Friday, September 22, 1989
89-289 - Southeastern Areas - Hurricane Hugo
The following update on Hurricane Hugo's impacts on units of the National
Park System in the Southeast was prepared by staff in the Service's
Southeast Regional Office from phone calls made to each park's
superintendent or chief ranger early today. It was forwarded to the
Washington Office at 6 a.m. this morning. Because of darkness and winds, it
was not always possible to get an accurate assessment of the storm's effects
to this point. Reports on the Virgin Islands were received yesterday
afternoon. Further updates will be provided as soon as parks are able to
evaluate the hurricane's impact and report to the regional office.
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Cape Lookout lies along a series of barrier islands from Ocracoke Inlet at
the south end of Cape Hatteras to a point near Morehead City 55 miles to the
south. The park was closed yesterday and the island was evacuated. No
evaluation of property losses has yet been made. The park will remain
closed until the 24th.
Monday, September 25, 1989
89-289 - Eastern Areas - Hurricane Hugo
The following is a brief summary of the impacts of Hurricane Hugo on several
eastern parks as of Friday afternoon:
- Cape Lookout - The park was closed Thursday and the island was evacuated.
Little damage was inflicted by the hurricane. The park reopened Friday
morning.
Monday, September 17, 1990
90-310 - Cape Lookout (North Carolina) - Serious Tornado Damage
Between 6:30 and 6:45 a.m. on the 15th, a tornado struck Barkers Island and
caused approximately $250,000 in damage to several park structures,
including a picnic shelter, the concessioner's office and a hotel which was
being renovated and converted into a visitor center and administrative
building. A visitor's car was also damaged. No one was killed or injured.
Further information will be provided in future morning reports. (Feliz
Revello, CALO, via telephone report from Steve Smith, RAD/SERO, 9/17).
Thursday, September 27, 1990
90-341 - Cape Lookout (North Carolina) - Structural Fire
A fire destroyed the concessioner's cabin and workshop at South Core Bank on
the 25th. The fire, which may have been started by a generator or the power
cord leading from it, began around noon and was out by 2:30 p.m. A nearby
400-gallon gasoline tank blew-up during the fire. The park successfully
employed a Mark III pump to keep the fire from spreading to another cabin
and to nearby vegetation. Damage has been estimated at from $10,000 to
$15,000; there were no injuries. The county fire marshall was to have begun
an investigation into the fire yesterday. (Felix Revello, CALO, via telefax
from Steve Smith, RAD/SERO, 9/26).
Monday, August 19, 1991
91-410 - East Coast Areas - Hurricane Bob
NPS-administered seashores along the East coast from North
Carolina to Massachusetts have prepared or are preparing for
potential impacts from Hurricane Bob. The following reports
summarize the scope and nature of activities as of yesterday
evening:
* Cape Lookout (North Carolina) - All visitors were evacuated
from the island on Saturday, park boats were taken out of the water and
park facilities were secured. Seasonal and temporary employees were
moved inland, but permanent staff remained on island and were
prepared to respond to any emergencies.
Reports were received from two parks at 7:30 a.m. EDT this
morning. Cape Hatteras reports minor damage. Some poles may be
down along the seashore, but no other damage has yet been
discovered. The park's pilot will fly over Cape Hatteras and
Cape Lookout today to make a full assessment of the hurricane's
impacts. Cape Lookout reports no damage at headquarters.
Although they haven't gotten out to the outer banks yet this
morning, damage is expected to be light because winds in the
area did not exceed 50 mph.
Further updates on Hurricane Bob's impacts will appear in
Tuesday's morning report. [Telephone conversations on 8/18 with
Bill Harris, CALO; Alan Whalon, ASIS; Bob Woody, CAHA; Frank
Mills, Sandy Hook, GATE; Don Weir, FIIS; Andy Ringgold, CACO
telephone reports on 8/19 from Mary Moran, CAHA, and Bill Munsey,
CALO, via Bill Sturgeon, RAD/SERO]
Wednesday, October 30, 1991
The following updates have been received from East Coast parks within the
last hour regarding the impacts of the offshore storm. Reports have also been
received from Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout. Parks not included in this
summary had no significant updates to information presented this morning.
A storm surge and waves higher than those previously predicted were occurring
along the New Jersey and New York shorelines, and significant damage is
therefore expected at parks in those areas. An updated report will be prepared
this evening and tomorrow morning and distributed before 8:00 a.m. through the
Morning Report.
Cape Lookout NS
Wind and tides have done some damage to dunes and overwash has occurred, but
there have been no other impacts to park resources or facilities. The park
remains open. Visitors are being urged to stay vigilant and careful of high
waves and overwash areas.
Wednesday, October 30, 1991
Virtually all park staffs report that they are still fully involved in making
assessments of the scope and nature of damages incurred as a result of the
storm and that these will not be completed until early next week. The
following information is supplemental to that which appeared in yesterday's
briefings and today's morning report. It is worth noting, however, that we
have received no reports of employee or visitor injuries from any area.
Cape Lookout NS
Much of the park was overwashed by the ocean during the storm and remains
flooded today. Initial surveys of the park indicate that no facilities were
damaged by the storm. Access to some areas has been restricted because of
high water, but the park otherwise remains open. This is peak fishing season
on Cape Lookout and the coming weekend may be the peak weekend of that season.
Friday, November 1, 1991
91-598 - Eastern Areas - Storm Impacts
The severe storm off the North Atlantic coast has had a major impact on NPS
areas all along the Eastern seaboard. The following information was
compiled from preliminary reports received yesterday and early today;
fuller reports will appear as soon as park staffs are able to complete
assessments of damages inflicted on their areas.
* Cape Lookout (South Carolina) - Wind and tides have done some damage to
dunes and overwash has occurred, but there have been no other impacts to
park resources or facilities. The park remains open. Visitors are being
urged to stay vigilant and careful of high waves and overwash areas.
Friday, November 1, 1991
91-598 - Eastern Areas - Follow-up on Offshore Storm
Virtually all park staffs report that they are still fully involved in
making assessments of the scope and nature of damages incurred as a result
of the storm and that these will not be completed until later this week.
The following reports provide updates on the situation in affected parks as
of early Friday afternoon. Although serious damage has occurred in several
areas, it is worth nothing that no reports of employee or visitor injuries
have been received from any areas.
* Cape Lookout (North Carolina) - Much of the park was overwashed by the
ocean during the storm and remained flooded on Friday. Initial surveys of
the park indicate that no facilities were damaged by the storm. Access to
some areas has been restricted because of high water, but the park
otherwise remains open. This is peak fishing season on Cape Lookout.
(Note: Despite the intense effects of the storm, it is not true that Cape
Lookout is now in South Carolina, as was reported in Friday's morning
report. The park remains in North Carolina).
[Summaries to date compiled from telephone and telefaxed reports from John
Lynch, RAD/NARO; Dennis Burnett and Bill Hooper, CACO; Don Weir and Jack
Hauptman, FIIS; Kevin McMurry and Jim Reinhart, GATE; Brion Fitzgerald and
Alan Whalon, ASIS; Larry Roush, CAHA; Chuck Harris, CALO; Bill Springer,
RAD/SERO]
Thursday, September 24, 1992
92-521 - North Carolina Areas - Tropical Storm Danielle
Preliminary contacts have been made with park staff at Cape Lookout and Cape
Hatteras this morning regarding the effects of Tropical Storm Danielle,
which was about 185 miles southeast of the Outer Banks at 5 a.m. Cape
Lookout reports winds out of the north of from 20 to 30 knots and a high
tide surge between two and three feet above normal. Cape Hatteras has not
yet made an assessment of storm impacts, but will do so later this morning.
Both parks have their hurricane plans in effect, but remain open. Danielle's
winds are averaging about 45 mph and the storm is relatively stationary; it
is not expected to move or change in strength today. [Steve Smith,
RAD/SERO, 9/24]
Friday, September 25, 1992
92-521 - East Coast Areas - Follow-up on Tropical Storm Danielle
As of 6 a.m. this morning, Danielle was about 80 miles southeast of Virginia
Beach and moving northwest with sustained winds of about 50 mph. It was
causing some damage to structures and the coastline along the Outer Banks,
and was expected to next strike the Delmarva Peninsula between Chesapeake
Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Four to six inch rains, tides up to four feet
above normal and coastal erosion are predicted.
Cape Lookout this morning reports tides of three to four feet above normal
and some beach erosion. Minor flooding has occurred in one picnic area.
The park has expressed some concern regarding turtle nesting areas, but has
not yet been able to assess damage to them.
[Brion Fitzgerald and Bob Thomas, ASIS; Steve Smith and Bill Sturgeon,
RAD/SERO; 9/24-25]
Thursday, January 14, 1993
93-17 - Cape Lookout (North Carolina) - Burglary
Park volunteers discovered a burglary in an NPS-owned house in Portsmouth
Village, a National Register historic district, on December 7th. Several
items of furniture had been taken. Rangers Jennifer Anderson and Felix
Revello began the initial investigation with the collection of evidence for
latent fingerprint analysis and the casting of tire tracks at the crime
scene. Subsequent investigation of the tire tracks, coupled with
information gained from the concession ferry operator, led to the
identification of two suspects. Interviews with the suspects - one
conducted by Colonial investigator Clyde Yee because of one of the suspect's
resided near the park in Virginia - led to confessions and recovery of most
of the missing furniture. Cape Hatteras rangers also assisted in the
investigation. The suspects probably had at least one accomplice who helped
take some of the furniture off the barrier island by boat. The
investigation continues; charges are pending. [Chuck Harris, CPO (Chief of
Park Operations), CALO, 1/13]
Friday, August 20, 1993
93-622 - Cape Lookout (North Carolina) - Drug Conviction
On July 27th, J.V. II plead guilty in federal court to possessing a
controlled substance (marijuana) and illegally entering a closed bird
nesting area. He was fined a total of $1,200. As part of the plea
agreement, charges of interfering with an agency function which arose from
J.V.'s attempt to destroy evidence were dropped. A noteworthy aspect of
the incident was the successful prosecution of the case by special Marine
Corps assistant U.S. attorneys from nearby Camp Lejeune, who continue to
provide assistance to the park. [Felix Revello, CALO, 8/19]
Monday, August 30, 1993
93-632 - Southeast Region - Hurricane Emily
Preparations are underway for the arrival of Hurricane Emily, which will
likely strike North Carolina's Outer Banks some time tomorrow. A mandatory
evacuation has been ordered for Outer Bank islands; although contact has not
yet been made with Cape Hatteras, the chief ranger at Cape Lookout reports
that all visitors and staff will be off that park's islands by noon today.
Moore's Creek, which is inland and to the south of the capes, has begun
preparing for the storm, but will wait until noon today before deciding on
whether or not to take any substantive actions. One of Southeast Region's
Type II all risk teams has been alerted. There will be a meeting in the
regional office this morning to discuss potential response actions. [Steve
Smith, RAD/SERO, 8/30]
Tuesday, August 31, 1993
93-632 - East Coast Areas - Follow-up on Hurricane Emily
Preparations continue for the arrival of Hurricane Emily, now a Category II
storm with sustained winds around 100 mph. Forecasters believe that wind
speeds will increase before the hurricane comes ashore tomorrow. At 5 a.m.
EDT, the hurricane was 155 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras and moving
northwest around 9 mph; a gradual turn to the north is expected later today.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 40 miles from the center, and
tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 115 mph. The hurricane
warning has been extended northward to Cape Henlopen, Delaware, just north
of Assateague Island. Storm tides of five to eight feet are possible on
both eastern and western shores of the Outer Banks. Rainfall totals of four
to eight inches are possible along Emily's path.
* Cape Lookout (North Carolina) - The park is now fully closed. Winds up to
40 mph were reported early this morning.
[Steve Smith, RAD/SERO; Mary Collier, Management Assistant, CAHA; Chuck
Harris, CR, CALO; Bob Thomas, Acting CR, ASIS; Dick Young, COLO; NWS Office
of Meteorology hurricane advisory; 8/31]
Wednesday, September 1, 1993
93-632 - East Coast Areas - Follow-up on Hurricane Emily
Reports were received early this morning from parks along the North
Carolina-Virginia coastline regarding the impacts of Hurricane Emily:
* Cape Lookout (North Carolina) - The hurricane passed to the east of the
cape. There was very little rain or wind at headquarters on Harkers Island
at the south end of the park. Although an assessment has not yet been made
of Core Banks Island, the park's principal island, washovers are deemed
likely. There is some concern regarding damage to Portsmouth Village at the
northern tip of the island; it will be checked later today. The park has
been reopened.
[Steve Smith, RAD/SERO; Chuck Harris, CR, CALO; Mary Collier, Management
Assistant, CAHA; Brion FitzGerald, CR, ASIS]
Thursday, September 2, 1993
93-632 - East Coast Areas - Follow-up on Hurricane Emily
Assessments of the damages inflicted on Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout are
still underway. A summary will appear in tomorrow's morning report. The
Southeast Area Coordination Center is rapidly scaling back operations, as
are other emergency response organizations. [Steve Smith, RAD/SERO, 9/2]
Friday, September 3, 1993
93-632 - East Coast Areas - Follow-up on Hurricane Emily
Updates on the impacts of Hurricane Emily have been received from the two
parks most affected by the storm:
* Cape Lookout - No apparent damage was inflicted on the historic buildings
at Portsmouth Village, but there was some minor damage to Haulover Dock at
that location. No new channels were cut through the Core Banks. Beach
erosion was limited.
[Steve Smith, RAD/SERO; Chuck Harris, CR, CALO; Mary Collier, Management
Assistant, CAHA; 9/2]
Thursday, July 21, 1994
94-406 - Cape Lookout (North Carolina) - Oil Spill
About 300 gallons of jet fuel was accidently discharged overboard
from the aircraft carrier USS Wasp late on the afternoon on July 17th. The
oil slick is being monitored by the Coast Guard, North Carolina's Division
of Coastal Management, and the National Park Service. Fortunately, the
JP-5 jet fuel is a light distillate that readily dissipates when exposed to
the elements. Monitoring continues, but there had been no impacts to park
wildlife nor any accumulation on park beaches at the time of the report.
(Chuck Harris, Chief of Ops, CALO, 7/20]
Thursday, September 8, 1994
94-529 - Cape Lookout (South Carolina) - Illegal Dumping
Debris which accumulated on the park's beaches in late August was
subsequently traced to at least three Navy ships - the Inchon, Gunston Hall,
and Trenton. The commanding officers of Norfolk Naval Station and
Amphibious Squadron Two out of Little Creek were contacted on August 30th,
and they sent an assessment team and 30 crew members from the three vessels
to the park the following day. They collected 70 bags of trash, loaded it
aboard a landing craft from Little Creek, and took the refuse back to
Norfolk. Although most of the trash collected was not of Navy origin, they
took it anyway. There was no medical waste in the debris, which consisted
mostly of MRE packages, plastic bottles, light bulbs and metal food cans.
[Chief of Park Operations, CALO, 9/6]
Friday, November 25, 1994
94-647 - Cape Lookout (North Carolina) - Follow-up on Hurricane Gordon
Hurricane Gordon inflicted serious damage to park resources and facilities.
Flood tides extensively eroded or flattened the primary dune line, particularly
on North and South Core Banks north of the Cape Lookout light station. In some
locations, the shoreline receded over 200 feet. While storm tides overtopped
the seashore, no new inlets were formed. The storm tides spread sand deposits
over many low areas inland from the shoreline and in effect raised the overall
profile of the banks. Of particular concern was the damage to park facilities
at the Long Point cabin area, a concession complex operated by the Don Morris
family. Two structures, representing three rental units, were demolished or
damaged beyond repair. Six other older structures, including the caretaker's
quarters and support buildings, were flooded and had sand deposited around the
structures to their floor levels. Most of the buildings had from a few inches
to a foot of sand deposited in them. Water utility lines serving the older
structures were damaged as were some, if not all, sewer systems. While water
surrounded the relative new octa-structures, there was no apparent damage to
the structures or their utility systems. Park cabins and support structures
were also largely undamaged. Because of the loss of the dune system in the
area, the older cabin rental structures are vulnerable to further damage from
even minor storm and overwash events. [Chuck Harris, Chief, Park Operations,
CALO, 11/23]
Friday, August 11, 1995
95-513 - Cape Lookout (North Carolina) - Search
On the afternoon of August 5th, K.D., 32, set out to swim across Barden
Inlet from Shackleford Banks to the spit of South Core Banks, a distance of
about one mile. K.D.'s friends soon lost sight of her and set out by boat in
an attempt to locate her. When these efforts proved fruitless, they contacted
the Coast Guard. A search involving a park and two Coast Guard vessels and a
Coast Guard helicopter was initiated. Park VIPs contacted visitors on the
beach, and two more helicopters eventually joined the search. Around 8:30
p.m., K.D. called the Coast Guard from the mainland. She said that she'd been
caught up by the current and drifted to Core Sound, where a local fisherman
picked her up and took her to Harkers Island. K.D. was in the water for about
40 minutes. Alcohol is believed to have been a contributing factor. [Jim
Zahradka, Protection Branch Chief, CALO]
Wednesday, August 16, 1995
95-518 - East Coast Parks - Hurricane Felix
* Cape Lookout - Evacuation of the park began at 8 a.m. yesterday morning,
and all visitors and park and concessions employees were off the islands
by 3 p.m.
[Robert Woody, PIO, IMT, CAHA; Superintendent, CALO; Bob Thomas, ASIS; Jim
Burnett, CR, COLO]
Thursday, August 17, 1995
95-518 - East Coast Parks - Follow-up on Hurricane Felix
The following reports were received yesterday from parks being most directly
affected by Hurricane Felix, which remains stationary off the North Carolina
coast:
* Cape Lookout - The park is closed. Essential employees completed final
closing procedures at noon yesterday then left the area. Storm surges
have affected the park, but winds were minimal at the time of the report
yesterday morning.
[Robert Woody, PIO, IMT, CAHA; Superintendent, CALO; Bob Thomas, Acting CR,
ASIS; Jim Burnett, CR, COLO; USA Today]
Monday, August 21, 1995
95-518 - East Coast Parks - Follow-up on Hurricane Felix
The sudden change in direction and departure of Hurricane Felix spared East
coast parks from significant damage. The following reports were received on
Friday:
* Cape Lookout - The park returned to normal operations at 3 p.m. on August
17th. The park sustained no property damage and only minimal resource
damage.
Monday, October 16, 1995
95-680 - Cape Lookout (North Carolina) - Shooting Incident
Rangers Jim Zahradka and Greg Griffis responded to a shooting incident on North
Core Banks on the afternoon of October 8th. E.G., 43, had shot the knob
off the bathroom door of his camper while his cousin, Russell Morgan, was
sitting on the toilet. E.G. was arrested at the camper with the assistance
of two state fisheries officers who were working in the park. E.G. was
incarcerated until October 10th, when he was released from jail on a $10,000
bond. He's been charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon. Morgan was
not injured. [Chuck Harris, Chief of Park Operations, CALO]
Wednesday, May 1, 1996
96-176 - Cape Lookout (North Carolina) - Body Found
The body of a 30 to 40-year-old man washed ashore on North Core Banks near
Drum Inlet on April 29th. The unidentified man, who apparently was not in
the water for more than a few days, was fully dressed. Both legs were broken
below the knees and a rope was tied around his right ankle. Two loops were
tied in the rope, indicating that the body may have been weighted down when
thrown into the water. Although no identification was found, rangers
discovered a laminated newspaper article in his rear pocket which described
the 1991 death of a Maryland woman and listed the names of her three sons.
An investigation is underway. [CALO]
Wednesday, May 8, 1996
96-176 - Cape Lookout (North Carolina) - Follow-up on Body Found
The identity of the man whose body washed ashore on North Core Banks on April
29th has been established. He was M.T., 39, of Savage, Maryland.
It's been determined that the death was a suicide, and that the cause of
death was drowning. M.T. left an extensive paper trail detailing his
method of suicide, handling of the notification of his death, and
distribution of personal property. He apparently tied himself into his
recently purchased 16-foot boat, then sank it. The apparent broken legs were
actually caused by postmortem trauma. [Chuck Harris, CR, CALO]
Thursday, July 11, 1996
96-340 - Caribbean/Florida Parks - Follow-up on Hurricane Bertha
Parks from Florida to North Carolina accelerated preparations for Hurricane
Bertha yesterday, with the anticipation of at least tropical storm level
winds along the Florida coast and hurricane winds at more northerly
locations. A follow-up report has also been received from the Virgin
Islands. Please note that reports were received at different times. The
balance were submitted late yesterday before the hurricane's shift to a more
northerly course:
o Cape Lookout - The park closed yesterday, and will be completely shut
down today. Concessions operators transported guests out of the park,
and park employees were evacuated.
[Kent Cave, CR, FOPU; Bob Panko, IC, EVER; Bill DeHart, IC/CR, CANA; Wendell
Simpson, Superintendent, CANA; Ray Morris, CI&RM, FOFR; Gary Bremen, PIO,
BISC; John Tucker, FOSU; Mark Woods, VIIS; Bob Woody, CI&VS, CAHA; Chuck
Harris, CR, CALO; C. Dale, CR/IC, CASA/FOMA; Suzanne Lewis, FOCA/TIMU; CRO,
CUIS; Steve Smith, SEFDO]
Tuesday, July 16, 1996
96-340 - East Coast Parks - Follow-up on Hurricane Bertha
Additional reports have been received on the impacts of the hurricane:
o Cape Lookout (North Carolina) - Although the park received much of the
brunt of the hurricane, preliminary assessments via aircraft and ground
teams indicate that overwash was unexpectedly light, but that the roofs
of many park buildings had been damaged. All personnel had returned to
work by Sunday, and concessions reopened for business. Some areas are
still without power, but park operations are on a normal routine.
[Bob Woody, CI&VS, CAHA; John Tucker, Superintendent, FOSU; Chuck Harris, CR,
CALO; Jim Burnett, CR, COLO]
Tuesday, September 3, 1996
96-510 - East Coast Areas - Hurricane Edouard
Hurricane Edouard has now lost all tropical characteristics and moved out
into the Atlantic Ocean. It caused only minor disruptions and damage during
its long journey north along the East Coast:
o Cape Lookout - The park was closed and evacuated on Saturday, but
headquarters and the visitor center remained open. The entire park
reopened on Sunday. The hurricane caused major overwash in several
areas as it passed by. Air and ground surveillance reveal no
significant damage. The IC was superintendent Bill Harris.
[John Lynch, NESO; Chuck Harris, CALO; Bob Woody, CI/VS, CAHA]
Thursday, September 5, 1996
96-511 - East Coast Areas - Follow-up on Hurricane Fran
Preparations continue in the Southeastern parks for the imminent arrival of
Hurricane Fran:
o Cape Lookout - The park has been closed and evacuated. Headquarters
will close at 10 a.m.
[Chuck Harris, CR, CALO; C.L. Dale, CR, CASA; Newt Sikes, CR, CUIS; John
Breen, FOPU; John Tucker, FOSU/CHPI/MOCA; Darlene Koontz, NPS/FLETC; Bob
Woody, CI&VS, CAHA]
Monday, September 9, 1996
96-511 - East Coast Areas - Follow-up on Hurricane Fran
Reports on the impacts of Hurricane Fran have been received from a number of
Eastern parks. Of particular note is the fact that the flooding along the
Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers has in most cases been as or more severe than
that which occurred during January, making this the first year since the
National Weather Service began keeping track early this century that areas
along those rivers have been hit by two major floods. As of Sunday night,
the Potomac was flowing past Little Falls in Maryland at more than 300,000
cubic feet per second (cfs) - 130 times the normal volume. When the
Shenandoah River crested on Saturday, it had a flow rate of 153,000 cfs, or
more than 200 times its typical rate.
o Cape Lookout - The park suffered no significant damage. Headquarters
was closed on Friday due to a power outage and the inability of some
employees to get to the office.
