted, the symptoms appear one to six weeks after exposure with fever, headache, and muscle ache, and progresses rapidly to severe difficulty in breathing and, in some cases, death.
The National Park Service has closed the Signature Tent Cabins at Yosemite and intensified building inspections and assessments and cleanings throughout the park.
The Western Incident Management Team (Don Mannel IC) arrived in the park over the weekend to assist in managing the ongoing incident and in preparing a 120-day action plan for reducing the risk of HPS throughout the park.
For additional information on preventing HPS, visit the CDC's hantavirus website at the "More Information" link below.
[Submitted by Scott Gediman and Kari Cobb, Public Affairs Office] More Information...
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Cultural Resources
GS-1109-13 Grants Management Specialist
The Tribal Historic Preservation Office is recruiting for a grants management specialist.
Click on the link below for a copy of the announcement with full details on duties and procedures for applying.
It closes on September 13th.
More Information...
Lake Mead National Recreation Area (AZ,NV)
GL-0025-9 Protection Rangers (Laterals)
Lake Mead National Recreation Area is seeking GL-9 rangers interested in lateral reassignments to several positions within the park.
Rangers at Lake Mead are responsible for the full spectrum of visitor and resource protection functions in a diverse setting that includes both land and water based operations. The division manages a high volume of calls for service (12,000+ annually), including law enforcement incidents, motor vehicle and boat accidents, medical and trauma emergencies, structural fire incidents, and a steady variety of search and rescue incidents in multiple settings. The division also manages a robust special events program.
The rangers selected will have the opportunity to work with a wide variety of park partners and numerous surrounding local, county, state, and federal agencies. If you are selected, you will obtain training, equipment, support services and supervision required to safely and successfully complete the park's mission. Selectees will be required to work rotating shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
Lake Mead NRA is looking for candidates who meet the following criteria:
- NPS law enforcement commission is required for lateral reassignment (Level I preferred)
- Drug screening prior to entrance on duty.
The following certifications are desirable, but will not preclude an applicant from consideration if not yet obtained:
- NREMT-B certification or higher
- DOI MOCC certification
- NPS structural firefighter certification
- Type 2 wildland firefighter certification
- Acceptable fitness (PEB) score according to NPS standards
All positions to be filled are permanent full time. Rangers may be duty stationed at any of the following locations throughout the park – Boulder City, Nevada (Boulder Basin); Bullhead City, Arizona (Katherine's Landing); Kingman, Arizona (Willow Beach, Temple Bar and Meadview); Overton, Nevada (Echo Beach and Overton Bay); and Searchlight, Nevada (Cottonwood Cove).
Selectees may be required to live in government provided housing, depending on the location and position for which they are selected. Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will be authorized in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations. Selectees must work an alternate work schedule (5-4-9).
If you are interested, please submit the following information electronically to John C. Castaneda, human resources specialist; john_castaneda@nps.gov no later than 11:59PM PST on September 17th:
- An OF-612, Optional Application for Federal Employment, or a resume/application.
- A copy of your Level I or Level II law enforcement commission and copies of the following certifications: wildland fire IQCS red card, DOIMOCC or U.S. Coast Guard certification, and/or standard first aid, CPR, EMT certification, and any other related certifications.
- A copy of your latest performance appraisal.
- A current SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, documenting permanent competitive civil service status.
For information about the positions or the protection operation in general should call Deputy Chief Ranger Adam Kelsey at (702) 293-8964 or email at: adam_kelsey@nps.gov.
NPS serious incident submission standards can be found at the following web site:
http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custompages.cfm?prg=45&id;=8728&lv;=2&pgid;=3504
All reports should now be submitted via this automated system.