[Greg Styles, IC, SHEN; Kevin Fitzgerald, CHOH; Gary Pollock, GWMP; Sandy
Ailey, PIO, NCFA; Jim Fox, BLRI; Bob Woody, CI&VS, CAHA; Newt Sikes, CUIS;
John Breen, FOPU; Andrew Loveless, Superintendent, KIMO; John Tucker,
Superintendent, FOSU; Chuck Harris, CR, CALO; Mike Johnson, CR, FRSP;
Washington Post]
Tuesday, September 24, 1996
96-551 - Cape Lookout (North Carolina) - Park Boat Explosion
An unoccupied park boat tied up at a dock exploded on September 20th. The
22-foot Hancock Skimmer had just returned from an operational assignment.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the explosion may have stemmed from
problems with the bilge pump and internal fuel tanks. A joint state and
Coast Guard investigation is pending. A similar park boat has been taken out
of service until the investigation is completed. The boat is manufactured in
Sea Level, North Carolina, and is not believed to be in service at any other
NPS areas. Similarly configured boats may be employed at some parks,
however. [Chuck Harris, CR, CALO]
Wednesday, February 18, 1998
98-69 - Cape Lookout (NC) - Search in Progress
A local fishing company has asked the park to check out Cape Lookout Bight
for debris or victims from a wrecked trawler. The 68-foot trawler
"Josephine" was reported heading to port at 4 a.m. yesterday, but has not
been heard from since. Other boats reported heavy seas in the area, and an
inflated six-man lifeboat and orange life ring with the trawler's name on it
were found near Cape Lookout Point yesterday evening. A search of the beach
for debris or bodies will continue today. [Laurie Heupel, Education
Specialist, CALO, 2/18]
Monday, March 23, 1998
98-69 - Cape Lookout (NC) - Follow-up on Search for Boat Sinking Victims
A visitor reported the discovery of a body a mile and a half north of Alger
Willis Fishing Camps on the morning of March 21st. Supervisory park ranger
Jim Zahradka responded and found the body in the surf line. The victim was
clothed in a gray and burgundy sweatshirt, dark jeans and socks. There was
no wallet in his pants. Concession employees helped load the body into the
park boat. Efforts to identify the victim are underway. It's likely that he
is one of the three crew members still missing from the commercial fishing
vessel "Josephine," which sank south of Cape Lookout on February 17th. [Jim
Zahradka, SPR, CALO, 3/22]
Friday, May 29, 1998
98-233 - Cape Lookout NS (NC) - Severe Storm; Rescue
A severe storm with wind gusts up to 70 mph struck the park on the afternoon
of May 23rd. There were about 250 vessels in the park at that time. The
winds kicked up high seas in the sound and Cape Lookout bight, causing six
recreational boats to swamp or sink. Many of the remainder sought shelter in
the bight and the park's boat basin. A one-and-a-half year old child
suffered respiratory distress when the boat she was on sank and family
members were unable to keep the child's head above the waves. The family of
eight was rescued by a passing boat and the child was airlifted to a local
hospital, where she was treated and released. A visitor was brought to the
park visitor center with a dislocated shoulder. Both he and his friend were
orthopedic surgeons; the doctor, with assistance from a ranger, set the
shoulder in the park's conference room. Rangers spent the rest of the day
looking for and assisting distressed vessels. [Jim Zahradka, SPR, CALO,
5/24]
Wednesday, August 26, 1998
98-526 - East Coast Areas - Follow-up on Hurricane Bonnie
Reports have been received from a number of areas, all in various stages of
preparation for the imminent arrival of Hurricane Bonnie. Those appear
below. Several incident management teams have also either staged or been
placed on standby. Southeast's interagency "Blue Team", comprised of
representatives from the NPS, Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife Service,
has staged at Fort Bragg and will be supporting FEMA operations. A second
interagency incident management team will also be dispatched to that location
to support FEMA. Southeast Region's lead Type 2 team (Bob Panko, IC) is on
immediate standby for response to NPS areas and is ready to go. The NPS
national Type 1 team, SERO's two remaining Type 2 teams, and a CISD team are
on standby and available for callout to parks. An innovative maintenance
response vehicle, based out of Great Smoky Mountains NP, has been prepared
and is ready to go. The truck and gooseneck trailer, which was developed
following responses to several of the recent big hurricanes to strike
Southeast Region, contains a complete maintenance shop (generators,
compressors, saws, drill press, etc.), sleeping quarters for four people, a
restroom and a kitchenette. As for the parks themselves:
o Cape Lookout NS (NC) - The park has also been closed and evacuated;
employees have joined Cape Hatteras staff in Raleigh.
Parks in the track of Hurricane Bonnie are urged to transmit reports on storm
preparations or impacts to this cc:Mail address at their earliest
convenience. [Ken Garvin, SERO, 8/26; Ann Childress, Superintendent, MOCR,
8/25; Bob Woody, CAHA, 8/25; Jim Burnett, CR, COLO, 8/25; John Burns, CR,
ASIS, 8/25-26; Barry Sullivan, Assistant Superintendent, FIIS, 8/25]
Thursday, August 27, 1998
98-526 - East Coast Areas - Follow-up on Hurricane Bonnie
As Hurricane Bonnie makes slow progress to the north, North Carolina areas
are preparing for recovery operations. Southeast Region's lead Type 2 team
(Bob Panko, IC) is currently en route to Raleigh to meet with the staffs of
Cape Lookout NS and Cape Hatteras NS; the Fort Sumter Group has dispatched
maintenance workers and equipment to help out at Moores Creek NB. Additional
reports have also been received from the affected parks:
o Cape Lookout NS - An employee who remained on the barrier island
checked the headquarters area last night and found no damage, but this
was before high tide, which was scheduled to occur around midnight.
Parks in the track of Hurricane Bonnie are urged to transmit reports on storm
preparations or impacts to this cc:Mail address at their earliest
convenience. [Ken Garvin, SERO, 8/27; Ann Childress, Superintendent, MOCR,
8/26; Bob Woody, CAHA, 8/26]
Friday, August 28, 1998
98-526 - East Coast Areas - Follow-up on Hurricane Bonnie
Further updates on the impacts of the hurricane on North Carolina parks - and
preparations for its passage along the New York coast - have been received:
o Cape Lookout NS - Members of the park's staff conducted a preliminary
survey last night. At the time of the report, winds were still blowing
between 40 and 50 mph; trees were down, water covered many areas, and
power was out. Minor water damage was reported at headquarters, but no
structural damage was evident. Some staff will return to the park at
10 a.m. this morning to fully survey the area. The park will remain
closed until further notice.
Parks in the track of Hurricane Bonnie are urged to transmit reports on storm
impacts to this cc:Mail address at their earliest convenience. [Ken Garvin,
SERO, 8/28; Ann Childress, Superintendent, FOSU, 8/28; Barry Sullivan,
Assistant Superintendent, FIIS, 8/27]
Monday, August 31, 1998
98-526 - East Coast Areas - Follow-up on Hurricane Bonnie
Hurricane Bonnie's impacts on East Coast parks were minimal. Additional
reports were received late on Friday and over the weekend:
o Cape Lookout NS (NC) - The headquarters building received considerable
water damage due to winds blowing water under doors, around windows,
and under the eaves of roofs. Almost all structures in the park
suffered at least roof damage. Power was restored to headquarters on
Friday afternoon. Overwash rutted large sections of back roads and
caused extensive erosion of the dune line. It's not yet known what
impact the storm had on turtle nests. Both the park and the park's two
concession operations reopened on Saturday. Passenger ferries are also
operational. A detailed assessment is underway.
No reports have been received from Cape Hatteras NS since the hurricane
passed. [John Burns, CR, ASIS, 8/28; Ken Garvin, SERO, 8/29; Mike Rikard,
Acting Superintendent, and Jim Zahradka, CALO, 8/28 and 29; James Burnett,
CR, COLO, 8/28]
Wednesday, February 3, 1999
99-28 - Cape Lookout NS (NC) - Search in Progress
On the morning of January 30th, the Coast Guard received a report of an
overturned vessel just outside of Beauford Inlet, which is on the park's
southwest boundary at Shackleford Banks. Small craft warnings were in place
at the time. Coast Guard crews responded and found an overturned 14-foot,
fiberglass, flat-bottom skiff; there was nobody on board or nearby, but a
life jacket was found in the water. A search was begun for the three people
on board. Ranger Christopher Stechmann searched Back Sound and the park's
inland waterways by boat and the nine miles of beach, dunes and woods on
Shackleford Banks by ATV. He found no signs of the three men in the 84-
square-mile search area. Rangers are continuing the land search of the beach
as part of their routine patrols. [Jim Zahradka, SPR, CALO, 2/2]
Tuesday, March 23, 1999
99-28 - Cape Lookout NS (NC) - Follow-up: Search
On the morning of January 30th, the Coast Guard received a report of an
overturned vessel just outside of Beauford Inlet, which is on the park's
southwest boundary at Shackleford Banks. Small craft warnings were in place
at the time. Coast Guard crews responded and found an overturned 14-foot,
fiberglass, flat-bottom skiff; there was nobody in the area, but a life
jacket was found in the water. Rangers and others began a search for the
three people who were on board. On March 17th, resource management
specialist Jeff Cordes came upon a body in the surf on the spit at Cape
Lookout. Rangers picked it up and transported it by boat to park
headquarters. The county medical examiner has confirmed that the victim was
B.J.G., one of the fisherman lost in the January accident. His
remains were found ten miles from where the boat sank. Another of the
victims was found outside the park a couple of weeks after the accident.
[Jim Zahradka, SPR, CALO, 3/22]
Monday, August 30, 1999
99-520 - East Coast Areas - Hurricane Dennis
Parks along the Atlantic Ocean from Florida to North Carolina have been
preparing for Hurricane Dennis since it neared the coastline late last week:
o Cape Lookout NS (NC) - The park put its hurricane plan into effect
yesterday morning. The park was closed to visitors and all services
were shut down. All passenger ferry services to the island were
terminated, and overnight guests were evacuated. The park was
completely shut down by 4:30 p.m.
[Denis Davis, CUIS, 8/28; Gary Bremen, IO, BISC, 8/26-27; Chuck Dale,
CASA/FOMA, 8/27; Karren Brown and Jim Zahradka, CALO, 8/27 and 8/29; Chris
Bernthal and Bob Woody, CAHA/FORA/WRBR, 8/27 and 8/29; Helga Fraze, CANA,
8/27-29; Bill Martin, PIO, FOSU/CHPI, 8/29; Ann Childress, MOCR, 8/29]
Tuesday, August 31, 1999
99-520 - East Coast Areas - Follow-up: Hurricane Dennis
Hurricane Dennis continues its slow movement toward the east-northeast this
morning, with highest sustained winds of 85 mph. It is not expected to move
much over the next 24 hours, and will likely be downgraded to a strong
tropical storm within the next 72 hours. It may "wander" back to the west
toward the coast during that period. A tropical storm warning remains in
effect from Cape Lookout, North Carolina, to Chincoteague, Virginia; gale
warnings extend from Chincoteague to Great Egg Inlet, New Jersey. The
following reports have been received from parks over the past 24 hours:
o Cape Lookout NS (NC) - Employees returned to the park this morning, and
a damage assessment is now underway. The mainland and park
headquarters suffered minor damage. The assessment of the North Core,
South Core and Shackelford Banks will be completed by this evening.
The park will remain closed until facilities are checked and determined
to be safe.
[Rick Black, Emergency Support Team, FEMA, 8/31; Jim Zahradka, IC, CALO,
8/31; Bob Woody, IC, CAHA, 8/30; Chuck Dale, FOMA/CASA, 8/30; John Tucker,
FOSU/CHPI/MOCR; Denis Davis, CUIS, 8/31]
Wednesday, September 1, 1999
99-520 - East Coast Areas - Follow-up: Hurricane Dennis
The following reports have been received from parks over the past 24 hours:
o Cape Lookout NS (NC) - A comprehensive damage assessment has been
delayed by continuing high winds and seas. The preliminary review so
far indicates extensive damage to docks, structures, resources and
roads on the banks due to high winds and overwash. Concessioners on
North Core and South Core Banks report extensive damage to their
facilities, which will remain closed until repairs are completed.
Services provided by incidental business permittees have been suspended
to assure visitor safety. The Harkers Island visitor center is open,
but the outer banks are still closed to the public and lessees.
Yesterday afternoon's high winds and tides have caused damage to the
boat basin at the Harkers Island administrative site. Gale force winds
persist. Employees are on alert status due to the possibility of
Hurricane Dennis returning to the coast.
[Bob Woody, IC, CAHA, 8/31; Jim Burnett, CR, COLO, 8/31; Kevin Fitzgerald,
CR, CACO, 8/31; Jim Zahradka, IC, CALO, 8/31; Dave Griese, CR, FIIS, 8/31;
John Burns, CR, ASIS, 8/31]
Tuesday, September 7, 1999
99-520 - Cape Hatteras Group/Cape Lookout NS (NC) - Follow-up: TS Dennis
North Carolina coastal parks again bore the brunt of Tropical Storm Dennis as
it turned inland early on the Labor Day weekend:
o Cape Lookout NS - The park was again shut down and the headquarters
area was evacuated on the morning of September 4th. The hurricane
struck the park on South Core Banks and hit the mainland at about 4:30
p.m. that day. Winds reached about 55 mph. More shallow inlets opened
on North Core Banks, and Portsmouth Village is still underwater. The
park has a vehicle ban in place. Dock repairs are underway.
Additional reports on damage will appear in future editions of the Morning
Report. [Jeff Cobb, IC, CAHA, 9/6; Jim Zahradka, IC, CALO, 9/6]
Wednesday, September 15, 1999
99-520 - East Coast Areas - Follow-up: Hurricane Dennis
Two follow-up reports have been received on Hurricane Dennis:
o Cape Lookout NS (NC) - Dock repairs at both concessions were completed
ahead of schedule, enabling concessioners to resume operations on
September 9th. The vehicle ban has been lifted. Temporary roof
repairs continue. Portsmouth Village remains closed due to flooding
and major damage to docks there. Old Drum Inlet, opened by Hurricane
Dennis, has been receiving boat traffic and shows little indication of
closing up.
[Jim Zahradka, IC, CALO, 9/14; Bob Woody, IO, IMT, CAHA, 9/14]
Wednesday, September 15, 1999
99-543 - Southeast Region Areas - Follow-up: Hurricane Floyd
As Hurricane Floyd wends its way north, parks and regional office staff in
SER are making necessary preparations. Bob Panko's Type II team will arrive
in Atlanta tomorrow to begin planning for post-hurricane natural and cultural
resource damage assessments in conjunction with regional staff. All National
Park Service Type I and Type II teams have been contacted by SERO and are
prepared to respond as needed to recovery operations. SER staff will be
contacting DOI emergency operations personnel this afternoon to work out
procedures for mutual aid to other Interior agencies in the storm's path.
Regional staff are also directly contacting refuges and other DOI offices in
the Southeast and maintaining communications links with them. Meanwhile, in
the parks:
o Cape Lookout NS (NC) - The park is shifting its focus from recovery
from Hurricane Dennis to preparations for Hurricane Floyd. The park
was already experiencing overwash and strong rip currents yesterday
afternoon, and will be closed by early afternoon today.
[Ken Garvin and Darryl Rhodes, SERO, 9/15; John Tucker, Superintendent,
FOSU/CHPI, 9/14; Jim Zahradka, IC, CALO, 9/14; Roy Wood, IO, EVER, 9/15;
Stephanie Bagozzi, IMT, BICY, 9/15; Bob Woody, IO, IMT, CAHA, 9/15; Barbara
Goodman, TIMU/FOCA, 9/14-15]
Thursday, September 16, 1999
99-543 - Southeast/Northeast Region Areas - Follow-up: Hurricane Floyd
The following updates have been received from parks being affected by
Hurricane Floyd:
o Cape Lookout NS (NC) - The park was evacuated yesterday morning. All
concession employees and visitors were off the islands by noon.
Electricity and phones were turned off at 10:30 a.m.
[Ken Garvin and Daryl Rhodes, SERO, 9/15-16; Barbara Goodman, Superintendent,
TIMU/FOCA, 9/15; Linda Brown, CR, MOCR, 9/15; Jim Zahradka, IC, CALO, 9/15;
Gary Bremen, IO, BISC, 9/15; Mike Johnson, CR, FRSP, 9/15; Doyle Nelson, CR,
DEWA, 9/15; Rick Nolan, CR, FOMC, 9/15; Dave Griese, CR, FIIS, 9/15; Mike
Litterst, PAO, COLO, 9/15; Denise Pearce, CAHA, 9/15; LES, CAHA, 9/16; Nora
Martinez, CR, CANA, 9/16; Hattie Squires, MOCR, 9/16; Martha Bogle, COSW,
9/16; Dave Parker, FOMA, 9/16; Wally Mattis, CM, FOFR, 9/16; Gordie Wilson,
FOMA/CASA, 9/16; John Tucker, Superintendent, FOSU/CHPI, 9/16; John Burn, CR,
ASIS, 9/16]
Friday, September 17, 1999
99-543 - Southeast/Northeast Region Areas - Follow-up: Hurricane Floyd
The following updates have been received from parks affected by Hurricane
Floyd (from north to south, more or less):
o Cape Lookout NS (NC) - Numerous trees are down, and heavy damage to the
park is anticipated due to wind and storm surge. An assessment is
underway.
[Ken Garvin and Daryl Rhodes, SERO, 9/16; Jim Burnett, CR, COLO, 9/16; Earle
Kittleman, PAO, NCRO, 9/16; Robert Hickman, Superintendent, PRWI, 9/16; Norm
Williams, CM, TIMU/FOCA, 9/16; Brian Peters, CR, CUIS, 9/16; Jim Zahradka,
DR, CALO, 9/16; LES, CAHA, 9/16; Chris Revels, KIMO, 9/16; John Breen,
Superintendent, FOPU, 9/16; Dispatch, DEWA, 9/17; Greg Stiles, Ken Johnson,
SHEN, 9/16; Kevin FitzGerald, CR, CACO, 9/16; John Tucker, Superintendent,
FOSU/CHPI, 9/16; Jose Rosario, CR, GATE, 9/16; Rosemary Williams, CANA, 9/16;
Rick Nolan, CR, FOMC, 9/17; Tim Mauch, SPR, RICH, 9/17]
Wednesday, October 22, 1999
99-543 - Southeast/Northeast Region Areas - Follow-up: Hurricane Floyd
The following updates have been received from parks affected by Hurricane
Floyd:
o Cape Lookout NS (NC) - The park experienced a storm surge of from four
to seven feet; four inches of rain fell, and peak winds reached 91 mph.
Overwash damaged dunes, added at least a foot of sand on the roads in
the concession area, and dug out and flooded sections of the back road
that runs the length of North Core and South Core Banks. Old Drum
inlet, opened by Hurricane Dennis, has become wider. The park reopened
last Friday, allowing concessions to operate and to rent cabins not
affected by the storm. The repaired concessioner docks, damaged by
Dennis, were unaffected. Portsmouth Village remains closed due to
flooding and downed trees. Cape Point also remains closed, as the two
roads that detour around a turtle closure area are under three to four
feet of water. Damage to the water system at the lighthouse will cost
about $5,000 to repair. Headquarters structures survived with minimal
damage, but the boat basin received severe damage to docks, ramp and
sea walls. The entire basin will have to be dredged to remove debris
and silt. Heavy erosion of the administrative site shoreline occurred,
with damage to about 1,500 feet of seawall. Electricity to
headquarters and the surrounding communities was restored on Saturday.
A complete turtle nest damage assessment will be forthcoming.
[Ken Garvey and Daryl Rhodes, SERO, 9/20-21; Ann Childress, Superintendent,
MOCR, 9/20; John Tucker, Superintendent, FOSU/CHPI, 9/20; Jose Rosario, CR,
GATE, 9/20; Jim Zahradka, SPR, CALO, 9/20; Greg Smith, SPR, MORR, 9/21]
Wednesday, October 20, 1999
99-612 - Southeast Region Areas - Hurricane Irene
Hurricane Irene had varying effects on parks in the Southeast as it made its
way northward:
o Cape Lookout NS (NC) - The park shut down facilities and evacuated all
areas on Sunday. Concession lodgings were booked to capacity at the
time due to the fall fishing season. The concessioner ferried 126
vehicles off the islands during the evacuation, finishing at 2 a.m.
Monday morning. The change in storm track minimized impacts; no damage
has been detected. The park was to reopen on Monday.
Little or no damage was reported at the other half dozen or so parks along
the Southeast coast. [Ken Garvin, SERO, 10-16-18; Jim Zahradka, IC, CALO,
10/16; Steve Harrison, IC, CAHA, 10/16-18; Larry Belles, BICY, 10/18; Chuck
Dale, CR/IC, CASA/FOMA, 10/16; Gary Bremen, IO, BISC, 10/18; Deb Nordeen, IO,
EVER, 10/17
Tuesday, November 21, 2000
00-715 - Cape Lookout NS (NC) - Forced Aircraft Landing
Local pilot P.K. walked away from his Piper 180 after landing it
on the soft sand beach of Shackelford Banks early on the afternoon of
November 17th. P.K. was returning to Beaufort Airport when his plane's
engine shut down and he was forced to land. The Piper's engine cowling
and prop were damaged and the front landing gear broke. P.K. was
airlifted to Carteret General Hospital and treated for a broken nose.
Ranger Kevin Wyrick was first on scene at the accident site. Further
investigation led to the discovery that both of the plane's gas tanks
were empty. The plane was loaded on a barged and towed to Beaufort.
[Jim Zahradka, SPR, CALO, 11/20]
Sunday, July 15, 2001
01-361 - Cape Lookout NS (NC) - Multiple Rescues
On the morning of June 27th, ranger Richard Larrabee saw a large
number of people gathered at Cape Point. Upon arrival, he determined
that there was a strong current flowing and that the tide was rising.
He accordingly directed the people in the water, who were wading on a
sandbar, to return to the beach. He then saw two women - one 37, the
other 68 - about 200 yards out, frantically waving their arms as they
drifted seaward. Recognizing that the two women were not going to be
able to swim back to shore without assistance, Larrabee and a visitor
swam out to bring them in. Larrabee employed his past experience as a
lifeguard and the assistance of two visitors to get them safely to
shore. Larrabee then found a third woman hyperventilating on the
beach. She'd also been caught in the current, and had been helped to
shore by another visitor. A Marine Corps rescue helicopter arrived on
scene and a Marine paramedic assessed the three victims before they
were transported by boat to the mainland. Just prior to this incident,
a young boy had been pulled from the current while swimming in the
same area. [Jim Zahradka, SPR, CALO, 7/9]
Thursday, August 9, 2001
01-425 - Cape Lookout NS (NC) - Accidental Shooting
On the evening of July 21st, rangers received a 911 call reporting a
shooting on Shackleford Banks. Ranger Richard Larrabee responded,
meeting both the victim and suspected shooter at a local Urgent Care
Medical Center. Larrabee interviewed the two men, both of whom said
that the shooting resulted from an accident. The alleged shooter was
reportedly carrying a .22 caliber revolver in his front pocket, which
fired accidentally when a beer keg he was helping to carry onto the
island bounced off his leg. The round then ricocheted off the keg and
grazed the victim's leg, causing a superficial wound. The man said
that he then threw the weapon into the ocean and escorted the victim
by boat to the medical facility. He told Larrabee and local officers
that he didn't have a state driver's license (which proved false) and
provided them with a fictitious name and address. Since both parties
said that the shooting was an accident, the shooter was released that
evening after agreeing to return to the banks the next morning to help
search for the discarded weapon. He fled the county before the morning
arrived, however, and failed to appear. Through an intensive
investigation, Larrabee and supervisory ranger Jim Zahradka were able
to track down and interview the shooter. They seized the .22, which he
still had in his possession, and the shorts he was wearing when the
gun fired in his pocket. A mandatory appearance citation was issued
for possession of a weapon, providing false information, and
disorderly conduct. Criminal charges will include a plea for
restitution on behalf of the victim. [Jim Zahradka, SPR, CALO, 8/8]
Friday, June 28, 2002
02-273 - Cape Lookout NS (NC) - ATV Accident with Fatality
W.O. of Molena, Georgia, and friend D.G. of Wake Forest,
North Carolina, were seen operating their ATV's on the ocean beach of South
Core Banks just after 8 p.m. on June 22nd. D.G. looked back as he
crossed several washes in the beach and saw W.O.'s ATV flip and land on
him. D.G. removed the ATV from W.O., began CPR, and had a rider from
his ATV summon help from a cabin camp several miles down the beach. W.O.
was flown to Carteret County Hospital by a Marine Corps medevac helicopter,
where he was pronounced DOA. [Wouter Ketel, CR, CALO, 6/25]
Tuesday, September 10, 2002
02-444 - Cape Lookout NS (NC) - Tropical Storm Gustav
The park has implemented its emergency weather evacuation plan in
anticipation of the arrival of Tropical Storm Gustav. All passenger
ferry services to the islands have been terminated, and all overnight
guests and staff have been evacuated. The park is closed to visitors;
all services are shut down until further notice. Emergency preparations
were completed by 2 p.m. yesterday, at which time staff were dismissed
to attend to personal property. A tropical storm warning is in effect
for the coast from Cape Fear to Currituck Beach Light, which includes
all of the park. Wouter Ketel, the park's chief ranger, is IC.
[Submitted by Bob Vogel, Superintendent, Cape Lookout NS]
Thursday, September 12, 2002
02-444 - Cape Lookout National Seashore (NC) - Follow-up: Tropical Storm Gustav
The park reopened its administrative offices and visitor center on
Harker Island at 10 a.m. yesterday morning. Ferry service to South Core
Banks and Shackelford Island have resumed, and both overnight concession
facilities have reopened. Little significant damage has been reported at
these locations. Park crews are checking the northern portions of the
park, which remain closed. This area received winds of more than 70 mph
and may have experienced significant flooding. [Submitted by
Robert Vogel, Superintendent, Cape Lookout NS]
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
East Coast Areas Preparations for Hurricane Accelerate
Preparations continue along the East Coast for the imminent arrival
of Hurricane Isabel. Reports received as of this morning follow, from
south to north:
- Cape Lookout NS - The park implemented its hurricane emergency
plan in preparedness for Hurricane Isabel yesterday and closed as of 4
p.m. All concession operations and incidental business permittees are in
the process of shutting down. Vehicle ferries are only transporting
vehicles off the park. Staff will be dismissed at noon today to allow
time to secure personal property and evacuate. Chief ranger Wouter Ketel
is serving as IC. Key members of the management team are in the process
of setting up a command center in a secure off-site location.
Parks to the south of the Carolinas are all keeping a wary eye on the
storm, just in case the course changes, but generally remain in a "stand
by" mode.
Prepared from reports submitted by Bob Vogel, Superintendent, CALO;
Dann Trexler, IC, CAHA; Tom Nash, CR, COLO; Vince Santucci, CR, GWMP;
Laura Illige, CI, ROCR; Einar Olsen, RCR, NCRO; Mike Hill,
Superintendent, ASIS; Bill Halainen, IO, DEWA; Frank Mills, IC,
STLI; and Wayne Valentine, IC, FIIS.
Wednesday, September 17, 2003
East Coast Areas Preparations for Isabel's Arrival Near Completion
Despite its weakening, Hurricane Isabel remains a serious threat to
portions of the northeast coastline and to nearby inland areas. Parks in
those regions continue to prepare for its arrival. As a precautionary
measure, one of the Service's two national Type 1 teams (JD Swed's team)
will be staging in Charlotte, North Carolina, in order to be prepared to
respond as needed to any park or area. A number of Type 2 teams are also
on standby. Here's a rundown on the status of many of the parks in or
near the storm's path (south to north):
- Cape Lookout NS - The park has completed emergency preparations
in anticipation of the arrival Hurricane Isabel. Efforts to evacuate
barrier islands with no vehicle access have been successful with the
exception of Shackleford Banks, where approximately 100 surfers have
refused to honor the evacuation orders. Park employees were sent home at
1 p.m. on Tuesday. A hurricane watch is in effect from Little River,
South Carolina, to Chincoteague, Virginia. Current projections place the
center of the storm directly over Cape Lookout.
This summary was compiled from reports submitted by Randy Coffman,
DL&ES, WASO; Wouter Ketel, IC, CALO; Ann Childress, Superintendent,
MOCR; Mark Hardgrover, Deputy Superintendent, CAHA; Mike Hill,
Superintendent, ASIS; Duane Erwin, Chief Ranger, and Russ Whitlock,
Deputy Director, WOTR; Stephen Syphax, NACE; Laura Illige, CI, ROCR;
Doug Wallner, Acting Regional Chief Ranger, NERO; Wayne Valentine, IC,
FIIS; Tom Nash, Chief Ranger, COLO; Charles Strickfaden, Chief Ranger,
FOMC; Frank Mills, Assistant Superintendent, STLI; and Wayne Sanders,
Chief of Maintenance, GEWA/THST.
Friday, September 19, 2003
East Coast Areas Isabel Sweeps Up The East Coast
Due to the ongoing passage of Hurricane Isabel through the eastern
states, not all parks have been able to report on their status. Here's a
rundown of those that had been heard from as of late yesterday evening
(south to north):
- Cape Lookout NS - The hurricane passed over the park yesterday,
with peak impact between noon and 2 p.m. Storm surge was predicted to
run from 9 to 15 feet, making a complete overwash of the island
possible. Major damage is expected along the park's entire 56-mile
length. An incident command center remains in place in Greensboro, North
Carolina. The park is coordinating with Carteret County emergency
management. The first priority for the park will be to assure the
well-being of all employees. Employees have been instructed to call in
by 9 a.m. this morning.
Meanwhile, the NPS Type 1 IMT (JD Swed, IC) is currently staged in
Charlotte, North Carolina, working with the regional emergency response
coordinators for the three regions (SER, NCR, NER) on providing
assistance to parks currently being affected by Hurricane Isabel. The
Type 1 team has compiled contact lists and has provided a team liaison
to assist at the North Carolina Emergency Operations Center. Parks
should report their current situations to their respective emergency
response coordinators and make requests for resources and assistance to
them. The Type 1 team will coordinate these requests with the regional
emergency coordinator to determine the appropriate response. More
information will be available later today, once parks have had an
opportunity to complete preliminary assessments on their needs.
This summary was compiled from reports submitted by Ken Garvin, SERO;
Brenda Ritchie, EICC, SHEN; Cindy MacLeod, Superintendent, RICH; Bob
Vogel, Superintendent, CALO; Mark Hardgrove, Assistant Superintendent,
CAHA; Barry Munyan, ADR, CAHA; Vince Santucci, Chief Ranger, GWMP; Doug
Wallner, Acting Regional Chief Ranger, NERO; Laura Joss, General
Superintendent, FOMC/HAMP; Bob Martin, Regional Chief Ranger, NERO;
Carla Hauser Hahn, Executive Assistant, UPDE; Phillip Correl, Director,
NEJE; Reed Johnson, Superintendent, APCO; Wayne Valentine, IC, FIIS; Ed
Whitaker, IC, DEWA; Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT.
Monday, September 22, 2003
East Coast Areas Hurricane Isabel Slams Virginia, Carolina Parks
Hurricane Isabel caused moderate to extensive damage in many parks
within Southeast, National Capital and Northeast Regions. As of
yesterday, 36 parks had reported damage sufficient to require the
preparation of conditions assessments. Although most of these parks are
not requesting any additional assistance, several have sustained damage
sufficient to warrant oversight of recovery efforts by incident
management teams:
- JD Swed's Type 1 team will move from its staging location in
Charlotte, North Carolina, and relocate to Williamsburg, Virginia, late
today and early tomorrow to manage recovery efforts at Colonial NHP,
Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP, Richmond NB and Petersburg NB. They
will indirectly oversee Rick Brown's Type 2 team and Shenandoah's Type 3
team, but those teams will do their own ordering, IAPs, and 209s. Each
team will participate as needed in joint briefings, and will coordinate
the ordering of critical resources (such as aircraft, saw teams, falling
bosses, equipment operators and radios) through the Type 1 team. IC JD
Swed and planning section chief Dave Lattimore flew to most of the sites
requesting team assistance on Sunday and met with park superintendents
and other staff. The team will also provide some assistance to three
downtown parks in National Capital Region.
- Rick Brown's Type 2 team has been ordered to assist Cape Hatteras NS
and Cape Lookout NS in recovery efforts. They should arrive on site
Sunday and will work under the delegation of authority issued to the
Type 1 team by Director Mainella.
- Shenandoah National Park's recovery efforts are being managed by a
Type 3 incident management team working under the Type 1 team's
delegation of authority. Clay Jordan, the park's acting chief ranger, is
the incident commander.
These teams will be seeking substantial assistance in their efforts
to recover from the hurricane. Resource orders are being processed and
parks should expect to be asked to commit personnel to these operations.
One of the resources being ordered is a team of Facility Management
Software System (FMSS) specialists, who will work under the direction of
Type 1 team deputy IC Dennis McGinnis to input and compile information
on hurricane-related facilities damage. This system, now being used by
all parks, should provide the most accurate costs of funding required
for hurricane repair.
Aerial assessments of the Virginia parks will be completed on Monday.
Orders for about 90 resource orders are being lined up for processing as
soon as the Type 1 team gets sorted out in its new location. Among the
specialists to be ordered are Type 1 saw crews, electricians, carpenters
and HVAC mechanics; equipment includes dump trucks and front end
loaders.
At present, there are 28 people assigned to the incident.
Additional reports will appear daily during recovery operations,
which will likely go on for some time. Current information and essential
documents from the incident management teams will be available at the
IMT web page: http://www.nps.gov/fire/allrisk/.
Please check if for additional details.
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT; Ken
Garvin, SERO; Don Boucher, NCRO; Doug Wallner, NERO; Ann Childress,
Superintendent, MOCR; Wouter Ketel, IC, and Bob Vogel, Superintendent,
CALO; Paul Stevens, Liaison Officer, IMT, and Barry Munyan, ADR, CAHA;
Vidal Martinez, Superintendent, GEWA; Reed Johnson, Superintendent,
APCO; Clay Jordan, IC, Type 3 IMT, SHEN; Mike Hill, Superintendent,
ASIS; Charlie Strickfaden, Chief Ranger, FOMC; Gregory Smith, Chief
Ranger, MORR; Maryanne Gerbauckas, Superintendent, EDIS; Bill Sanders,
Superintendent, HOFU; Cindy McLeod, Superintendent, RICH; Bob Kirby,
Superintendent, PETE; Russ Smith, Superintendent, FRSP.
Monday, September 22, 2003
East Coast Areas Hurricane Isabel Slams Virginia, Carolina Parks
Hurricane Isabel caused moderate to extensive damage in many parks
within Southeast, National Capital and Northeast Regions. As of
yesterday, 36 parks had reported damage sufficient to require the
preparation of conditions assessments. Although most of these parks are
not requesting any additional assistance, several have sustained damage
sufficient to warrant oversight of recovery efforts by incident
management teams.
Here's a rundown on the affected parks (south to north),
excluding those that reported negligible impacts:
- Cape Lookout NS - The center of the eye of Hurricane
Isabel passed over Drum Inlet, which separates South and Core Banks
within the park, on Thursday. The park's incident management staff
returned to Cateret County on Friday to begin assessing damage. There
was extensive overwash from the lighthouse to Ocracoke Inlet and serious
damage to visitor facilities and historic sites. Most docks in the park
are unusable. Concession lodging and vehicle ferry facilities were
extensively damaged, making them unusable. As noted above, Rick Brown's
Type 2 IMT will be providing assistance. The park has also requested
additional law enforcement rangers to enforce park closures, as visitors
have been attempting to enter areas.
Additional reports will appear daily during recovery operations,
which will likely go on for some time. Current information and essential
documents from the incident management teams will be available at the
IMT web page: http://www.nps.gov/fire/allrisk/.
Please check if for additional details.
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT; Ken
Garvin, SERO; Don Boucher, NCRO; Doug Wallner, NERO; Ann Childress,
Superintendent, MOCR; Wouter Ketel, IC, and Bob Vogel, Superintendent,
CALO; Paul Stevens, Liaison Officer, IMT, and Barry Munyan, ADR, CAHA;
Vidal Martinez, Superintendent, GEWA; Reed Johnson, Superintendent,
APCO; Clay Jordan, IC, Type 3 IMT, SHEN; Mike Hill, Superintendent,
ASIS; Charlie Strickfaden, Chief Ranger, FOMC; Gregory Smith, Chief
Ranger, MORR; Maryanne Gerbauckas, Superintendent, EDIS; Bill Sanders,
Superintendent, HOFU; Cindy McLeod, Superintendent, RICH; Bob Kirby,
Superintendent, PETE; Russ Smith, Superintendent, FRSP.
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
East Coast Areas Hurricane Isabel Cleanup Moves Into High Gear
Damage assessments and the organization of repair and rehabilitation
operations are underway at parks throughout the Mid-Atlantic states.
Assisting with and supporting these efforts are JD Swed's Type 1 team
(currently relocating from Charlotte to Williamsburg), Rick Brown's Type
2 team, and Clay Jordan's Type 3 team at Shenandoah. Here's a rundown on
the current status of affected parks (south to north):
Cape Lookout NS
Initial damage assessments were conducted over the weekend. They
revealed damage more extensive than was apparent during the overflight
made on Friday, particularly in Portsmouth Village. All of the numerous
historic structures in the village were seriously damaged. All of the
rest of the park's infrastructure - excepting Harkers Island -
was also seriously damaged:
- Access to all areas of the park is hampered by the loss of almost
every dock and ramp. This loss of access has resulted in an immediate
loss of income to two major concessions and about 15 incidental business
permittees.
- The two concession areas were extensively damaged, with most
buildings and utilities beyond repair.
- About 40 private vehicles were destroyed.
- About 40 septic systems were destroyed, raising serious
environmental concerns.
- Five water systems and four park solar electric/generator systems
were destroyed.
Cleanup has begun at the Harkers Island HQ and visitor center and at
the Cape Lookout lighthouse and Cape Village areas. On Sunday,
Shackleford Banks was reopened to the public; the Cape Lookout area of
South Core Banks was reopened yesterday. Ferry services to these areas
has resumed, except for the 150-passenger Lookout Express, which
relies on the dock at the lighthouse. South Core Banks north of the
lighthouse, Middle Core Banks and North Core Banks - together,
about 40 miles of the 56-mile-long seashore - remain closed to the
public.
Additional reports will appear daily during recovery operations,
which will likely go on for some time. Current information and essential
documents from the incident management teams will be available at the
IMT web page: http://www.nps.gov/fire/allrisk/.
Please check if for additional details.
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT; Ken
Garvin, SERO; Don Boucher, NCRO; Bob Martin and Doug Wallner, NERO; Mary
Doll, PIO, Outer Banks Group; Wouter Ketel, IC/Chief Ranger, and Donna
Tipton, PIO, CALO; Laura Joss, Superintendent, FOMC; Vidal Martinez,
Superintendent, GEWA/THST; Cindy MacLeod, Superintendent, RICH/MAWA; Bob
Kirby, Superintendent, PETE; Laurie Coughlan, Superintendent, HAMP; Clay
Jordan, IC, Type 3 IMT, SHEN; Tom Nash, Chief Ranger, COLO; Bill
Sanders, Superintendent, HOFU; Mike Hill, Superintendent, ASIS.
Thursday, September 25, 2003
East Coast Areas Hurricane Isabel Recovery Operations Continue
Yesterday's efforts focused largely on organizing incident management
operations, orienting incoming personnel, obtaining equipment, and
gathering important damage cost data for the regional and Washington
offices. Initial recovery efforts were hampered by heavy rain that fell
on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, causing new flood damage in many
areas already affected by Isabel.
The following reports were received from parks and regions over the
past 24 hours. They are listed from south to north. This information
either supplements or revises information previously reported; no
effort is being made to recap earlier submissions with each new
summary.
Through the assistance of David Duran in the Service's National
Information Systems Center in Denver, URL's are posted below for maps of
three of the hardest hit parks - Cape Lookout, Cape Hatteras, and
Colonial - so that readers can more easily determine referenced
locations. Others will be added in the future as needed. You can zoom in
or out or pan from one park to another and can also turn additional data
layers on or off, e.g. National Geographic TOPO!, Relief Imagery, Flood
Hazard Areas, Land Cover Imagery, etc. The sites are, respectively:
http://maps2.itc.nps.gov/nps/parkatlas/jsp/atlas.jsp?zoomtopark=Cape%20Lookout%20National%20Seashore
http://maps2.itc.nps.gov/nps/parkatlas/jsp/atlas.jsp?zoomtopark=Cape%20Hatteras%20National%20Seashore
http://maps2.itc.nps.gov/nps/parkatlas/jsp/atlas.jsp?zoomtopark=Colonial%20National%20Historical%20Park
For a gallery of photos of the hurricane's effects on several parks,
put together by WASO ITC's Ken Handwerger, please go to http://inside.nps.gov/
people/hurricane/. This gallery will be added to on a regular
basis.
Cape Lookout NS/Cape Hatteras NS
Rick Brown, IC for the Type 2 team supporting recovery efforts at
these parks, signed a delegation of authority on Wednesday with Larry
Belli, superintendent of the Outer Banks Group. Yesterday, Brown and two
of his section chiefs flew to Cape Lookout to work on a delegation of
authority for that area and discuss other issues.
Wright Brothers NM will reopen at noon today after a week-long
closure. All facilities will be open, including the visitor center,
First Flight Centennial Pavilion, and the airstrip and associated pilot
facility. Cape Hatteras NS, Fort Raleigh NHS and Cape Lookout NS will
remain closed while recovery efforts continue.
Additional reports will appear daily during recovery operations,
which will likely go on for some time. Current information and essential
documents from the incident management teams will be available at the
IMT web page: http://www.nps.gov/fire/allrisk/. Please check if for additional details.
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT;
Barb Stewart, IO, Type 2 IMT; Don Boucher, NCRO; Dan Davidson,
Shenandoah EICC; Bob Kirby, Superintendent, PETE; Clay Jordan, IC, Type
3 IMT, SHEN; Bob Martin, Regional Chief Ranger, NERO; Russ Smith,
Superintendent, FRSP; Cindy McLeod, Superintendent, RICH.
Friday, September 26, 2003
East Coast Areas
Hurricane Isabel Cleanup Operations Continue
Overview
Crews and other resources have been arriving at the Williamsburg ICP
for JD Swed's Type 1 IMT since Wednesday, bringing the total number of
personnel currently assigned to the incident to 131. Early work efforts
are focused on orienting personnel to the operations, with a heavy
emphasis on safety due to the increased hazards involved in tree removal
operations, especially with vehicle traffic. Team members are also
holding short training sessions on ICS for newly-arrived personnel, as
there are many people coming to this incident with minimal previous
exposure to the system. The FMSS team continues to compile and input
facilities assessment information received from the 38 park units that
sustained hurricane-related damage. The preliminary assessment has been
100% completed by the parks. The FMSS team members are going out to
parks beginning today to conduct comprehensive condition assessments.
Crews will continue work on clearing the Yorktown Battlefield tour road
in Colonial NHP. Additional crews and other resources were dispatched
yesterday to Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP, Richmond NB and Petersburg
NB to work on tree clearing and other cleanup operations.
Many employees working in the parks being managed in this incident
are still without power at home. These same employees have been working
for extended hours with little or no time off for over a week. A
three-person Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) team was
scheduled to arrive in Williamsburg yesterday. They will make
arrangements to provide assistance to park employees dealing with
incident-related stress
Rick Brown's Type 2 team, which is focusing on four sites in what's
being called the North Carolina Seashore Area, is divided into two
branches. The Outer Banks Group branch has four divisions - one for
Wright Brothers and Fort Raleigh, one for Bodie Island, one for Hatteras
Island, and one for Ocracoke Island; the Cape Lookout branch has two
divisions - one for Core Banks and one for Portsmouth Village.
Principal problems confronting personnel on this operation have to do
with the time and distances between locations and the amount of travel
required. Operations are underway in all divisions.
Park Updates
The following reports were received from parks and regions over the
past 24 hours. They are listed from south to north. This information
either supplements or revises information previously reported; no
effort is being made to recap earlier submissions with each new
summary.
- North Carolina Seashore Area - Substantial progress has been
made on repairs to docks and ramps at Cape Lookout, and more personnel
are being committed to assist the park in its recovery efforts. Cape
Lookout remains closed due to health and safety issues. Operations and
planning staffs met with Cape Lookout staff yesterday on planning for
upcoming operations. Wright Brothers reopened at noon on Thursday when
public access was again permitted to the towns of Kittyhawk, Kill Devil
Hills, and Nags Head. Fort Raleigh will reopen at noon today, but trails
there remain closed until trees are cleared. The IMT turned management
of that site over to the park yesterday. Cape Hatteras is also closed
due to health and safety issues. Power remains out on Ocracoke Island
and will not be restored for at least another two weeks. Hatteras Island
is still isolated because of the new inlet that's divided the barrier
island. Sewage systems are out in Buxton. The park is working with local
communities to remove the sand that Isabel moved from beaches onto
private property.
Additional Information
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT;
Barb Stewart, IO, Type 2 IMT; Karl Merchant, Plans Chief, Type 2 IMT;
Dave Lattimore, Plans Chief, Type 1 IMT; Don Boucher, NCRO; Zeke
Seabright, NCR Communications Center; Clay Jordan, IC, Type 3 IMT, SHEN;
Bob Martin, Regional Chief Ranger, NERO; Cindy McLeod, Superintendent,
RICH; Mike Litterst, PIO, COLO.
Monday, September 29, 2003
Cape Lookout National Seashore (NC)
Cessna 150 Crashes in Park Marsh
A single-engine Cessna 150 crashed into a marsh on the sound side of
South Core Banks just after noon on Saturday, September 27th. The downed
aircraft was spotted from another plane and reported to the Coast Guard.
A rescue ship responded, but was unable to reach the scene due to
shallow waters. The Coast Guard according contacted the Marine Corps'
Cherry Point facility, which dispatched a helicopter. The helicopter
rescued the plane's passenger, E.R., who had walked over to
the park. Pilot R.W. was lifted from the crash site by cable.
Both were taken to Carteret General Hospital, where they were treated
for minor injuries. According to R.W., they'd been in the air about 30
minutes and were flying at an altitude of 800 to 1,000 feet when the
engine quit. R.W. guided the Cessna down to the marsh, where it
flipped over. Both R.W. and E.R. were wearing seatbelts.
[Submitted by Barb Stewart, IO, Type 2 IMT]
Tuesday, September 30, 2003
East Coast Areas
Post-Isabel Recovery Continues
The following reports reflect the status of operations through early
Monday:
Type 1 Team (JD Swed)
Work continues at a rapid pace. Crews have made additional progress
on clearing roads, overlooks, trails and other areas of fallen trees.
The roads in Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP have been cleared and are
now open. Workers accessed the Glass House restroom in Jamestown on
Sunday to determine what repairs are needed and will continue to make
repairs on the historic Archer House in Yorktown.
Two injuries occurred on Sunday. An FMSS team member stepped on a
nail at Jamestown, and a park maintenance worker at Petersburg NB had
the pad on a finger tip sheared off while feeding material into a
chipper. He was taken to the hospital, where it was stitched on. He was
scheduled for surgery on Monday.
The cultural resource team, made up of employees of the NPS,
Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA), and a
private salvage firm, continued to pack up and move the 600,000 piece
Jamestown artifact collection to Fort Lee near Richmond. They expected
to finish the relocation of the artifacts yesterday. The collection will
be housed in a secure site while curatorial staff continue to triage the
damage and provide stabilizing treatment. It is estimated that
three-fifths of the collection was underwater for some period of time
and suffered damage due to immersion, while a fifth was not immersed but
was damaged by high humidity. The remaining fifth of the collection
appears to be undamaged. For a related newspaper story, see the "In the
Press" section of today's InsideNPS.
The FMSS crew continues to compile incident costs on park assets and
assist parks with condition assessments. Parks being assisted include
Colonial NHP, Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP, Petersburg, NB, George
Washington Birthplace NM, Richmond NB and C&O Canal NHP. The
assessment at Colonial, including the Jamestown Visitor Center, was
scheduled for completion on Tuesday. All other assessments are scheduled
to be done by October 5th. An additional park unit, the Presidential
Park near the White House in Washington, DC, has reported some
hurricane-related damage.
Five additional Type 1 and Type 2 crews arrived yesterday. Some will
remain in Virginia; the others will be sent to assist with recovery
efforts at Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores.
Type 2 Team (Rick Brown)
Sections of Cape Hatteras NS opened to the public on Monday after a
12-day closure due to Hurricane Isabel. Two ramps, about 11 miles of
beach and the Hatteras Island Visitor Center were included in this first
phase. Coquina Beach is now open as well, though minor repairs are still
needed at the bathhouse. The Bodie Island Visitor Center opened
yesterday morning, as did the NPS campground at Oregon Inlet and the
Oregon Inlet Fishing Center.
Much of Cape Lookout NS is open to pedestrians. Exceptions are
Portsmouth Village, the area surrounding concession facilities at Long
Point, and the Great Island fishing camps. Joining NPS workers are many
local hire who were laid off from their regular jobs because of the
hurricane.
Some tree work remains at Fort Raleigh NHS. Damage assessment
continues at the seashores as well as restoration work in all three
parks.
Additional Information
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT;
Rick Brown, IC, Type 2 IMT; Barb Stewart, IO, Type 2 IMT; Karl Merchant,
Plans Chief, Type 2 IMT; Dave Lattimore, Plans Chief, Type 1 IMT.
Tuesday, September 30, 2003
East Coast Areas
Post-Isabel Recovery Continues
The following reports reflect the status of operations through early
Monday:
Type 1 Team (JD Swed)
Two injuries occurred on Sunday. An FMSS team member stepped on a
nail at Jamestown, and a park maintenance worker at Petersburg NB had
the pad on a finger tip sheared off while feeding material into a
chipper. He was taken to the hospital, where it was stitched on. He was
scheduled for surgery on Monday.
The cultural resource team, made up of employees of the NPS,
Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA), and a
private salvage firm, continued to pack up and move the 600,000 piece
Jamestown artifact collection to Fort Lee near Richmond. They expected
to finish the relocation of the artifacts yesterday. The collection will
be housed in a secure site while curatorial staff continue to triage the
damage and provide stabilizing treatment. It is estimated that
three-fifths of the collection was underwater for some period of time
and suffered damage due to immersion, while a fifth was not immersed but
was damaged by high humidity. The remaining fifth of the collection
appears to be undamaged. For a related newspaper story, see the "In the
Press" section of today's InsideNPS.
The FMSS crew continues to compile incident costs on park assets and
assist parks with condition assessments. Parks being assisted include
Colonial NHP, Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP, Petersburg, NB, George
Washington Birthplace NM, Richmond NB and C&O Canal NHP. The
assessment at Colonial, including the Jamestown Visitor Center, was
scheduled for completion on Tuesday. All other assessments are scheduled
to be done by October 5th. An additional park unit, the Presidential
Park near the White House in Washington, DC, has reported some
hurricane-related damage.
Five additional Type 1 and Type 2 crews arrived yesterday. Some will
remain in Virginia; the others will be sent to assist with recovery
efforts at Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores.
Additional Information
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT;
Rick Brown, IC, Type 2 IMT; Barb Stewart, IO, Type 2 IMT; Karl Merchant,
Plans Chief, Type 2 IMT; Dave Lattimore, Plans Chief, Type 1 IMT.
Tuesday, September 30, 2003
East Coast Areas
Post-Isabel Recovery Continues
The following reports reflect the status of operations through early
Monday:
Type 2 Team (Rick Brown)
Much of Cape Lookout NS is open to pedestrians. Exceptions are
Portsmouth Village, the area surrounding concession facilities at Long
Point, and the Great Island fishing camps. Joining NPS workers are many
local hire who were laid off from their regular jobs because of the
hurricane.
Additional Information
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT;
Rick Brown, IC, Type 2 IMT; Barb Stewart, IO, Type 2 IMT; Karl Merchant,
Plans Chief, Type 2 IMT; Dave Lattimore, Plans Chief, Type 1 IMT.
Wednesday, October 01, 2003
East Coast Areas Isabel Recovery Effort Makes Substantial Headway
The following reports reflect the status of operations through late
Tuesday. Please note that a number of new photos of the impacts of
Hurricane Isabel have also been added to the photo gallery found at http://inside.nps.gov/
people/hurricane/
Type 1 Team (JD Swed)
Crews continue to make good progress in all areas, including Colonial
NHP, Petersburg NB, Richmond NB and Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP. The
crew clearing the Jamestown tour road discovered that two of the bridges
on the loop road have been moved from their original locations and are
impassable. One bridge is approximately 200 feet in length and the other
about 400 feet long. This damage had not been seen during aerial
overflights of the site on Saturday.
The relocation of the Jamestown artifact collection to Fort Lee is on
schedule, and is expected to be completed by mid-day Tuesday. Triage of
the artifacts will be continued there. The materials will be stored
there until they are shipped to other facilities for restorative
treatment.
Assessment field teams continue to assist parks with condition
assessments. Parks being assisted include Colonial NHP,
Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP, Petersburg, NB, George Washington
Birthplace NM, Richmond NB, and C&O Canal NHP.
Six additional crews and other resources arrived on Monday, which
significantly increased the people and equipment that will be working in
the various divisions. Some of these crews had just been released by
FEMA. One hotshot crew will begin cleanup work along the Colonial
Parkway in non-traffic areas, clearing away fallen trees and other
debris from parking lots, interpretive pullouts, and off-road areas.
Cleanup work along the road itself will begin later in the week. Traffic
delays of up to 15 minutes may occur, as both lanes may need to be
closed during some of the clearing operations.
A total of 216 people are currently assigned to this portion of the
recovery efforts. The cost to date is $1,606,910.
Cape Lookout NS
A total of 106 people are currently assigned to the Cape Lookout
recovery efforts, including 20 local Down East residents laid off after
the storm that the park has temporarily hired to help with recovery
efforts. The park is open to pedestrians, with the exception of the
immediate areas around Portsmouth Village, Morris Marina Kabin Kamps,
and Alger Willis Fishing Camps. Most passenger ferry service to the Cape
has been resumed. Owners of vehicles in the parking lot at Great Island
may go out to check their vehicles between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.daily.
Vehicle owners must show their identification to the ranger on duty.
Currently, there is no way to get vehicles on or off the islands. Ramps
were destroyed, docks for vehicle ferries were damaged, and roads have
been washed away. Crews are working quickly to rebuild docks and open
the park to vehicle traffic as soon as is safely and logistically
possible. For daily updates, refer to the official park website: http://www.nps.gov/calo.
Additional Information
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT;
Barb Stewart, IO, Type 2 IMT; Karl Merchant, Plans Chief, Type 2 IMT;
Dave Lattimore, Plans Chief, Type 1 IMT; Bob Kirby, Superintendent,
PETE; Mike Litterst, PIO, COLO; John Storke, GEWA; Michelle Fidler, PIO,
CALO.
Friday, October 03, 2003
East Coast Areas Update on Hurricane Isabel Recovery Operations
The following reports reflect the status of operations through late
Thursday.
Type 1 Team (JD Swed)
Additional resources, including crews and heavy equipment such as
mechanical chippers and front end loaders, are now in place in all field
working groups, and progress is being made toward reopening additional
areas of the affected parks. The seven saw crews at
Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP have opened up six miles of trails
previously closed by fallen trees and cleaned up a large historic tree
that fell in the Chatham Manor formal gardens. Crews at Petersburg NBP
have finished clearing park tour roads; those in Richmond NBP began work
in the Cold Harbor unit on Thursday. Crews have completely cleared the
Jamestown Island loop drive and have begun work on clearing up the
Glasshouse and the "New Towne" historic site. Assessment field teams
continue to assist parks with condition assessments and input assessment
data into the FMSS system.
The incident-ordered resources for the recovery effort include
hotshot crews from Arizona, Utah, Virginia, Mississippi and Tennessee,
and Type 2 crews from Idaho and Colorado. National Park Service
resources have come from throughout the system. Seven state agencies and
four federal agencies are amongst those contributing resources to the
incident.
The FMSS team expects to have a complete package of hurricane damage
condition assessments by Monday, October 6th.
Incident personnel at the Williamsburg base camp were treated to a
performance of the Colonial Williamsburg Fife and Drum Corps during
dinner Wednesday night. This elite group of young musicians perform in
competitions and concerts all over the world. The competition to be part
of the Corps is intense, and those selected begin training for the Corps
at a very young age.
The National IMT will turn over the management of the recovery
efforts to the Central IMT (Sherrie Collins, IC) on Monday, October 6th.
The Eastern IMT with Rick Brown as IC will transition with another
Eastern IMT (Bob Panko, IC) on Sunday, October 5th.
There are 347 people assigned to the recovery efforts being managed
by the Type 1 team. The cost to date is $2,242,827.
Type 2 Team (Rick Brown)
More of Cape Hatteras National Seashore re-opened to the public
yesterday, including the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (October 1st) and
off-road vehicle Ramps #2 and #4. The beach between the ramps is open to
vehicles, but sections north of #2 and south of #4 remain closed.
Much of Cape Lookout NS is open to pedestrians. For those looking for
details, daily progress reports and photos, check out a new section of
the park's website: www.nps.gov/calo/isabel.htm
Additional Information
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT;
Barb Stewart, IO, Type 2 IMT.
Monday, October 06, 2003
East Coast Areas Hurricane Isabel Recovery Operations Continue
The following reports reflect the status of operations through
Sunday. Please note below that a second URL has been posted for
hurricane recovery photos that are accessible to the general public:
http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/HurricaneIsabel/
The incident management teams originally assigned to Hurricane Isabel
recovery operations are in the process of transitioning. The following
three teams will be supporting parks in Virginia and North Carolina over
coming weeks:
- Virginia Parks - Type 2 Team (Sherrie Collins)
- Cape Lookout NS - Type 2 Team (Denny Ziemann)
- Cape Hatteras NS - Type 2 Team (Bob Panko)
Type 1 Team (JD Swed)
Recovery efforts continue in Colonial NHP,
Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP, Richmond NBP and Petersburg NBP. Crews
continue to make headway in the divisions on the different assignments.
These include continued clearing and cleanup of downed trees and other
debris from roads and trails, repair of damaged buildings and other
facilities, and the triage and salvage of the Jamestown cultural
artifact collection. A team of FMSS managers is compiling the hurricane
damage assessments for the 27 park units that have sustained
hurricane-related damage to facilities.
On Friday afternoon, Colonial NHP announced that the Historic
Jamestowne Visitor Center would not reopen due to the damage sustained
from Hurricane Isabel. Plans were unveiled for an interim visitor
contact station that will provide a facility to support staff and
visitor services until the new permanent visitor center is constructed.
The new visitor center is already funded under line item construction,
with work slated to begin in July, 2004. See the report from Colonial
below for additional information.
There are 368 people currently assigned to this incident. These
people come from a striking diversity of areas:
- A total of 136 NPS employees from 58 parks, three regional offices
and the Washington office.
- Five interagency hotshot crews - the Augusta Hotshots from
George Washington/Jefferson NF, Augusta Springs, VA; the Cherokee
Hotshots from the Cherokee NF, Unicoli, TN; the Jackson Hotshots from
BLM, Jackson, MS; the Navajo Hotshots, from BIA, Fort Defiance, AZ; and
the Cedar City Hotshots, from Dixon NF, Cedar City, UT.
- Three USFS/BLM crews - Idaho Panhandle NF Crew #11 from Coeur
d'Alene, ID; Idaho Panhandle NF Crew #12 from Priest Lake, ID; and the
USFS/BLM Colorado River Interagency Crew from Grand Junction, CO.
- Individuals from Merritt Island NWR, FL; Pelican Island NWR, FL; the
Georgia State Forestry Commission; the Texas Forest Service; the Florida
Division of Forestry; the Nevada Department of Forestry; the Alaska Fire
Service (BLM); San Luis Obispo FD, CA; Santa Barbara County FD, CA;
Bradley County EMS, Cleveland, Tennessee; and EMT's from Mississippi and
Virginia.
The cost to date for this portion of the hurricane recovery now comes
to $4,303,413.
Type 2 Team (Rick Brown)
The team is continuing to:
- identify and remediate archeological sites;
- restore walkways, docks, ramps, and beach access in visitor areas;
- make temporary repairs to roofs of affected strcutures;
- remove hazard trees along roadways and trails;
- provide security in high hazard areas;
- assess damage to the interior of historic structures; and
- evaluate damage to concession operations.
Temporary repairs should be completed within two weeks if ferry
service is restored to the islands.
There are 189 people currently assigned to this incident, all but
five of them from the National Park Service. The cost to date for this
portion of the hurricane recovery now comes to $498,000.
Additional Information
- NPS Interactive Map Center - Select maps of parks affected by
the hurricane: http://maps2.itc.nps.gov/nps/parkatlas/jsp/atlas.jsp
- Hurricane Photo Gallery - Photos showing impacts of hurricane
on parks and recovery efforts (available only within the NPS): http://inside.nps.gov/
people/hurricane/
- NEW: Public Affairs Hurricane Photo Gallery - A second gallery
of shots, this one accessible by those of you reading this on the public
edition of the Morning Report (the above gallery is available only
within the NPS): http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/HurricaneIsabel/
- NPS IMT Web Page - Home page for NPS incident management teams:
http://www.nps.gov/fire/allrisk/
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT;
Mark Harvey, Resource Unit Leader, Type 1 IMT; Michelle Fidler, IO, Type
2 IMT; Karl Merchant, Plans Chief, Type 2 IMT; Mike Litterst, PIO, COLO;
Vidal Martinez, Superintendent, GEWA.
Monday, October 06, 2003
East Coast Areas Hurricane Isabel Recovery Operations Continue
The following reports reflect the status of operations through
Sunday. Please note below that a second URL has been posted for
hurricane recovery photos that are accessible to the general public:
http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/HurricaneIsabel/
Cape Lookout NS
At the request of superintendent Bob Vogel, conservators from Harpers
Ferry Center's conservation lab spent two days last week helping
neighboring residents on Harkers Island who suffered property loss as a
result of the hurricane. Wood conservator Alan Levitan and paper
conservator Theresa Shockey worked with Connie Mason, a historian and
collection manager from North Carolina Maritime Museum and the Core
Waterfowl Museum, to evaluate, restore and repair family treasures.
Residents brought in water damaged items, including yearbooks, family
photographs, and negatives, to the team members for restoration. The
conservators also helped residents properly package and freeze
waterlogged books to stop the growth of mold and prevent distortion, and
helped salvage framed historic posters and clean mold and mildew off of
wooden decoys inundated by floodwaters. Grateful residents expressed
their appreciation for the help in preserving their irreplaceable
treasures.
One Down East resident offered thanks to Levitan and Shockey for
helping to preserve a special family heirloom. Jennifer Taylor suffered
major losses during the storm, including damage to family memorabilia
and photographs. A photo of her grandparents, taken at the turn of the
century, was spared because it was on temporary display at the Core
Sound Museum during the storm. The team of conservators made a surprise
discovery when they took a closer look at the photo. When they took the
backing paper off the frame, they found an envelope inside that
contained Jennifer's grandfather's birth certificate from 1888, marriage
certificate, and social security card. Levitan and Shockey were also
able to carefully restore the glass and photograph. Ranger Karen Duggan
is also helping Taylor by scanning and digitally restoring water damaged
family photos. Duggan had this to say about her work: "I can't keep the
water out, or rebuild their house, but I'll do everything I can to give
back a memory."
Levitan and Shockey spent additional time in the park evaluating and
restoring furniture and park artifacts from Portsmouth Village.
Additional Information
- NPS Interactive Map Center - Select maps of parks affected by
the hurricane: http://maps2.itc.nps.gov/nps/parkatlas/jsp/atlas.jsp
- Hurricane Photo Gallery - Photos showing impacts of hurricane
on parks and recovery efforts (available only within the NPS): http://inside.nps.gov/
people/hurricane/
- NEW: Public Affairs Hurricane Photo Gallery - A second gallery
of shots, this one accessible by those of you reading this on the public
edition of the Morning Report (the above gallery is available only
within the NPS): http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/HurricaneIsabel/
- NPS IMT Web Page - Home page for NPS incident management teams:
http://www.nps.gov/fire/allrisk/
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT;
Mark Harvey, Resource Unit Leader, Type 1 IMT; Michelle Fidler, IO, Type
2 IMT; Karl Merchant, Plans Chief, Type 2 IMT; Mike Litterst, PIO, COLO;
Vidal Martinez, Superintendent, GEWA.
Thursday, October 09, 2003
East Coast Areas Update on Hurricane Isabel Recovery Operations
The following reports reflect the status of operations through
Wednesday. Please note below that there is a new web page with hurricane
recovery photos, now available to both NPS employees and the public. It
also includes a video taken of tree-cutting operations at Colonial NPS
(posted yesterday). It's worth looking at, but you'll probably need to
be on a LAN to retrieve it, as it's an 18.5 MB file.
Central IMT (Sherrie Collins)
While long-term project work remains, recovery work at
Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania National Military Park is drawing to a
close. Crews that have been on-site are at the end of their 14-day or
21-day tour. Once they're demobilized, they won't be replaced.
All roads and trails in three of the five units at Richmond National
Battlefield have been cleared and are now passable. Two park units
remain closed due to extensive storm damage. Good progress was also made
again Tuesday at Petersburg National Battlefield.
Crews that have been working in Yorktown have cleared all the tour
roads. On Wednesday, they were reassigned to assist with the ongoing
massive clean-up effort along the Colonial Parkway.
As visitors stroll through historic Yorktown, a mix of old and new
surrounds them. Visitors tour buildings and grounds that date back to
the 1700's while the sound of chainsaws fills the air. This could be
viewed as an intrusion to the peaceful Yorktown setting until one
realizes that because of the hard work of many workers, visitors are
able to stroll the streets and browse the many establishments within the
historic town.
As Hurricane Isabel takes a backseat on the regional and national
news front, employees (local and from across the country) continue to
work through the maze of trees, root balls, vines, and downed limbs that
blanket the ground - quite often to a visitor audience. To quote
one visitor, "It's interesting to watch...this type of work requires a
lot of skill. I'm impressed with the work that's been done and with what
still has to be finished. There's a lot (downed trees) out there."
As several crews demobilized, others will be arriving to continue the
extensive recovery effort.
Work may be hampered by rain forecast for Thursday through Saturday
- the first significant rainfall since Hurricane Isabel tore
through the region.
There are 333 personnel currently assigned to the recovery effort.
The cost to date is $5,006,252.
Daily updates, photos, and the latest Incident Action Plan are
available on the Central Team's Hurricane Isabel page on the NPS
Incident Management Team web site: www.nps.gov/fire/allrisk.
Pacific West IMT (Denny Ziemann)
The team is now in place at Cape Lookout NS. The incident command
post (ICP) is located in the park headquarters building.
As of Tuesday morning, there were two passenger docks up and
available for NPS use and public pedestrian traffic. Yesterday, the dock
at Cape Lookout also opened for pedestrian use only, enabling visitors
to access the lighthouse area. As soon as the road in the lighthouse
area is repaired, the permitted (IBP) taxi service from the dock to the
lighthouse and it's associated historic buildings will be allowed to
resume. Crews are continuing to clean up debris in the lighthouse area
and work on the water system for the visitor center there. Composting
toilets are being repaired for visitor use at Cape Lookout. In
Portsmouth Village, crews are concentrating on repairing the haul-over
dock and beginning to work on historic structures. Progress is being
made on clearing the back road and a temporary RV dump station is being
installed at the Alger Willis Fishing Camp.
The entire park is open to pedestrians, with the exception of the
immediate areas around Portsmouth Village, Morris Marina Kabin Kamps,
and the Alger Willis Fishing Camps. Grading and repairs continue on the
back road. At this time, no private vehicles are allowed to access or be
driven on the island. Visitor and employee safety and welfare are the
primary reasons for the closures.
East IMT (Bob Panko)
The team is focusing on critical infrastructure repairs and
stabilization, while at the same time evaluating and transferring those
responsibilities back to the park management that are appropriate at
this time. Approximately 20 people were released back to the park
yesterday. A resource assessment team arrived yesterday and met with the
superintendent. This team, which will operate under the direction of
park staff, has been brought in for immediate assessment of damaged
areas to allow hurricane recovery efforts to continue.
Ongoing work at Ocracoke:
- Crews continued clearing of debris from area in pony pens and moved
wood material to the chipper site.
- State personnel continued clearing the road north of the pony pens
to the ferry site. The state closed Highway 12 at Ocracoke campground
until further clearing has been completed. The road is passable and
partially cleared, but the pavement has been destroyed in several
sections.
- The state will be clearing and stabilizing dunes the Ocracoke
Airport today.
- The safety officer toured Ocracoke and Hatteras Island and spoke
with employees in both areas dealing with immediate safety concerns. Ben
Morgan offered compliments on the safe aviation and ground operations
going on at Ocracoke.
Additional Information
Reports compiled from submission by Al Nash, IO, Central IMT; Shauna
Dyas, IO, Pacific West IMT; Michelle Fidler, IO, East IMT/Outer Banks
Group.
Friday, October 10, 2003
East Coast Areas Update on Hurricane Recovery Operations
East Coast Areas
Follow-up on Hurricane Isabel
The following reports reflect the status of operations through
Thursday.
Central IMT (Sherrie Collins)
Additional crews have been reassigned to clearing trees and debris
from the Colonial Parkway that links Yorktown and Jamestown. One crew
has already cleared about ten miles of one side of the road from
Jamestown heading toward Yorktown; a second crew has begun clearing the
roadside from Yorktown toward Jamestown.
The parkway is a beautiful road that offers drivers a variety of
views - the James and York Rivers, tidal basins, and Virginia
hardwoods. It's also the perfect road for a fall color tour and it's
just now that trees are beginning to display their autumn splendor. In
some ways, Hurricane Isabel has hastened the annual fall show since many
of the downed trees and limbs are now turning color.
What Hurricane Isabel changed and rearranged in just a few hours,
humans are spending days, weeks, and months cleaning up. The work is
slow but steady. As crews work through the maze of trees, limbs, and
vines, their progression becomes more evident with each passing day.
Entire trees have been cut and removed. Roadsides are being cleared of
all debris within ten feet of the road. This is painstaking work that
requires coordination from law enforcement personnel, dump truck
drivers, chainsaw operators, and brush clearing crews.
Incident commander Sherrie Collins has met with the superintendents
of Richmond NB and Colonial NHP to finalize work commitments to be
carried out under the direction of the Central IMT and recovery work
that will be carried out by the park after the team departs.
Cleanup in the New Town section of Jamestown was to be completed by
yesterday evening. Water has been pumped from the archeological
site.
Removal of debris near Petersburg has been completed. Recovery
efforts there are estimated to take another nine days using currently
available equipment and personnel.
Clean-up efforts throughout Richmond NB continued, with the
transition of crews on Wednesday. Significant work remains in the Fort
Harrison area.
Five new Type 2 twenty-person crews began working on the incident on
Wednesday. The Iowa #136 crew and Choctaw #135 are both from Fort Smith,
Arkansas. Chickasaw #134 is based in Ada, Oklahoma, Caddo #133 hails
from Hot Springs, Arkansas, and a variety of agencies contributed
personnel to the Florida Interagency Crew #37.
There are 305 personnel currently assigned to the recovery effort.
The cost to date is $5,116,045.
Pacific West IMT (Denny Ziemann)
Operations at Cape Lookout have been hampered by 24 hours of rain,
but the wet weather is expected to abate over the next few days. Crews
continue to clean up debris and to repair historic buildings and park
infrastructure.
Four fishing shacks in the area north of Long Point were damaged
beyond repair by the hurricane. Planning is now underway for their
demolition and removal as soon as compliance and contracting can be
arranged. Approximately 200 trees have been removed from the Portsmouth
Village area. The water system has been repaired and the building
cleaned in the Portsmouth visitor center. Materials have been ordered to
repair two bridges in the Portsmouth area, the Wallace Channel dock
pilings, and the Les & Sally dock pilings along with other emergency
repair projects. The composting toilet at the lighthouse was temporarily
repaired yesterday. Plans are ongoing to replace the light posts in the
parking lot in front of the Harkers Island park headquarters and visitor
center. The lights were destroyed on September 18th. Many abandoned
vehicles have been uncovered and, along with the other hazardous debris,
will need to be removed. The addition of a contracting officer to the
IMT is expected to accelerate operations due to his increased ability to
obtain needed supplies, services and equipment for the work crews.
LE ranger patrols have been increased in the park to ensure visitor
safety and security of historic/hazardous areas and archeological
artifacts that were washed up on the island during the storm surge.
East IMT (Bob Panko)
A natural resource assessment team was in the park yesterday to
evaluate conditions and make recommendations. All operations in the park
north of Hatteras Inlet transitioned to normal park supervision and
chain of command on Thursday. The incident management team will continue
to provide parkwide support, but the majority of operational activities
managed by the team will be on Ocracoke. Ramp 23 was reopened yesterday.
Ramp 49 is still flooded and closed. Debris is being cleared in the
vicinity of Ramp 4 with the intention of opening the entire beach from
Ramp 4 south to Oregon Inlet in time for a fishing tournament this
weekend. The incident management team and park staff are developing a
breech access plan, which will allow visitors to safely view the breech
just south of Frisco. Numerous new overhead resources are currently
arriving on scene.
Additional Information
Reports compiled from submission by Al Nash, IO, Central IMT; Shauna
Dyas, IO, Pacific West IMT; Michelle Fidler, IO, East IMT/Outer Banks
Group.
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
East Coast Areas Hurricane Isabel Recovery Costs Estimated at $137 Million
Utilizing preliminary damage assessments prepared by parks, incident
management teams and regional offices, the Washington Office has
prepared and released a summary of the cumulative impacts of the
hurricane on the 27 parks reporting damage. These are not final
cost estimates, which should be out later in the year.
The preliminary estimate is that the hurricane inflicted about $137
million in damage. Earlier this year, parks elsewhere in the system
reported damage of about $13 million, so the total damage assessment for
the year comes to $150 million. It's not yet clear whether there were
will be a budget supplemental to cover these and storm-related costs
incurred by other agencies. All the projects are therefore being put
into the facility assessment program and will be funded in priority
order. These projects will be compared with other facility needs across
the country to establish priorities. The Service's role is to assess
damage, take care of immediate resource protection and safety issues,
and notify the management chain - the Department of the Interior
and the Congress - of NPS needs.
Estimates at specific parks include:
- Cape Hatteras National Seashore - $28 million
- Cape Lookout National Seashore - $17 million
- C & O Canal National Historical Park - $17 million
- Colonial National Historical Park - $20 million
- Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania Battlefields - $10 million
- George Washington Memorial Parkway - $8 million
- Richmond National Battlefield - $4 million
The following reports reflect the status of operations through
Monday.
Central IMT (Sherrie Collins)
Almost as fast as Hurricane Isabel moved through coastal Virginia,
museum specialists from the National Park Service swooped in after the
storm passed to check on the archeological collection housed in the
Visitor Center at Historic Jamestowne. Brackish water from torrential
rain and a storm surge had flooded the collection storage area to a
depth of nearly five feet. Fast action was needed to protect the 900,000
catalogued items. In a time frame better measured in hours than days, 71
pallets were pulled out of the visitor center and trucked to a temporary
home to begin saving the collection.
Tucked between a couple of quiet streets on a military base near
Petersburg, an unassuming World War II era building with peeling, cream
colored paint and an O.D. green hazmat tent in the parking lot hum with
activity Think of it as a M*A*S*H unit for the nation's most important
archeological collection.
The park called Sarah Wolf, director of the Northeast Museum Services
Center, the day after the hurricane hit. She arrived on site Monday.
Coming in to help direct the recovery effort was Pam West, her
counterpart from the National Capital Region. Pam arrived with six van
loads of much needed museum supplies she had stockpiled in Andover,
Maryland. Employees, volunteers and contractors chipped in to turn the
vacant building on the grounds of Fort Lee into an organized, efficient
workplace.
Artifacts are first removed from their waterlogged storage cases.
Then they're inventoried, tagged and temporarily re-bagged. From there
it's on to a bath in de-ionized water and drying trays. After they're
stabilized in this fashion, they're re-bagged, re-tagged, and put in
storage boxes which are shrink wrapped onto pallets.
The collection recovery effort is bigger than anything ever
undertaken in this country. "We're making sure the things we're learning
get shared with other curators," said West.
"The collection is pretty sturdy, and it's coming through extremely
well," commented Wolf. "Since most of the items are inorganic we expect
there will be a very minimal loss of artifacts - less than five
percent." A silver lining to this cloud is that in the end there will be
a complete, new inventory of the entire collection.
"This is one of the premiere collections in the world," said Wolf.
"It means a lot to a lot of people. The outpouring of help from the
archeological community has been outstanding."
By late November, the team expects to have triaged and prepared the
entire collection for shipment to a yet-to-be identified site in the
Williamsburg area where long-term conservation of the artifacts will be
undertaken.
Fort Lee is one of 21 different work sites spread across four
national park units in eastern and central Virginia struck three weeks
ago by Hurricane Isabel.
Much less sensitive recovery work using muscle and machines continued
Sunday at Petersburg National Battlefield, Richmond National Battlefield
Park and throughout Colonial National Historical Park.
Another five-and-a-half miles of the Colonial Parkway were cleared of
debris. In Historic Jamestowne, hazard tree removal at the Glass House
is complete. The modular unit that will serve as the temporary visitor
contact station is in place, with an operational quiet technology
generator to provide power. In Richmond, all clean-up work at Parker's
Battery is completed. Work also was completed Sunday along the road and
right of way in Poplar Grove.
There are 378 people currently assigned to the recovery effort. The
cost to date is $6,218,117.
Pacific West IMT (Denny Ziemann)
Piles of rusty, derelict vehicles and parts of vehicles are awaiting
removal from the shoreline of Alger Willis Fishing Camp and the Morris
Marina Kabin Kamp areas of the park. The abandoned cars were uncovered
by the storm surge from the hurricane and now pose a safety hazard to
those who visit or drive on the shore. Traditionally, people brought
vehicles to the Outer Banks by ferry and kept them there so they could
get around the islands more easily. Exposure to salt water and sand
resulted in non-operational vehicles being abandoned over the years and
left on the shore to create artificial dunes as sand collected in and
over them. The dunes protected the inland fishing camps from wind and
waves, eventually becoming part of the landscape. Removing these
vehicles is hazardous, tedious work. Crews are digging them out and
piling the junkers with other storm debris near ferry landings for
removal.
Several buried septic tanks were uncovered and floated by the
hurricane at the Morris Marina Kabin Kamp. The tanks have been removed
from the beach and marsh areas and prepared for removal from the
islands. While the buildings at the camp survived the hurricane in
fairly good shape, the septic systems did not. Most of the building were
constructed on stilts four or five feet above ground. That space is now
filled with sand, and the stairs leading to the porches are partially
buried. The area is accordingly closed to the public until emergency
operations are completed.
Willis Fishing Camp at the Great Islands Ferry landing fared even
worse, with several buildings moved from their foundations or completely
destroyed. Small docks have been repaired, which has made it possible
for owners of cars that were left in the camp parking lot before the
hurricane to come out and check on their vehicles. They are the only
non-official personnel allowed into the area until hazards are removed
and the superintendent reopens the area to public use.
The high visitor day-use area of the lighthouse at Cape Lookout has
been opened. The boardwalk, visitor center and associated buildings have
been cleaned up and the dock has been repaired and reopened to ferry
traffic. Crews continue to clean debris from the heavily used area
around the lighthouse. The graded road on the islands is being filled
and repaired in order to reopen it to public traffic. Storm surge caused
many washouts and deep, water-filled potholes. Repairing the road will
prevent further impact to the fragile vegetation there.
Work continues on the historic structures at Portsmouth Village. The
area remains closed to the public until safety hazards are removed or
repaired. Over 400 damaged trees have been removed from Portsmouth and
the water system to the visitor center is again operational. Safety and
logistical concerns must be addressed before the area will be reopened
to the public.
The remainder of the park is now open to pedestrians and may be
reached by ferry . Ranger patrols in the park have been increased to
ensure visitor safety, secure historic or hazardous areas, and protect
natural resources.
East IMT (Bob Panko)
Public ferry access to Ocracoke Island resumed on Friday. Ramps 68
and 70 on the island also reopened, although Highway 12 remains closed
north of the pony pen at Ramp 68. Facilities on the island also reopened
- the visitor center and marina on Friday and Ocracoke campground
on Saturday. ORV access to South Beach is now open from Ramp 44 via the
road between the dunes south to Ramp 49, but Ramp 49 remains closed. ORV
access to Ramp 4, located across from the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center,
also reopened, thanks to the assistance of the North Carolina Beach
Buggy Association, which helped clear debris from the beach and restore
access.
The area from Ramp 55 south to Hatteras Inlet has been temporarily
closed while a contractor lays pipe to dredge sand for the breech just
south of Frisco. This closure will likely continue for about five days,
or until the middle of this week. The area will be reopened while the
dredging occurs, but a similar closure will be needed upon completion of
the dredging project.
Additional Information
Reports compiled from submission by Al Nash, IO, Central IMT; Scott
Wanek, IO, Pacific West IMT; Michelle Fidler and Peter Givens, IO's,
East IMT/Outer Banks Group.
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
National Capital Parks-Central (DC)
Assist with River Rescue
On the morning of Tuesday, October 7th, a citizen told Park Police
officers that there was someone in the Potomac River underneath the 14th
Street Bridge. Officers dropped a life ring to the man and advised Metro
PD's Harbor Patrol. The latter sent a boat and pulled the man from the
water. He was brought to the shore, where Eagle 1 was waiting to fly him
to a trauma unit if necessary. The man was taken to Washington Hospital
Center by ambulance with minor injuries. [Submitted by Sergeant
Scott R. Fear, USPP]
Thursday, October 16, 2003
East Coast Areas Archeological Sites and Artifacts Revealed by Hurricane
The following reports reflect the status of operations through
Wednesday.
Central IMT (Sherrie Collins)
As work crews clear trees, remove debris, and inventory collections,
Andrew Veech works alone prioritizing archeological sites. As Colonial
National Historical Park's only archeologist, his job is a daunting one.
"I've been to some areas in the park that should have taken a half hour
to walk through and it now takes four hours," says Veech. "With all of
the downed trees, a lot of archeological sites have been exposed -
ones that we never knew about.
This park has a great wealth of sites from 17th century colonial
America and roughly 25 percent of the park has been surveyed."
Veech adds that Hurricane Isabel has "significantly reorganized" his
priorities. Prior to the storm, Veechs' work focused on two sites: Green
Springs and Jamestowne Island. Both of these sites are important because
of what they are revealing about the layout and design of an early
Colonial plantation and a domestic site dating from the 1680's -
1690's. And while discovering new archeological sites is exciting, it
also brings many issues to the surface. Looting is one of those
issues.
The Yorktown National Cemetery is a place of concern. With numerous
downed trees exposing gravesites, Veech's work is outlined before him.
Archeological work is a slow process that involves meticulous work.
"Having the cemetery leaching skeletal remains in a very public place is
of serious concern," says Veech. The work at the cemetery will take
weeks to accomplish and that's just one site of hundreds. "While I'm
grateful to the team being here and doing the wonderful work they're
doing, I'm fearful of what will be left behind. I'm concerned about all
the sites that are left to rehab and where they fall on the priority
list."
Work in the Historic Jamestowne area is nearing an end. Portions of
the area and the interim Visitor Contact Station are expected to reopen
to the public Wednesday afternoon.
Good progress was reported in the clean-up along the Colonial
Parkway. The large crew is on track to complete the clean-up by Friday
night.
In Richmond, clean-up at the Fort Harrison complex was completed
Tuesday afternoon. The recovery effort at Cold Harbor will be completed
Wednesday night. All work at Petersburg will also wrap up Wednesday
night. Demobilization of some resources assigned to Richmond and
Petersburg will begin Thursday.
There are 353 people currently assigned to the recovery effort. The
cost to date is $6,668,194.
Pacific West IMT (Scott Wanek)
A consequence of Hurricane Isabel at Cape Lookout National Seashore
is an increased incidence of cultural artifacts being uncovered or
washed up on the beach. There are many shipwrecks off the Outer Banks.
Some of these wrecks are many hundreds of years old. Since Isabel,
rangers and visitors have routinely found wooden ship parts, pottery
shards and other evidence of those wrecks. Park personnel, in addition
to emergency cleanup and repair duties, are making plans to process and
preserve these artifacts, if necessary.
Work continues in all four operational areas. Debris cleanup is the
biggest job, along with repairing the back road on all the islands. Crew
members are reporting to the incident and demobing daily as their 14-day
assignments begin or end. The team's operations section is actively
looking for work leaders and laborers to continue operations on a
proactive basis both short-term and long-term. The team has prepared a
long term operational plan for the park. The plan will be edited and
implemented after park staff reviews it and the final plan is
prepared.
East IMT (Bob Panko)
With two days of good weather over the holiday weekend, crews from
the Cherokee National Forest and squads comprised of local area
residents who are AD hires made significant progress in restoring
opportunities for recreational activities at Cape Hatteras National
Seashore, in protecting park resources and in providing for visitor
safety.
The Nags Head Fishing Tournament, a major event in October, proceeded
as planned because of the diligent work of park staff.
The breach in the inlet south of Frisco still has traffic cut off to
the south end of Hatteras Island, except for limited ferry service.
Pedestrian access to both ends of the new breach is allowed, and there
has been much public interest, resulting in the need for traffic and
crowd control by protection rangers.
The overall status of facilities is as follows:
- All ranger stations and visitor centers are open and operational.
- All maintenance facilities except Bodie Island are open and operational.
- The Ocracoke Airport is now open and operational.
- 22,000 feet of coral fencing for the historic Banker ponies was destroyed by the storm and one pony died. Park staff is working to built three miles of new fencing on higher ground to protect the herd in the event of another storm of this magnitude within the next year until the full facility can be built in the long term.
- Ramps 2 and 4 with access from Coquina Beach to Oregon Inlet are open.
- Ramp 23 north to the tri-village area of Salvo, Waves, and Rodanthe is open.
- Ramps 27, 30, 34, and 38 are open with access to beach.
- Ramp 38 south to Ramp 43 is open to pedestrians to the beach.
- Ramp 43 is closed due to flooding.
- Ramp 44 and 45 are open with access to the beech.
- There is access to the beach via the interdunal road from Cape Point to Ramp 49.
- Ramp 49 is underwater and closed.
- Ramp 55 south to Hatteras Inlet is open on an intermittent basis depending on dredging operations. The beach north of Ramp 55 to the new breach is closed due to dredging operations.
- Ramp 57 is closed.
- Ramp 59 needs work and is closed due to closure of NC 12.
- Ramp 67 is repaired but is inaccessible due to closure of NC 12.
- Ramp 68 is open.
- Ramp 70 is graded, usable, and open, but needs resurfacing
- Ramp 72 is closed and repair is a long-term issue.
Dump trucks are in short supply and a critical need on Ocracoke
Island. Resource threats include habitat for threatened and endangered
species and park structures, some historic. The incident management team
is working with park cultural resource personnel for protection of
cultural resource sites. The team is also working towards a smooth
transition to park management later this week.
There are currently 73 personnel committed to the incident.
Additional Information
Reports compiled from submission by Al Nash, IO, Central IMT; Shauna
Dyas, IO, Pacific West IMT; Peter Givens, IO, East IMT/Outer Banks
Group.
Wednesday, December 03, 2003
Cape Lookout National Seashore (NC)
Search for Missing Boater
D.S. and M.W. were out on the ocean in a 19-foot
boat on the morning of November 29th when the boat capsized in rough
seas. After clinging to the boat for about 45 minutes, they both
attempted to swim to shore. D.S. made it, but M.W. disappeared.
D.S. was treated for hypothermia and airlifted to Cateret County
Memorial Hospital by a Marine Corps rescue helicopter. He was later
released in good condition. M.W. remains missing. Marine Corps and
Coast Guard helicopters searched the area near the capsized boat, but
without luck. The search has been suspended. Ranger Martin Budzynski is
the investigating ranger. [Submitted by Wouter Ketel, Chief
Ranger]
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
Cape Lookout National Seashore (NC)
Hurricane Alex
The park has implemented its storm weather evacuation plan in
preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Alex. The park was closed to
visitors and all services were shutdown as of 5 p.m. yesterday
afternoon, and will remain closed until further notice. The coast of
North Carolina from Cape Lookout to Oregon Inlet is under a hurricane
warning. High surf, rip currents and locally heavy rains are expected.
[Submitted by Wouter Ketel, Chief Ranger]
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
Cape Lookout NS/Cape Hatteras NS
Hurricane Alex Grazes Outer Banks
Hurricane Alex passed by the Outer Banks yesterday, bringing heavy
rain and significant winds. Reports were received from Capes Lookout and
Hatteras late yesterday afternoon:
Cape Lookout NS The park had received calls from a park
employee and a concession employee living on the Outer Banks who
reported sustained winds of around 75 mph and gusts up to 100 mph. All
park staff have checked in, and all were okay. With the hurricane's
departure, park staff returned to headquarters to open the main offices
and begin an impact assessment. The Harkers Island unit reopened in
mid-afternoon, but the remainder of the park will remain closed until
the assessments are completed.
Cape Hatteras NS As of mid-afternoon, reports indicated that
sustained winds were blowing around 45 mph and that gusts were in the 60
70 mph range with one as yet unverified gust of 93 mph.
Ocracoke reportedly had three feet of water in the village, and the
ocean overwashed the north end of Ocracoke Island. Due to the original
forecast that the storm would not be that severe, the park did not
implement ICS, nor did they board up buildings. The Cape Point
campground was closed at 6 p.m. on Monday,
but other campgrounds remained open, albeit with few campers due to
awareness of the hurricane's impending arrival. The park's visitor
centers were closed yesterday, primarily due to lack of visitors.
Liberal leave was in effect. Damage assessments will be undertaken as
soon as the hurricane passes.
[Submitted by Jon Anglin, Acting Chief Ranger, CAHA; Wouter Ketel, Chief Ranger, CALO]
Thursday, August 05, 2004
Cape Lookout National Seashore (NC)
Hurricane Alex Impacts Assessment Completed
The park has conducted an assessment to determine the impacts of the
hurricane. There was heavy beach erosion above mile marker seven on
North Core Banks. Both docks at Portsmouth village sustained minor
damage, and about 50 trees were uprooted. The latter caused damage to
historic cemeteries. Some of the historic structures still awaiting
repair from Hurricane Isabel received additional structural damage. The
temporary concession ferry landing and cabins at Long Point sustained
minor damage. Shackelford and South Core Banks reopened yesterday
morning, and the Great Island concession vehicle ferry and IBP ferries
resumed operations. North Core Banks below mile marker seven reopened
later in the day and the Morris Marina ferry resumed operation.
Portsmouth Village and the north end of North Core Banks (above mile
seven) remain closed. [Submitted by Wouter Ketel, Chief Ranger]
Monday, August 16, 2004
East Coast Parks
Parks Escape Significant Damage from Charley
Hurricane Charley's passage up the East Coast affected more than a
dozen NPS areas. Here are reports from parks that were in or near the
storm's path, south to north:
Cape Lookout NS The park put its storm evacuation plan into
effect at 1 p.m. on Friday and closed the park to visitors at 5 p.m. The
evacuation of the park was completed by that time. Park staff returned
to Cape Lookout on Sunday morning to assess storm damage. They found
that the hurricane had inflicted little damage, so the park was reopened
at noon.
The above report was based on submissions from the following people:
Ken Garvin, Southeast Regional Office; Bob Panko, IC, EVER; Mark
Hardgrove, Deputy Superintendent, Outer Banks Group; Ann Childress,
Superintendent, MOCR; John Tucker, Superintendent, FOSU; Jon Anglin,
Acting Chief Ranger, CAHA; Wouter Ketel, Chief Ranger, CALO; Michelle
Oehmichen, BISC; Charlie Fenwick, Superintendent, DESO; Gordie Wilson,
CASA/FOMA; Barbara Goodman, Superintendent, TIMU/FOCA; Tom Nash, Chief
Ranger, COLO; Timothy Morgan, Chief Ranger, CANA; Mary Doll, Management
Assistant, Outer Banks Group; Larry Belles, BICY
Monday, September 12, 2005
Cape Lookout NS
Hurricane Ophelia
The park has implemented its emergency weather evacuation plan as a
result of the hurricane watch issued for the area. All passenger ferry
services to the islands were terminated at 3 p.m. on Saturday and
overnight guests were evacuated. The park is closed to all visitors from
Beaufort Inlet to Ocracoke Inlet and all services have been shut down.
[Wouter Ketel, Chief Ranger]
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
East Coast Areas
Parks Prepare for Ophelia's Arrival
Coastal parks in North Carolina, where Ophelia will most likely make
landfall, have begun preparing for the storm:
Cape Lookout NS - The park has been closed to visitors and ferry
operations have been suspended. The mandatory evacuation of visitors
from Core Banks was completed around noon on Sunday. A full, land-based
evacuation check of Shackleford Banks could not be conducted due to high
seas. Final shutdown procedures were to be completed by Sunday evening.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
East Coast Areas
Parks Prepare for Ophelia's Arrival
Coastal parks in North Carolina, where Ophelia will most likely make
landfall, have begun preparing for the storm:
Cape Lookout NS - The park has been closed to visitors and ferry
operations have been suspended. The mandatory evacuation of visitors
from Core Banks was completed around noon on Sunday. A full, land-based
evacuation check of Shackleford Banks could not be conducted due to high
seas. Final shutdown procedures were to be completed by Sunday evening.
[Wouter Ketel, Chief Ranger, CALO; Pat Reed, Acting Superintendent,
Outer Banks Group]
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Eastern Areas
Coastal Carolina Parks Complete Preparations
Here are today's updates from North Carolina parks in Ophelia's
probable path:
Cape Lookout NS - Final preparations for shutdown of park
headquarters were completed on Monday. The park is closed and all park
operations have been shut down.
[Dare County Emergency Management; Wouter Ketel, Chief Ranger, CALO;
Bruce Rosel, CANA; Ann Childress, Superintendent, MOCR]
Monday, September 19, 2005
North Carolina Areas
Parks Take Stock Following Ophelia's Passage
Initial reports from parks affected by Hurricane Ophelia have been
received:
Cape Lookout NS - Although the park did not suffer the level of
damage that it did from Hurricane Isabel in 2003, Hurricane Ophelia's
slow passage over the length of the seashore exerted tremendous force on
the barrier islands. A damage assessment overflight conducted by the
park last Friday revealed that Ophelia's fury cut a channel across Cape
Lookout Point, created a new inlet a mile-and-a-half south of New Drum
Inlet, and significantly widened Old Drum Inlet, which had been almost
closed. In addition, there is evidence everywhere that the seashore
experienced a significant amount of storm overwash. The passage of
Hurricane Ophelia's eye over the cape and the rest of the seashore are
dramatically shown by the wind speed and barometer graphs from the
weather station located near the Cape Lookout lighthouse. On Wednesday,
September 14th, as Ophelia approached, the barometer dropped steadily
and the wind speed peaked at 8 p.m. at just over 90 mph. With the
approach of the eye, the wind quieted down to 20 mph, while the
barometric pressure continued to fall. Early Thursday morning, it was
quiet, but the barometer began to rise again as the eye moved on and the
winds increased steadily to a second peak of 70 mph at 7 a.m. In all,
from one peak to another almost 12 hours had passed, and about 24 hours
for the entire storm.
[Wouter Ketel, Chief Ranger, CALO; Mary Doll, Outer Banks Group; Ann
Childress, Superintendent, MOCR]
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Cape Lookout NS
Update on Hurricane Ophelia Recovery
Damage recovery operations are going well. Effective last Saturday,
the park was reopened to private boaters and pedestrians. Most of the
small ferries to Shackleford Banks, the Cape and Portsmouth Village also
resumed operation. Repairs to the ferry ramp and cabins at Great Island
were completed on Sunday afternoon. Yesterday, vehicle ferry and cabin
rental services resumed at the Great Island Camp, and vehicle driving
was again permitted on South Core Banks from Ramp 35A at the Codds Creek
shelter north to the new inlet located at Mile 24 (about 1.5 miles south
of New Drum Inlet).
Temporary closures are in still in effect for the following
facilities and activities:
North Core Banks - Long Point vehicle ferry and cabins
North Core Banks - Closed to vehicle driving
South Core Banks - Closed to vehicle driving from Mile 35 to Mile
47
Shackleford Banks - Dock at the rock jetty
The following recovery work still remains:
South Core Banks - Re-establishing turtle closures and the vehicle
route signs south of Mile 35 to the Cape
North Core Banks - Repair work of the Long Point ferry loading ramp,
and cabins
North Core Banks - Re-establishing turtle closures and the vehicle
route signs and vehicle use
North Core Banks - Repair work on the end of the Haulover dock
Shackleford Banks - Repair work on the Shackleford Banks jetty dock
and toilets.
[Wouter Ketel, Chief Ranger]
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Cape Lookout NS
Drowning On North Core Banks
On July 24th, K.E., 33, was playing in the surf with three children
when the tide pulled them out between 50 and 150 yards into the ocean. Another
family member entered the water and rescued two of the children; K.E.
retrieved the third and tossed him to other family members who swam the boy
safely to shore. Shortly thereafter, the tide took K.E. back out to sea.
Efforts to reach him were unsuccessful. A park visitor, hearing cries of
distress, grabbed his boogie board and went into the ocean to assist K.E..
The visitor was struggling when Student Conservation Association aid Ryan
Hamilton jumped into the surf, swam out to his location, and helped swim K.E.
to shore. Hamilton, wildlife biologist Jeff Cordes and four visitors performed
CPR on K.E. until the arrival of a medical evacuation helicopter from Cherry
Point Naval Air Station. K.E. was transported to Carteret General Hospital in
Morehead City, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 1 p.m. The accident
is still under investigation. [Barry Munyan, Law Enforcement Operations
Supervisor]
Friday, September 1, 2006
Eastern Areas
Tropical Storm Ernesto Update
The following summarizes actions that have been or are being taken in Eastern
parks in response to Tropical Storm Ernesto (as of 11 a.m. on Thursday):
Cape Lookout NS - The park has implemented its emergency weather evacuation
plan. Areas south of mile marker 41 on South Core Banks and all of Shackleford
Banks closed at 2 p.m. yesterday and will remain closed until further
notice.
Employees who have been evacuated have been asked to contact the Emergency
Incident Coordination Center (EICC) at Shenandoah NP to report their status and
location. The call in number is 888-246-4335.
[Jeff Brice, NPS Assistant Coordinator, Southern Area Coordination Center;
Cyndy Holda, Outer Banks Group; Bill Halainen, Delaware Water Gap NRA]
Tuesday, September 5, 2006
Eastern Areas
Update On Tropical Storm Ernesto
Despite concerns about both strong winds and heavy rainfalls, Tropical Storm
Ernesto caused few problems in its passage up the East Coast. Follow-up reports
have been received from the following parks:
Cape Lookout NS - The park closed and put its emergency plan into effect last
Thursday. The Coast Guard suspended operation of all ferries to and from the
park that afternoon. From about 6 p.m. until midnight, heavy rains fell on the
area. Winds increased during the evening and peaked at about 50 mph at 5 a.m. on
Friday morning. Beaches were seriously eroded, some roofs sustained minor
damage, and several sea turtle nests were lost. The park reopened at 3 p.m. on
Friday afternoon. Strong winds (30 to 40 mph) blew for most of the rest of the
day. Ferry service to the park resumed in mid-afternoon. A full assessment of
damages is now underway and should be completed by today.
[Jeff Brice, SEACC; Wouter Ketel, CALO; Ann Childress, MOCR]
Monday, November 27, 2006
East Coast Areas
Strong Nor'easter Causes Closures, Evacuations
A strong nor'easter moving up the Atlantic coastline last week caused damage,
closures and evacuations at several areas:
Cape Lookout NS - The storm passed over the park on Tuesday, November 21st,
bringing winds of up to nearly 60 mph and tides that were four to six feet above
normal. The unusually high tides caused flooding in many areas and closure of
some roads in nearby communities. Strong winds continued throughout the day. At
the time of the report (midday on Wednesday), park staff were in the process of
conducting an assessment to determine if there'd been any damage to structures,
docks or other park assets.
[Jon Pierce, RLES, SERO; Barry Munyan, Chief Ranger, CALO; Karen Gochenour,
SHEN]
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Cape Lookout NS
Nor'easter Pounds Park Beaches
During the four-day period from May 5th through May 8th,
the park was pounded by a severe nor'easter that caused washover all
along its beaches. When the storm abated, park staff conducted condition
assessments of beaches and facilities and found possible storm damage in
several locations. Large quantities of Styrofoam were found on the beach
from Cape Lookout to Ocracoke Inlet. The Coast Guard was contacted and
it was determined that a container ship had lost nine containers that
had gone overboard during the storm. Reports were also received of
Styrofoam on the beaches at Cape Hatteras. A meeting will be held with
the Coast Guard this morning to set up ICS and began a possible 46-mile
plus cleanup operation. [Wouter Ketel, Public Information Officer]
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Cape Lookout NS
Follow-up On Storm Debris Cleanup
During the four-day period from May 5th through May 8th,
the park was pounded by a severe nor'easter that caused washover all
along its beaches. When the storm abated, park staff found large
quantities of styrofoam on the beach from Cape Lookout to Ocracoke
Inlet. Investigation revealed that it came from 21 containers that had
been lost from the Paris Express, a container ship owned by
Hapag-Lloyd, one of the largest shipping companies in the world. Twelve
of those containers were filled with ceiling fans packed in styrofoam.
Moran Environmental, the company contracted to clean up the material,
now has about 110 people working in Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras.
About 210 cubic yards of foam had been removed from eight to ten miles
of beach at Cape Lookout as of late yesterday. [Wouter Ketel, Public
Information Officer]
Friday, September 7, 2007
Mid-Atlantic Parks
Coastal Areas Eyeing Possible Tropical Disturbance
A non-tropical low midway between the Bahamas and Bermuda has the
potential to cause some problems for parks in the Carolinas by early
next week. A large trough to its west has kept the low from developing,
but will likely weaken over the weekend and open a window of opportunity
for it to develop and move back toward the coast. Several parks have
accordingly begun making preparations:
Cape Lookout NS - The park has begun initial preparations, with
maintenance personnel engaging in cleanup operations and securing
equipment.
[Jeff Brice, NPS Assistant Coordinator, Southern Area Coordination
Center]
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Mid-Atlantic Parks
Tropical Storm Gabrielle Blows Through
Tropical Storm Gabrielle, which made landfall at Cape Lookout NS,
brought some wind and rain but had little impact on the region. Two
parks have sent along follow-up reports:
- Cape Lookout Damage was limited to minor flooding in the
visitor center. The park resumed normal operations yesterday.
[Submitted by Jeff Brice, NPS Assistant Coordinator, Southern Area
Coordination Center; Paul Stevens, LES, Cape Hatteras; Charles
Cranfield, Superintendent, Cape Lookout]
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Cape Lookout NS
Fisherman Drowns In Boating Accident
On the afternoon of November 1st, an unusually large
breaking wave (seven to eight feet high) filled and capsized a
23-foot-long boat, dumping the four fishermen inside into the Atlantic
Ocean just offshore of Shackleford Banks. Three of the men swam to
shore, but the fourth - R.T., 69, of Clemons, North Carolina -
remained with the boat. The men swam back to assist R.T., but he'd
lost his grip on the boat and was underwater. They pulled him to shore
and began CPR. A passing boater alerted the Coast Guard, which in turn
informed the National Park Service. Protection ranger Jay Morgan
responded, but first on scene was park biologist Sue Stuska. The three
survivors were taken to the NPS dock and assisted to the mainland by
Coast Guard personnel and North Carolina Marine Fisheries officers.
R.T.'s body was recovered by supervisory protection ranger Shad
Dusseau, protection ranger Jay Morgan and a Coast Guard petty officer.
The body was taken by boat to the Coast Guard station at Fort Macon and
released to local officials. [Shad Dusseau, Supervisory Protection
Ranger]
Monday, April 21, 2008
Cape Lookout NS
Couple Rescued During April Nor'easter
On the afternoon of April 15th, Carteret County dispatch
notified the park of a man and woman needing rescue near Morgan Island.
A young North Carolina couple on their honeymoon had attempted to get to
the park in an overloaded and underpowered 20-foot open boat during a
period of high winds and steep, choppy seas. They were unfamiliar with
local waters and traveled into an area of shoals and sandbars near the
island. Unable to find a passage through them, they went aground, then
made a 911 cell phone call for help. Dr. Michael Rickard, the park's
chief of resource management, volunteered to pilot a rescue skiff due to
his familiarity with the difficult shallow draft access around Morgan
Island. Protection ranger and operations supervisor Shad Dusseau and
protection ranger Meredith Riester accompanied Rikard in the boat
through steep, three- to four-foot waves and winds blowing around 35
mph, with gusts to over 40 mph. Rikard, a veteran of 14 years at Cape
Lookout, said that he'd never been out in conditions that severe in a
boat designed for shallow waters. When they reached Morgan Island, the
woman, who was five-months pregnant, was wet and mildly hypothermic. The
couple's boat was in danger of sinking, so Dusseau walked it through the
surf to a calmer location in the lee of the island for later recovery.
The couple was transported to the park office, where they were treated,
then taken to their vehicle. Other Cape Lookout staff were able to
follow the entire incident through spotting scopes on the second floor
of park headquarters. [Barry Munyan, Chief Ranger]
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Cape Lookout NS
Man Arrested In Domestic Violence Incident
Protection rangers put their recently developed emergency
response team training into effect during the pre-dawn hours of July 5th
when they dealt with a domestic violence incident that took place near
the lighthouse on South Core Banks. Lead by chief ranger Barry Munyan,
protection rangers Lance Herman, Meredith Riester, Pete Duncan and Joe
Lamm responded from the park's mainland headquarters in a 25-foot open
patrol boat during a severe thunderstorm that produced lightning and
high winds. The assaulted victim was safely secured at the Lighthouse
Keepers Quarters and the rangers took her attacker into custody without
incident. The assailant has a long history of domestic violence and
resisting arrest. At the time of the incident, he had custody of his
four-year-old son, who was with him in their tent. Excessive alcohol
consumption was a contributing factor in the incident. A second boat
with rangers Shad Dusseau and John Bland was dispatched to move the
victim to the mainland, where she received medical treatment and was
taken to a hospital. The man remains in custody pending trial. This is
his third domestic violence arrest in the park since April. [Barry
Munyan, Chief Ranger]
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Southeast Region
Update On Hurricane Recovery And Preparations
Meanwhile, areas on the Atlantic coast are getting ready for Tropical
Storm Hanna, forecast to make landfall as a hurricane around the North
Carolina-South Carolina border early Saturday morning, and for Hurricane
Ike, now a Category Four hurricane that is forecast to reach the Bahamas
by Tuesday:
Cape Lookout NS - Since current models call for Hanna to pass
over the park on late Friday and Saturday as a hurricane, the park has
activated its hurricane evacuation plan. Outbound visitor traffic via
concessioners has been limited to day use only. Rangers are notifying
all overnight cabin, tent and vehicle campers and all concessioners and
media of the impending park closure and mandatory evacuation. Park and
volunteer staff from the islands will be evacuated to headquarters
housing at Shell Point, then, if necessary, to Morehead City, North
Carolina. Steps are being taken to protect park buildings, equipment and
collections. The IT network will shut down by close of business today,
and telephone service will be limited until Sunday or possibly
Monday.
[Dean Ross, WASO; Larry Perez, EVER; Russ Wilson, CALO; Clay Jordan,
GUIS]
Monday, September 8, 2008
Southeast/National Capitol Regions
Tropical Storm Hanna Causes Some Closures, Little Damage
Reports have been received from parks along the Eastern seaboard
regarding this past weekend's passage of Tropical Storm Hanna, which
brought only modest winds but heavy rains:
Cape Lookout NS - Hanna brought high winds (30 to 40 mph, with gusts
over 50 mph) and intermittent heavy rain to the park, but caused little
damage to buildings. It reopened to normal operations at 11 a.m. on
Sunday.
[Wouter Ketel, CALO; Don Boucher, NRCO; Saudia Muwwakkil, SERO]
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Cape Lookout NS
Domestic Violence Incident Leads To Jail Term
Protection rangers responded to a domestic violence
incident in the Cape Lookout lighthouse area at 3 a.m. on July 5th and
took William Landen of New Bern, North Carolina, into custody (click on
the link below for the original report). Landen was subsequently charged
on two misdemeanor counts - assault (18 USC 113(a)(4)) and disorderly
conduct (36 CFR 2.34 (a)(1)). At his initial appearance, Landen was
remanded into custody pending trial, based on his history of domestic
violence and other offenses. On August 26th, he pled guilty to both
charges and was sentenced to the maximum time (six months) for each
count, to be served consecutively. Note that the original incident
report stated that this was Landen's "third domestic violence arrest in
the park since April." This was, however, the only arrest in the park.
The other arrests occurred outside the park and in a different county.
[Barry Munyan, Chief Ranger]
Friday, November 28, 2008
Cape Lookout NS
Park Staff Rescue Numerous Sea Turtles
Numerous sea turtles, stunned by a two-week period of
abnormal cold weather along the Mid-Atlantic coastline, were blown onto
the park's beaches last week, where they risked death by freezing. Park
staff rescued 44 sea turtles over a five-day period. Park biologist Jon
Altman and protection ranger Shad Dusseau collected and transported
hypothermic turtles from outer banks islands to the mainland, while
other park staff and visitors combed the beaches and collected other
turtles. The recovered animals were turned over to the North Carolina
Wildlife Resources Commission and moved to the North Carolina Aquarium
and the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital at Topsail Beach for
re-warming. Several of the turtles weighed well over 150 pounds. Only
three turtles died before being turned over to the state. The remainder
will be released into the warm Gulf Stream waters within the near
future. [Shad Dusseau, Law Enforcement Operations Supervisor]
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Cape Lookout NS
Three Hypothermic Occupants Of Overturned Boat Rescued
On Friday, November 28th, protection ranger Shad Dusseau
responded to an assistance call from the US Coast Guard concerning an
overturned small boat in the surf at Shackleford Banks Island. At the
time of the call, the wind was blowing around 20 mph with a four- to
six-foot breaking surf, an air temperature of 54 degrees, and a water
temperature of 51 degrees. When Dusseau arrived, he found an overturned
boat in the surf, with its three wet, hypothermic former occupants
sitting on the beach without protection from the wind. The trio were
treated for mild hypothermia and minor injuries and were provided with
dry clothing. Park horse biologist Dr. Sue Stuska and park resource
volunteer Margaret Wallace, who were working on the island at the time,
were contacted for assistance in moving the three survivors. During the
course of the rescue, a local boat towing service attempted to remove
the stricken craft from the beach. The operator of the tow boat wrapped
a line around both the boat's props and drifted into the surf, very
nearly becoming another victim. A second towing service pulled him to
safety. The original damaged craft was subsequently removed and no
significant environmental damage was noted. [Shad Dusseau, LE Operations
Supervisor]
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Cape Lookout NS
Three Hypothermic Occupants Of Overturned Boat Rescued
On Friday, November 28th, protection ranger Shad Dusseau
responded to an assistance call from the US Coast Guard concerning an
overturned small boat in the surf at Shackleford Banks Island. At the
time of the call, the wind was blowing around 20 mph with a four- to
six-foot breaking surf, an air temperature of 54 degrees, and a water
temperature of 51 degrees. When Dusseau arrived, he found an overturned
boat in the surf, with its three wet, hypothermic former occupants
sitting on the beach without protection from the wind. The trio were
treated for mild hypothermia and minor injuries and were provided with
dry clothing. Park horse biologist Dr. Sue Stuska and park resource
volunteer Margaret Wallace, who were working on the island at the time,
were contacted for assistance in moving the three survivors. During the
course of the rescue, a local boat towing service attempted to remove
the stricken craft from the beach. The operator of the tow boat wrapped
a line around both the boat's props and drifted into the surf, very
nearly becoming another victim. A second towing service pulled him to
safety. The original damaged craft was subsequently removed and no
significant environmental damage was noted. [Shad Dusseau, LE Operations
Supervisor]
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Rangers Join Successful Search For Seven Missing Teenagers
The park received a call from the Coast Guard yesterday
morning asking for assistance in a search for seven missing teenagers.
The teens had boated to the park on Monday to camp overnight, but failed
to return as scheduled on Tuesday morning. Protection ranger Shad
Dusseau and interpretive ranger Ehren Gross headed out in a 25-foot boat
in 30 to 40 knot winds and three to five foot seas to look for the
party, but failed to find them in a search of the western third of the
park. Meanwhile, chief ranger Barry Munyan, while on another assignment,
spotted a boat matching the description of the missing vessel anchored
near the lighthouse complex. Members of the missing party were contacted
by volunteer lighthouse keeper Mary Crocker, who confirmed that all
seven were in good condition and waiting for storm conditions to abate.
[Shad Dusseau, LE Operations Supervisor]
Friday, May 29, 2009
Cape Lookout NS
One Drowns, Two Nearly Drown On Holiday Weekend
Large crowds, windy conditions and rip currents led to
high numbers of rescues along North Carolina beaches over the holiday
weekend. The park had one probable drowning and two near drownings
during the weekend. The first incident occurred on Sunday. J.S.,
55, was standing on a sandbar with a female friend about 150 feet off
South Core Banks when other visitors noticed that they were having
difficulties. One of them, Micah Gunn, got his surfboard, paddled out to
the sandbar, got the woman, and brought her to shore. When he returned
to get J.S., he was between the sandbar and the beach. He was able to
give his name to Gunn, then become unresponsive. Gunn got J.S. onto
his surfboard with some difficulty, then headed toward shore. Gunn noted
that J.S. quickly turned blue while en route. CPR was begun by park
visitors on the beach and continued by responding rangers. An AED was
also utilized. Ranger Conan Pelc transported EMS personnel to the
island, and ranger Patrick Reidy brought out responding Coast Guard
personnel. J.S. was brought to shore, then transferred to an
ambulance. He was pronounced dead while en route to the hospital. On
Monday, two women, ages 18 and 23, were caught in a rip current in the
ocean off South Core Banks. They made it back to shore with difficulty,
with visitors helping them get to the beach. Responding rangers found
that the women had ingested a lot of water. EMS personnel responded to
park headquarters and were transported to South Core Banks in two boats.
Both women were taken to the hospital, where the 18-year-old was checked
and released and the 23-year-old was held overnight for observation.
Both are doing well. [Barry Munyan, Chief Ranger]
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Cape Lookout NS
Visitors And Dog Rescued From Sinking Boat
On Wednesday, September 30th, staff at Harkers Island
Visitor Center received a call reporting that a boat that was sinking
offshore. No protection division rangers were in the area, so
interpretive ranger Cheryl Munyan, who is a certified boat operator,
transported local emergency medical technicians in an NPS boat to the
location of the incident. Once there, it was determined that the
occupants of the sinking boat had abandoned ship, but had since been
picked up and were safely aboard a private boat. Although they weren't
wearing lifejackets, they did have one on their dog. Munyan transported
the EMTs back to the VC boat basin so that they could evaluate the pair.
Both occupants and their dog were released in good condition. A local
ferry company recovered the submerged vessel. [Russ Wilson,
Superintendent]
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Cape Lookout NS
Wild Horse Pulled From Hole And Rescued
A two-year-old horse from the Shackleford Banks herd was
recently found trapped at a dry waterhole. The hole had been dug by the
wild horses to reach drinking water, but was dry at the time. Wildlife
biologist and herd manager Dr. Sue Stuska happened to find the filly
during a routine census. It was not clear how the horse had gotten into
the hole. The filly exhausted herself and damaged her eye while
struggling to get out, and, when pulled from the hole, could not stand.
The horse was exhausted enough, though, to permit handling. Without
sedation, her legs were restrained, her eyes protected, and she was
moved to a horse backboard. Resource management specialist Dr. Michael
Rikard assisted in restraining and transporting her by ATV cart to the
shore. The park landing craft, piloted by small craft operator Glen
Lewis, then transported the horse to park headquarters. Assisting were
maintenance workers Chris Willis and Bob Tabor, interpretive ranger
Cheryl Munyan, and protection operations supervisor Shad Dusseau.
Carolyn Temple, a professional photographer shadowing Dr. Stuska,
documented the event. The park's horse management partner, the
Foundation for Shackleford Horses, Inc., is providing a home and
veterinary care for the filly. Horses removed from the seashore are
available for adoption though the Foundation. Though this filly has
already been spoken for, other horses are currently available at the
foundation's HYPERLINK "http://www.shacklefordhorses.org/" web site.
[Dr. Sue Stuska, Wildlife Biologist]
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Cape Lookout NS
World War II Bomb Found On Beach
On Sunday, July 18th, a visitor advised ranger Devin
Seybert that a possible explosive device had washed ashore at the north
end of North Core Banks. Seybert tentatively identified the device as an
unexploded aerial bomb, marked a wide area as a safety buffer, and
informed management of the situation. On July 19th, an explosive
ordnance disposal team from the Marine Corp Air Station at Cherry Point
was taken to the bomb's location. The Marine Corp team identified the
device as a World War II era bomb, possibly containing up to 75 pounds
of TNT. The EOD team destroyed the bomb by detonating it in place with
C-4 explosives. The coastal areas of North Carolina experienced
considerable military activity during World War II, both in training
exercises and actual combat involving shipping convoys and German
U-Boats. [Shad Dusseau, Protection Operations Supervisor]
Monday, August 2, 2010
Cape Lookout NS
Several Visitors Rescued From Rip Current
On Thursday, July 22nd, protection rangers Erin Lamm and
Joe Lamm received a report that five visitors were caught in a rip
current off the ocean beach near the Cape Lookout Lighthouse. When the
rangers arrived on location, Cape Lookout interpreters were already
assisting with the rescue. Park guide Molly Andrews was assisting five
visitors - all foreign exchange students - out of the water at the
beach's edge. Erin Lamm saw that there was still one visitor - a family
host - who was caught in the rip current quite a distance from the beach
and having difficulty getting back to shore. She swam to the man using a
torpedo buoy and assisted him back to the beach, where he was given
emergency medical care. Ranger/EMT Joe Lamm provided emergency medical
care to the victims on the beach and communicated with Carteret County
dispatch for assistance. Ultimately, all the visitors declined further
medical attention. Erin Lamm was well prepared for this incident due to
the fact that two weeks earlier Cape Lookout interpretation and
protection staff, along with local rescue personnel, attended a surf
rescue training class at the park. The training is designed to teach
park staff surf rescue techniques and to inform them of what is within
and, more importantly, what is beyond their capabilities. [Barry Munyan,
Chief Ranger]
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
East Coast Parks
Hurricane Earl Bears Down On Carolina Coast
Hurricane Earl, now a Category 4 storm, continues on its
northwestward track toward the Carolinas, and parks in its projected
path are in the midst of making all necessary preparations. Reports have
also been received from Caribbean parks affected by the hurricane.
Here's today's summary:
Cape Lookout NS - The park has implemented its
hurricane evacuation plan. A hurricane hotline has been established
through the NPS EICC at Shenandoah and employees have been advised to
utilize it in case of an emergency. Only day use passengers were allowed
on ferries to the islands yesterday, and all visitors with vehicles
and/or those staying overnight will be evacuated by noon today. Day use
visitors will be evacuated by 5:00 p.m. The park will be closing to all
visitor use from 5:00 p.m. until further notice. Depending on the timing
of the hurricane's arrival, the park plans to do post-hurricane
assessment on Friday and will open once it is determined to be safe to
do so. The park has been in contact several times with Denver Ingram,
Southeast Region meteorologist, and he has been extremely helpful and
insightful.
[Cyndy Holda and Paul Stevens, CAHA; Barry Munyan, CALO;
Elizabeth Centeneo, CHRI; Mark Hardgrove, VIIS; Mark Ruggiero, SERO]
Thursday, September 2, 2010
East Coast Parks
Carolina Coastal Parks Set For Hurricane Earl's Arrival
Hurricane Earl will approach the North Carolina coast late
today and move near or over the Outer Banks tonight. The center is then
expected to pass near or offshore of the Delmarva Peninsula. The
hurricane will then track northeast along the coast, probably passing
over Cape Cod. Parks along the coast from North Carolina to Maine are
watching the storm closely and taking necessary actions. Here's today's
summary:
Cape Lookout NS - The park is completing final
preparations for the passage of Hurricane Earl. All non-essential
employees were released at close of business yesterday. Essential
employees will provide the final touches to ramp up the preparations
tomorrow morning and be release around noon. As for yesterday afternoon,
all visitors and vehicles were off of North Core Banks, all visitors
with vehicles were off South Core Banks (though there were still some
vehicles in the long term permitted parking lots) and all day use
visitors had departed, and all visitors had left Shackleford Banks. Some
overwash was reported in the New Drum inlet area (formally an inlet,
this area filled in with sand last spring) and on the north end of North
Core Banks. All personnel are scheduled to report to work at 8 a.m. on
Friday to start assessments and get the park ready to reopen on Saturday
morning.
[Barry Munyan, CALO; Cyndy Holda and Paul Stevens, CAHA;
Stuart West, ACAD; Skip Brooks, COLO; Bob Grant, CACO; Peter Totorell,
GATE; Carl Zimmermann, ASIS; Jay Lippert, FIIS; Stephen Clark, NERO]
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
East Coast Parks
Hurricane Earl Leaves Carolina Parks Unscathed
Hurricane Earl brushed the Carolina coast late last week,
but caused little damage. Most areas in affected parks have
reopened:
Cape Lookout NS - Assessment teams began checking
the park soon after the storm passed. Little or no damage was found in
high visitor use areas, including the light station area, Great Island
and the Long Point cabin camps. Beaches were scoured flat, but there
were no areas of significant overwash. Portsmouth Village received some
high water, with about four inches of water inside the historic post
office, but other buildings were unaffected. The park reopened on
Saturday.
NPS lifeguarded beaches are closed for the season. Due to high surf
conditions and rip currents, swimming is not advised. [Barry Munyan,
CALO; Cyndy Holda, CAHA]
Friday, July 1, 2011
Cape Lookout NS
Rangers Rescue Boy Scouts From Core Sound
Rangers and personnel from Harkers Island fire and EMS
responded to a 911 call for a water rescue near the visitor center on
that island on the evening of June 23rd. Six canoes containing 11 Boy
Scouts and an adult were trying to paddle south on Core Sound to camp on
South Core Banks when an incoming tide and high winds blew them off
course and toward the north. Ranger Lance Herman responded from the
visitor center, ranger Joseph Lamm from South Core Banks, and chief
ranger Barry Munyan from home. The scouts and their leader were rescued
and transported to the visitor center. There were no reported injuries.
All twelve were wearing lifejackets. [Joseph Lamm, Park Ranger]
Friday, August 5, 2011
Cape Lookout NS
Ten Kayakers Rescued From Windy Core Sound
Ranger Lance Herman received an urgent call for help from
a Boy Scout group leader early on the afternoon of July 25th. She
reported that 10 of the 15 kayakers in the group were having difficulty
navigating Core Sound due to that afternoon's high winds, adding that
she could only see five of the ten kayakers having problems. Nine Boy
Scouts and one adult in kayaks were trying to paddle south on Core Sound
to Shackelford Banks into a very strong head wind of more than 25 mph
that blew them off course in several different directions. Herman and
chief ranger Barry Munyan responded. They retrieved seven of the
kayakers, one of whom was standing on the bottom in the middle of the
sound without a kayak a mile-and-a-half from shore. Acting chief of
maintenance Harvey Nelson and maintenance worker Johnny Dixon assisted
by retrieving three of the kayakers from the water. All the scouts and
the one adult were rescued and transported to the visitor center area.
There were no reported injuries. All ten were wearing lifejackets.
[Lance Herman, Park Ranger]
Thursday, August 25, 2011
East Coast Areas
Parks From Florida To Maine Prepare For Irene
Parks from Big Cypress to Acadia are in the midst of
completing preparations for Hurricane Irene. All three East Coast
regions - Southeast, National Capital and Northeast - held regionwide
telephone conferences yesterday that collectively included
representatives from the scores of potentially affected areas. Without
exception, they reported that they were putting hurricane or emergency
plans into effect, mobilizing local incident management teams, making or
planning closures as needed, and otherwise taking all necessary steps to
protect facilities and assure public and staff safety. The following
reports are from areas where there have been closures and/or are from
locations potentially most exposed to the storm, particularly parks
bordering the ocean. They are listed from south to north:
Cape Lookout NS - The park has implemented its hurricane
evacuation plan. Concession, CUA ferry operators and cooperators, and
the media were notified of the action. A mandatory evacuation of all
overnight visitors from the islands will begin this morning. Park
facilities at Portsmouth Village, the Light Station Visitor Center, and
the Cape Lookout Lighthouse have been closed. All overnight and day use
areas, including cabins, will be closed this evening and will remain
closed until further notice. Ranger patrols were dispatched to notify
all overnight cabin, tent and vehicle campers of the impending park
closure/mandatory evacuation. Volunteer staff were evacuated from the
islands yesterday and final evacuation of all park staff from all
barrier island locations will be completed by close of business today.
All park and volunteer staff will be evacuated from HQ housing at
Harkers Island and moved to motels in Bern, North Carolina, by noon on
Friday. All staff and volunteers will be released by noon on Friday.
The regions have incident management and damage assessment
teams on standby for deployment as needed. The National Interagency Fire
Center has prepared a list of available resources, which include an area
command team, a NIMO team, five Type 1 and five Type 2 incident
management teams. [Regional, WASO and FAM reports]
Friday, August 26, 2011
East Coast Areas
Irene Bears Down On Carolina Coast
Hurricane Irene is poised to strike the Outer Banks of
North Carolina with winds of up to 100 mph or more tomorrow, then move
northeastward along the coast and over the metropolitan New York City
area and into New England later in the weekend. Forecasters expect it to
be a "major event" from North Carolina to Massachusetts and possibly
further north. Parks have completed preparations for the storm. Incident
management and damage assessment teams have been called out and will be
in place and on standby by midday today. The Eastern IMT (Zeph
Cunningham, IC) and Midwest IMT (Jim Hummel, IC) will be staged in
Greensboro, North Carolina, with the former prepared to assist the Outer
Banks Group and the latter set to support Cape Lookout NS and Moores
Creek NB. Two Southeast Region assessment teams will also be staged in
Greensboro and will be available to assist these parks as needed. Since
all potentially affected parks are prepared and ready for the storm,
only those with new closures or developments are listed below, south to
north:
Cape Lookout NS - The park accelerated its preparations
yesterday in order to release staff by the close of business on
Thursday.
A report on the storm and its impacts on park will appear in Monday's
edition.
Monday, August 29, 2011
East Coast Areas
Hurricane Irene Mauls East Coast
Hurricane Irene this morning is just a memory, but parks
from North Carolina to New England are dealing with the damage it left
in its wake. Some of the initial reports received from affected areas
appear below, based on regional telephone conferences held on Sunday
morning (with some later additions). But first here's an overview of
support teams dispatched to assist parks:
Cape Lookout NS - The Midwest IMT (Jim Hummel, IC) and a regional
assessment team.
Additional reports on Hurricane Irene's impacts will be
posted as they are received. Meanwhile, Washington, regional and park
staffs will be keeping an eye on the Atlantic, where a new potential
hurricane is brewing. According to Denver Ingram, meteorologist at the
Southern Area Coordination Center, who provides tropical storm updates
to the NPS, there is "a large significant tropical wave" now off the
coast of Africa, which forecast models project will be "a significant
event for the East Coast in about 10 days..." [Bill Halainen, Editor]
Monday, August 29, 2011
East Coast Areas
Hurricane Irene Mauls East Coast
Since many parks that reported closures over the weekend
will reopen today and since most have reported minor damage and power
outages, only those with significant issues are reported here (south to
north):
Cape Lookout NS - An initial assessment has been
conducted. Docks have sustained varying amounts of damage; sand washes
impeding access may also affect ferries. There's been some shingle and
siding damage to structures. Septic systems may have been impacted and
back roads damaged at Great Island. No assessments have yet been made of
Portsmouth Village or Cape Lookout Village.
Additional reports on Hurricane Irene's impacts will be
posted as they are received. Meanwhile, Washington, regional and park
staffs will be keeping an eye on the Atlantic, where a new potential
hurricane is brewing. According to Denver Ingram, meteorologist at the
Southern Area Coordination Center, who provides tropical storm updates
to the NPS, there is "a large significant tropical wave" now off the
coast of Africa, which forecast models project will be "a significant
event for the East Coast in about 10 days..." [Bill Halainen, Editor]
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
East Coast Areas
Parks Continue Irene Assessments, Recovery
Although many East Coast parks have reopened and resumed
normal operations, a number are still completing assessments and a few
are dealing with serious problems. Most parks affected by Irene have
reported some downed trees, minor structural damage and/or water
infiltration, and some flooding. Those with more significant issues
appear below, from south to north.
Cape Lookout - The park is being assisted by the Midwest
IMT (Jim Hummel, IC) and a regional assessment team. Reports
pending.
Additional reports on Hurricane Irene's impacts will be posted as
they are received. [Bill Halainen, Editor]
HYPERLINK "http://latimesphoto.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/la-na-0829-irene03.jpg?w=165"
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
East Coast Areas
Some Parks Still Dealing With Hurricane Issues
Most parks affected by Hurricane Irene have reopened and
returned to normal operations, but several continue to deal with serious
issues. Today's status reports follow. As of yesterday morning, a total
of 173 NPS employees were committed to hurricane recovery operations.
Here are updates from parks reporting significant issues, as of
yesterday morning (south to north):
Cape Lookout - The park is being assisted by the
Midwest IMT (Jim Hummel, IC) and a regional assessment team. The full
IMT moved from Guilford Courthouse to the park on Monday and met with
the superintendent and staff. Sawyers from around the NPS have cleared
downed trees at headquarters and on Harkers Island. The SER assessment
team is conducting surveys throughout the park and has so far found the
following:
Overwash has covered most areas with over two feet of sand
The park dock was damaged and needs to be rebuilt
Damage to headquarters was minimal
All cabins on Great Island have been damaged (cabin
reservations throughout the park have accordingly been cancelled through
September 12th)
The dump station at Cape Point is missing
Cape Lookout Village has suffered heavy damage.
Biologists have also been conducting surveys. They'd
determined that there was a significant loss of turtle nests, but that
the park's horse herd was in good shape.
Additional reports on Hurricane Irene's impacts will be
posted as they are received. [Bill Halainen, Editor]
Thursday, September 1, 2011
East Coast Areas
Recovery Operations Continue
Recovery operations continue in parks in Northeast and
Southeast Regions. Today's status reports follow. As of yesterday
morning, a total of 242 NPS employees were committed to hurricane
recovery operations. Here are updates from parks reporting significant
issues, as of yesterday morning (south to north):
Cape Lookout - The park is being assisted by the
Midwest IMT (Jim Hummel, IC) and a regional assessment team. Sufficient
repairs have been made to the Cape Lookout lighthouse area to reopen it
for day use, effective today. Assessments have been made of park cabins
and they have been found to be in better shape than the infrastructure
that supports them. They will remain closed until at least September
12th. Not a single septic system survived at Long Point - all have been
compromised. Cape Lookout Village will remain closed because of the
unsafe conditions of beaches and facilities due to scattered debris.
Phone and internet service were restored at park headquarters and the
incident ICP yesterday. Hazard tree reduction has been completed at
Portsmouth and debris cleanup will begin today. Surveys of turtle nests
reveal that only 16 of 65 previously documented nests survived the
storm; assessments of viability have not begun.
Additional reports on Hurricane Irene's impacts will be
posted as they are received. [Bill Halainen, Editor]
Friday, September 2, 2011
East Coast Areas
Hundreds Continue Working On Hurricane Recovery Operations
Hurricane Irene recovery operations continue in parks in
Northeast and Southeast Regions. Today's status reports follow. As of
yesterday morning, a total of 242 NPS employees were committed to these
efforts. Here are updates from parks reporting significant issues, as of
yesterday:
Cape Lookout - The park is being assisted by the
Midwest IMT (Jim Hummel, IC) and a regional assessment team. Eighty-two
people are committed to the recovery operation. Today's update:
Cape Lookout lighthouse is open on a first-come, first
serve basis.
All ferry operators were personally visited regarding the
opening of Shackelford and the Cape. Community member appreciated the
information and were interested in what the NPS is doing to bring the
park back to full operations.
Emergency repairs to the headquarters roof were completed
and 80% of electrical work completed.
Almost all of the horses on Shackleford have been spotted
and are in good health
The reconstruction of the dock at Shackleford is 60% complete.
A total of 17 turtle nests have been found and marked to date.
Water testing and pressure testing of cabins was
undertaken at Great Island. One cabin needs water and septic
replacement
The most damage in the park was at Long Point. The dock,
ranger station, restrooms, water systems, fuel compound all need major
reconstruction.
Assessment teams continued their assessments at Portsmouth
and were joined by a historic architect. Assessments were completed.
Additional reports on Hurricane Irene's impacts will be
posted as they are received. [Bill Halainen, Editor]
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
East Coast Areas
Significant Headway Made In Hurricane Recovery
Park staffs and supporting incident management and other
teams worked throughout the holiday weekend to repair facilities and
restore services at parks hit hard by Hurricane Irene, particularly at
Delaware Water Gap, Cape Lookout and the Outer Banks Group. Significant
progress has been made, with many reopening announced. Although
personnel were busy throughout the Labor Day weekend, today's summary
focuses largely on yesterday's operations:
Cape Lookout - The park is being assisted by the
Midwest IMT (Jim Hummel, IC) and a regional assessment team. As of
Monday, 73 people were committed to the recovery operation. Today's
update:
Headquarters and Visitor Center - Debris was removed from
the housing and maintenance areas, electrical work continued around the
maintenance area, and rerouting of the Sound Loop Trail was
completed.
Shackleford Banks - Repairs to the dock were completed
late on Sunday and the dock is now open.
Les & Sally's - Dock repair is progressing; only
attachment of the decking remains to be done.
Cape Lookout and Lighthouse Village - The mosquitoes were
too voracious to continue debris cleanup on Monday, so staff were
reassigned to Harker's Island. The back road grading has been completed
between Great Island and Lower Cape. Most of the administrative roads
around Lower Cape have been completed.
Great Island - Electrical work is 90% finished; generator
hookups were rewired and the generator boxes were rehabbed and reset.
One septic system has been fixed and connected to a cabin.
North Core Banks - Debris cleanup continued at Long Point.
Fourteen piles of debris have now been collected.
The FMSS group also finished all work orders and cost
estimates. They projected costs and split them between FY11 and FY12.
[Bill Halainen, Editor]
Thursday, September 8, 2011
East Coast Areas
Recovery Operations Continue In Carolina Coastal Parks
Hurricane Irene recovery operations have been completed in
most parks, but incident management teams and park staffs continue their
ongoing efforts at Cape Lookout and the Outer Banks Group. Here are
today's updates.
Cape Lookout - The park is being assisted by the
Midwest IMT (Jim Hummel, IC) and a regional assessment team. As of
yesterday, 54 people were committed to the recovery operation. The team
will be turning the incident over to the park late this afternoon and
demobilizing. Accomplishments yesterday included the following:
Great Island - The reroute of the Back Road south of Great
Island has been completed. The Back Road is finished from Great Island
to Cape Point. Resource management staff flagged the designated route of
the Back Road north of Great Island in the footprint of the old road.
Posts and cables were installed to mark the road through Great Island.
Rehab work was completed on 18 out of 26 cabins.
Portsmouth - Removal of the damaged section of the
Haulover Dock is underway.
Air Operations - Conducted five hours of helicopter flight
time and transported 23 passengers.
Employee Assistance - Remaining team members demobilized.
Resource Advisors - Work continued on a final report,
submitting it to park staff for their comments and edits.
Assessment Team - All assessment team members have
demobilized except one. The remaining members continued to work on
damage assessment project statements.
[Bill Halainen, Editor]
Friday, September 9, 2011
East Coast Areas
Substantial Headway Made In Hurricane Recovery Operations
The Midwest incident management team at Cape Lookout has
completed its work and will be demobilizing this afternoon, but the
Eastern team continues to provide support to staff in the Outer Banks
Group parks. Here are today's updates.
Cape Lookout - The park is being assisted by the
Midwest IMT (Jim Hummel, IC) and a regional assessment team. As of
yesterday, 19 people were committed to the recovery operation. The team
will be turning the incident over to the park this afternoon and heading
home. Accomplishments yesterday included the following:
Headquarters and Visitor Center - The window and door
estimator was contacted and an inspection was scheduled.
Great Island - Cabins 2 through 17 are ready for
habitation (cleaned and inside components are 100% functional). Six of
those cabins have had their septic systems tested with water running
through the system. The north back road construction was completed. The
septic system components for the dump station were delivered. All
equipment was moved off island or to the Coast Guard Station.
Portsmouth - All of the needed lumber was delivered.
Construction of Haulover Dock continued.
Long Point - The point was inspected for storm surge
issues.
Air Operations - The team's airplane logged 3.3 hrs of
flight time and transported eight passengers.
Employee Assistance - The group supervisor finished
reports and completed demob.
Resource Advisors - Assisted park resource management
staff with turtle nest excavation at Coquina Beach. A total of 90 live
turtles and 9 eggs were discovered inside the nest. The live turtles
will be released after high tide this evening.
Assessment Team - One assessment team member continued to
work on damage assessment project statements.
[Bill Halainen, Editor]
Friday, October 26, 2012
East Coast Areas
Parks And Regions Prepare For Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy, the third most powerful storm of the 2012
season, continues on its northbound course with an anticipated landfall
between Virginia to New England this coming Monday. Its winds are
expected to still be near hurricane force when it arrives, partly due to
unusually warm water off the East Coast. Due to the approach of a strong
cold front, a full moon that will bring high tides on Monday, and
already above normal stream flows in much of the Northeast, it could
bring heavy rains, flooding, serious shoreline erosion, and considerable
wind damage to the region.
Sandy will also affect parks along the East Coast before
it arrives in the Northeast. Although the center will be well offshore,
it will be close enough to bring winds and high seas and rain from the
Outer Banks north.
Parks and regions have activated their hurricane plans and
have begun daily phone conferences to coordinate both preparedness and
possible emergency responses, if needed. The NPS Eastern IMT is on
standby to assist where needed.
Reports from two parks have been received so far:
Cape Lookout NS - The park is expecting about 30 hours of
tropical storm force winds, with maximum sustained winds of from 50 to
70 mph. Vehicle ferries will stop taking visitors to the islands today
and will instead focus on removing visitors who wish to leave. Vehicle
and passenger ferries are expected to stop operating on Saturday and may
not resume operations until further notice. Visitor centers on the
islands will close Saturday and will remain closed until Monday.
Visitors are advised against heading out to the islands from Saturday
through Monday; visitors already staying in the cabins or on the beaches
are being advised leave the islands or to seek areas that are protected
from overwash.
Updates to this report may be posted over the weekend if
warranted by conditions. A full update will appear on Monday.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
East Coast Areas
Update On Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy, a HYPERLINK
"http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php" Category 1
system with current maximum sustained winds of about 75 mph,
continues on a north-northeasterly course. As of 11 a.m. this morning,
it was projected to be abreast of the Outer Banks in the early hours of
Monday morning and come ashore somewhere near southern New Jersey late
Monday evening.
According to NPS meteorologist Denver Ingram, the winds
will still be in the 65 mph to 75 mph range when the hurricane moves
inland. It will bring seas of around 25 feet, rip currents, and coastal
flooding of three to five feet on top of an already above average high
tide due to Monday's full moon. The storm's tropical storm force wind
field, says Ingram, is already of "unprecedented" size, extending about
450 miles from its center.
As of 11 a.m. tropical storm warnings were in effect for
an area from South Santee River in South Carolina to Duck in North
Carolina, for Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds, and for Great Abaco and
Grand Bahama Islands. Watches were in effect for the coastal area from
the Savannah River to the South Santee River and for Bermuda. Since the
hurricane is likely to evolve into a "cold core" storm, the National
Hurricane Center probably will not be posting watches and warnings along
the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast coastline. Instead, the National Weather
Service will be posting high wind watches and warnings. Those are likely
to cover a very large area - as far west as Greensboro (NC), Roanoke
(VA), Charleston (WV), Erie (PA), and Buffalo (NY). They will also
encompass most of Vermont and New Hampshire and will extend into
southern Maine.
The storm is expected to bring from seven to twelve inches
of rain to the coastline when it comes ashore. These amounts could
extend into northeastern Pennsylvania and southern New York. Areas
elsewhere will likely see three to five inches of rain.
Park status reports remain about the same as they were in
the Friday afternoon edition, with the following parks providing updated
reports:
Cape Lookout - The weather this morning was
reported to be deteriorating and strong tides were pushing water into
the sound. Two of the three ferries to the offshore islands have
shutdown, but the third was continuing to move people off them this
morning with a target of completing operations by 1 p.m. Some visitors -
estimated to be about 20 at present - have declined to leave. Overwash
is already occurring on some of the islands. Access to the headquarters
administrative area could be an issue due to flooding. There may also be
problems reaching the park due to potential issues with some of the
bridges on access roads.
Emergency preparedness staff in the three affected
regional offices - Southeast, National Capital and Northeast - will be
working through the weekend. Three NPS Type II incident management teams
- East, Intermountain and Midwest - are fully staffed and on standby for
use as needed.
Another Morning Report 'extra' will be posted tomorrow around noon.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
East Coast Areas
Update On Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy, a HYPERLINK
"http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php" Category 1
storm with current maximum sustained winds of about 75 mph, was
southeast of Cape Hatteras this morning and continuing on its northerly
course. It is expected to pass the Outer Banks at a distance of about
250 miles, further out than the 175 miles previously forecast. It's
still expected to make landfall on the New Jersey coast around daybreak
on Tuesday.
At 11 a.m. this morning, the National Hurricane Center had
tropical storm warnings posted for the area from Cape Fear to Duck in
North Carolina and for Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds. The center also
issued this statement: "Hurricane-force winds are expected along
portions of the coast between Chincoteague, Virginia, and Chatham,
Massachusetts. This included the middle and upper Chesapeake Bay,
Delaware Bay, the coasts of the northern Delmarva Peninsula, New Jersey,
the New York City area, Long Island, Connecticut and Maryland. Tropical
storm force winds are expected north of Chatham to the Merrimack River
in Massachusetts, in the lower Chesapeake Bay, and south of Chincoteague
to Duck, North Carolina. Other coastal and inland watches and warnings
are in effect for these areas. Please see statements from local National
Weather Service forecast offices."
National Park Service meteorologist Denver Ingram is also
issuing daily updates with specifics pertinent to the NPS. Here are the
key points from his Sunday morning update:
Winds - The hurricane's wind field is large and
extensive. Tropical storm force winds now extend outward as far as an
unprecedented 520 miles from the center and hurricane force winds go out
to 105 miles. Early this morning, winds were already gusting to 35 to 45
mph along the Outer Banks of North Carolina and these conditions will
likely continue into Tuesday morning. The hurricane is expected to
strengthen a bit before making landfall, at which time it should have
winds of 80 to 85 mph. There are a number of locations from Maryland and
Washington to Connecticut and Massachusetts that could see 40 to 50
hours of tropical storm force winds persisting into Wednesday. While
these sustained winds are strong enough, wind gusts will be stronger.
The eastern shore of Maryland may see wind gusts (not sustained) of 85
to 90 mph Monday night and Tuesday morning.
Seas, Tides and Storm Surge - Due to its
strengthening, the hurricane will bring higher tides and greater storm
surges to areas along and north of the track. Strong winds will continue
to create rough seas and elevated tides. Storm surges will vary by
location, but if they coincide with high tide, areas from Maryland to
Rhode Island could experience storm surges of four to eight feet. Long
Island and Raritan Bay may see those values increase to as much as ten
feet. Smaller surges of three to six feet are expected along the North
Carolina sounds, and the Chesapeake Bay could see values from one to
four feet with higher totals where it meets the sea.
Rainfall - Totals of three to six inches will be
common across eastern North Carolina today. Over the past 24 hours, Cape
Hatteras has seen about two-and-half inches of rain. Most of the rest of
the Outer Banks has received one to two inches since daybreak Saturday.
The storm was producing a band of heavy rain this morning that extended
from southeast Pennsylvania, across Delaware and eastern Maryland, into
southeast Virginia, and into the eastern third of North Carolina.
Flooding will be an ongoing threat. Rainfall totals of ten inches or
more are expected near the area of landfall. New England in general will
likely see totals of one to three inches, with some isolated totals
close to six inches.
Snow - The hurricane will combine with a strong
trough of low pressure; when it does, cold air will pour southward,
bringing snow to the mountains of Tennessee, the mountains of
northwestern North Carolina, southwest Virginia, and eastern West
Virginia. Strong upslope flow may produce one to four inches of snow in
these areas on Monday and Tuesday, with some totals close to eight
inches above 3000 feet.
The following new reports have been received from parks in
the hurricane's path:
Cape Lookout - The park remains closed. A total of
32 visitors in nine parties remain on the park's offshore islands. All
are secure. The park is keeping tabs on them.
Emergency preparedness staff in the three affected
regional offices - Southeast, National Capital and Northeast - are
working through the weekend. Three NPS Type II incident management teams
- East, Intermountain and Midwest - are fully staffed and on standby for
use as needed. Discussions are underway about prepositioning the teams
so that they will be quickly available after the storm passes.
Monday, October 29, 2012
East Coast Areas
Powerful Hurricane Sandy Nears Northeast Coast
Hurricane Sandy, a HYPERLINK
"http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php" Category 1
storm with current maximum sustained winds of about 75 mph, was
east of the Outer Banks early this morning and moving to the north at
about 15 mph. It is expected to turn to the northwest today, with the
center coming ashore along the New Jersey coastline this evening or
tonight.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 175 miles,
mainly to the southwest of the center, and tropical storm force winds
extend outward up to 520 miles. The following hazards are expected:
Winds - Gale force winds are being reported from
coastal North Carolina to New Jersey and are expected to arrive along
other portions of the coastline from Long Island to southern New England
later this morning. Winds of hurricane force are expected later
today.
Surge - A combination of tides and "extremely
dangerous" storm surge will cause normally dry areas near the coast to
be flooded by rising waters. The water could reach the following depths
above ground if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide - 4 to 6
feet in North Carolina; 2 to 4 feet in southern Virginia and Delmarva,
including the lower Chesapeake Bay; 1 to 3 feet in the upper and middle
Chesapeake Bay; 6 to 11 feet in Long Island Sound, Raritan Bay and New
York Harbor; 4 to 8 feet elsewhere from Ocean City, Maryland, to the
Connecticut-Rhode Island border; 3 to 6 feet from there to Cape Cod; 2
to 4 feet from Cape Cod to the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border; and 1
to 3 feet from there to Canada.
Rain - Rainfall totals of from 4 to 8 inches are
expected over portions of the Mid-Atlantic states, including the
Delmarva peninsula, with isolated amounts of up to 12 inches. Rainfall
amounts of 1 to 3 inches are forecast from New York to New England, with
isolated amounts of 5 inches.
Snow - Snow accumulations of from 2 to 3 feet are
expected in the mountains of West Virginia, from 1 to 2 feet in the
mountains of southwestern Virginia, and 12 to 18 inches in the mountains
near the North Carolina/Tennessee border and in the mountains of western
Maryland.
The following park status reports are based on regional
phone calls conducted on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and on email
updates. Every park in the hurricane's very broad path has made
preparations for downed trees, flooding, power outages and related
problems; just about every park and office in the hurricane's broad path
is closed today.
Rather than list all of them, the summary below focuses on
parks and offices that have been or are being impacted by the storm or
that have substantial closures or other issues:
Cape Lookout - All visitors were evacuated from the
park's offshore islands by Saturday afternoon, with the exception of 32
people in nine parties who opted not to leave. All are secure. The park
is keeping tabs on them.
Three NPS Type II incident management teams - East,
Intermountain and Midwest - are fully staffed and on standby for use as
needed. Two of the teams are currently being staged, the Eastern IMT in
Hagerstown, Maryland, and the Midwest IMT in Columbus, Ohio. Other NPS
offices and specialized teams are also on standby.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Cape Lookout NS
Ranger Bitten By Unrestrained Dog
Ranger Jesse Kanuch approached a visitor concerning his
unrestrained dog while patrolling the North Core Banks on October 16th.
The visitor complied and Kanuch continued his patrol. Later, Kanuch
approached this same visitor concerning another matter and again
encountered the dog off leash. The dog snarled at and bit Kanuch on the
arm, leaving a puncture wound, but Kanuch was able to fend the dog off
and get the visitor to again put it on a leash. Rangers Joseph Lamm,
Lance Herman, and Daniel Williams responded to assist Kanuch. He was
transported to Carteret General Hospital, where he received treatment,
and was later released. With help from maintenance worker Ricky Daniel,
Carteret County Animal Control was transported to North Core Banks and
assisted Williams and Herman. The dog was taken by animal control and
quarantined for ten days. The visitor was issued citations for a
mandatory court appearance. [Joseph Lamm, Park Ranger]
Thursday, July 3, 2014
East Coast Areas
Outer Banks Parks Prepare For Hurricane Arthur
Parks on the Outer Banks are preparing for the arrival of
what is expected to be a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph hour winds
tomorrow:
Cape Lookout NS - The park began putting its
hurricane plan into effect yesterday in anticipation of the storm's
arrival. Cape Lookout was closed to the public yesterday afternoon at 5
p.m., including the visitor centers in Beaufort and on Harkers Island.
Interested parties should call the park at 252-728-2250 or check the
park website ( HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/CALO"
www.nps.gov/CALO), Facebook and Twitter sites for
updates.
Follow-up reports on the storm's impacts will appear after
the holiday weekend.
[Pat Kenney, CALO; Paul Stevens, Outer Banks Group]
Monday, July 7, 2014
East Coast Areas
Outer Banks Parks Return To Normal Following Hurricane
Hurricane Arthur passed over the Outer Banks late last
week, causing some damage but not significantly affecting park
operations at either Cape Lookout or the Outer Banks Group.
Cape Lookout NS - Effective yesterday, the
following areas resumed operations on their normal schedules:
Harkers Island, Beaufort, and Light Station Visitor Centers.
Passenger ferry service provided by Island Express Ferry
Service from Harkers Island and Beaufort to the Cape Lookout Light
Station, and Shackleford Banks.
Vehicle ferries departing from Davis and Atlantic.
Keepers' Quarters Museum.
South Core Banks and North Core Banks. Camping permitted
under normal regulations.
Portsmouth Village.
Off-road vehicles were again permitted to operate as
normal on North and South Core Banks.
These areas were partly opened:
Shackleford Banks opened to day use, but no camping was
permitted.
Long Point Cabins 5 through 20 reopened for occupancy
Sunday night. Cabins 1 through 4 remained closed pending repairs.
Great Island Cabins 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 12, 17, 20, 21, 22,
23, 24, and 26 reopened for occupancy on Sunday night. Cabins 1, 5, 8,
10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, and 19 were closed until repairs could be
completed.
Due to damages, safety concerns or resource protection
needs, the following areas remained closed:
Cape Village Historic District
Old Drum Inlet beach area
North Core Banks for a quarter mile south of Ocracoke
Inlet due to a deep tidal cut.
Outer Banks Group - The Outer Banks Group of
national parks - Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Wright Brothers
National Memorial and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site - have resumed
normal operations:
[Cyndy Holda, Outer Banks Group; Pat Kenney, Cape Lookout]
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
North Carolina Areas
Outer Banks Parks Close As Hurricane Maria Approaches
The National Weather Service is predicting that the North Carolina
coast will experience significant impacts from Hurricane Maria for the
next few days heavy rain, flooding and overwash, high waves, rip
currents, and high winds. Mandatory non-resident evacuation orders have
been issued for Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands by Hyde and Dare
Counties.
Outer Banks Group All three parks in the group Cape
Hatteras National Seashore, Wright Brothers National Memorial and Fort
Raleigh National Historic Site have been closed. Visitor services
and facilities have been closed at Cape Hatteras NS. ORV beach access
ramps have been closed and cabled and beaches are open only for
walking.
Cape Lookout National Seashore Due to storm conditions, which
are expected to last through the week, the park has issued a mandatory
evacuation order. Cabins in the park were closed on Tuesday.
Reservations at Great Island and Long Point Cabin Camps have also been
canceled until further notice.
Sources: Cape Hatteras, Wright Brothers, Fort Raleigh and Cape
Lookout.
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
National Park System
Hurricanes, Typhoon Prompt Preparations, Closures In Southeast, Caribbean and Pacific
Cape Lookout NS Florence is expected to create extremely
hazardous conditions in and around the park. It also closed at noon on
Monday.
Source: NPS Hurricane and Severe Weather Response webpage.
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
National Park System
Hurricane Florence Updates
Reports are beginning to come in on Hurricane Florence's impact on
parks, most of them pertaining to closures and reopenings. At the time
of writing (Tuesday morning), however, the storm's remnants were still
moving up through New York toward New England and hadn't yet brought
anticipated heavy rains to a number of sites along its projected route.
Over the weekend, the NPS mobilized an incident management team to begin
coordination of recovery operations for affected parks. Plans called for
it to move to a location in North Carolina sometime on Monday.
Here are reports from some of the larger areas in or near the storm's
path see the link below for further reports from smaller sites
and additional details and updates from all areas:
Cape Lookout NS The park will remain closed for the next two
weeks, as flooding and road damage restrict access. Harker's Island
Road, which provides the only vehicle access to Harker's Island, is
closed due to damage. The park's cabin camps will also remain closed for
the next two weeks.
Source: NPS Hurricane and Severe Weather Response webpage.
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
National Park System
Hurricane Florence Recovery Update
A National Park Service incident management team is assisting staffs
in parks impacted by Hurricane Florence. At this time, 69 NPS employees
from 29 parks and 18 states and the District of Columbia are assigned to
the incident. The team is focusing on the two parks most affected by the
hurricane:
Cape Lookout NS All visitor facilities and services are
closed; no date for reopening has yet been set. Minor roof damage to the
Harker's Island Visitor Center has been repaired, and power has been
restored to the building. Harker's Island trails are 80% clear, but the
boardwalk remains closed due to damage. Temporary repairs on the
Harker's Island Visitor Center Harbor docks are underway. The U.S. Coast
Guard is repairing the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, which is currently out
of service. The Les and Sally dock has been repaired. Initial
assessments at Les and Sally, Cape Lookout Lighthouse, and Historic Cape
Village are complete; stabilization, including installation of tarps on
roofs, has begun. Natural resources staff have begun sea turtle surveys
on Shackleford Banks. A survey of horses there is also underway. Crews
have surveyed and flagged three miles of backroad on North Core Banks.
Reservations for Long Point Cabins have been cancelled for the remainder
of the season; reservations for the Great Island cabins have been
canceled through October. Cancellations may be extended depending on the
results of full assessments. An update will be provided once assessments
are complete.
Moore's Creek NB The Black River appears to have crested, but
water levels have just begun to recede; formal assessments and
stabilization cannot begin until water recedes. Five of the six
battlefield monuments are located within flood waters. Historic cannon
were moved to higher ground prior to the storm and are in good
condition. A reopening schedule has not yet been developed.
Source: IMT Update, September 23, 2018.
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
National Park System
Hurricane Florence Recovery Operations Continue
The National Park Service incident management team brought in to
assist staffs of parks impacted by Hurricane Florence has demobilized,
but local recovery efforts continue:
Cape Lookout NS Seven cabins at Great Island will reopen on
October 5th. Long Point cabins will remain closed for the rest of the
season, but the area will reopen upon completion of dredging operations.
The Harkers Island Visitor Center and Beaufort Visitor Information
Center have reopened. Beach camping will again be permitted on South
Core Banks on October 4th, but North Core Banks will remain closed to
camping.
Source: IMT Update, October 1, 2018
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
National Park System
Follow-ups On Previously Reported Incidents
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this
newsletter:
Cape Lookout NS The park has posted a series of before and
after photos that show the lasting damage Hurricane Florence caused when
it sent storm surge flowing across the barrier islands. In one pair of
images, the upper part of the South Core Banks is seen covered with
water after hurricane overwash created three flowing "cuts" through the
island. Source: Durham Herald-Sun.
Note: The Eastern IMT Flickr site contains hundreds of photos of both
parks that provide a clearer idea of the scope of the damage caused to
the two sites.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Eastern Areas
Parks Prepare For Hurricane Dorian
Forecasters continue to predict that Hurricane Dorian will closely
follow the coastline from Florida to North Carolina before it moves out
into the open ocean. Watches and warnings have been issued for portions
of the Florida coast and evacuation orders are in place for coastal
areas in the Southeast.
National parks from Big Cypress to Cape Hatteras are preparing for
potential impacts and implementing storm plans. The parks below have
closed or will soon close in preparation for the storm:
North Carolina Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Cape Lookout
National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, Moores Creek
National Battlefield, Wright Brothers National Memorial
Source: National Park Service.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Eastern Areas
Hurricane Dorian Recovery Efforts Underway
After sweeping along the southeast coast from Florida to South
Carolina, Hurricane Dorian made landfall over Cape Hatteras on the
morning of September 6th, battering NPS areas in the Outer Banks with
damaging winds, heavy rains, and severe flooding. It knocked out power,
flooded homes and businesses, and temporarily trapped residents of
remote Ocracoke Island, where floodwaters reached up to seven feet.
After the storm's passage, helicopters brought in food and supplies and
evacuated the island's most vulnerable residents (about 800 people had
remained on an island whose permanent population hovers around 950). The
Service's Eastern Incident Management Team was mobilized to support
parks with recovery operations and is operating out of Cape Hatteras
National Seashore, with resources committed to parks as needed. The
following updates have been taken from NPS and media sources:
Cape Lookout NS IMT members have been surveying the park and
assessing the damage inflicted by Dorian. They've determined that 38
historic structures in Portsmouth Village sustained some kind of
flooding or wind-related damages and that Long Point cabin camp south of
Portsmouth was also hit with infrastructure and other damage, including
a major breach of an ocean inlet cut through to Core Sound. Reservations
at Long Point cabins have accordingly been canceled through the
remainder of the season, which runs until November 30th. The team also
discovered over 50 new inlets cutting through the North Core Banks from
the Atlantic Ocean to the Core Sound not unusual in storms such
as this one and likely to fill in on their own over time. Source:
Charlotte Observer.
Images of the impacts of Dorian on a number of parks can be found on
the Eastern IMT's Flickr page; as of yesterday, there were about 75
images posted to the page. Updates can also be found on the National
Park Service's hurricane and severe weather response webpage.
Sources: National Park Service; New York Times.
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
National Park System
Follow-ups On Previously Reported Incidents
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this
newsletter.
Cape Lookout NS Two months after the passage of Hurricane
Dorian, the park has discovered storm survivors alive and well on North
Core Island three local cows from nearby Cedar Island. It's
believed that they got there by swimming four to five miles across the
Core Sound during the hurricane. All three were living on Cedar Island
when the hurricane generated a "mini tsunami" on September 6th, sweeping
much of the wildlife off the island, including 28 wild horses that
perished. The cattle affectionately known as "sea cows" along the
coast are part of a wild herd of about 20 cows that roamed
private land on Cedar Island. The park is seeking proposals from the
public on how to get them back home. Source: Mark Price, Charlotte
Observer.
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Cape Lookout NS
Four Rescued From Shipwreck On Shackleford Banks
The Coast Guard has rescued four sailors from a fishing trawler that
wrecked along a dangerous stretch of water near the Outer Banks last
Friday.
The crew members were lifted off the 78-foot fishing vessel before
dawn as it was being wracked by strong winds and tossed by waves.
The trawler Tamara Alane came aground in the sands of
Shackleford Banks, the southernmost barrier island in the park. The crew
had reported engine trouble and fuel issues in a distress call around
3:30 a.m. after trying unsuccessfully to set their anchor. Eventually
the boat began taking on water as it hit the beach.
Nobody was hurt in the incident. The Coast Guard and a marine salvage
company surveyed the damage and began removing the vessel from the beach
over the weekend after the weather calmed,
Source: Winston-Salem Journal.
Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Cape Lookout NS
Murder Victim Identified
An autopsy has determined that a severed head that washed ashore last
May is that of a 21-year-old soldier from Fort Bragg.
E.R.-M., a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne
Division, was last seen on May 22nd at a campsite on South Core Banks,
one of the islands that make up Cape Lookout National Seashore. His
friends reported him missing the following evening and found his phone
and wallet at the campsite.
E.R.-M.'s severed head washed ashore on May 29th in an area
where the tides have washed up other remains in years past. He'd also
suffered multiple chop injuries to the neck and cervical spine.
Because the rest of his body was not recovered, medical examiners
could not determine the cause of death, but based on autopsy findings it
was determined E.R.-M.'s death was due to homicide.
Special agents with US Army CID are working closely with several
federal and local agencies on this investigation and increased a reward
from $15,000 to $25,000 for any information leading to the apprehension
and conviction of the person responsible for the death of
E.R.-M.
Source: Amir Vera and Artemis Moshtaghian, CNN.
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Body washes ashore
On November 8, the body of a 65-year-old washed up on the north end
of South Core Banks. High winds and coastal flooding could have been
contributing factors. The victim had been staying at the Great Island
Cabin Camp and fishing gear was found among his belongings. The
incident is under investigation and foul play is not suspected. Source:
Associated Press, Carteret County News-Times
Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Visitors cited for taking foal off island
On March 26, a group of visitors encountered a newborn foal in the
Wade Shore area. There were no other horses present. The foal followed
them for about two hours, and when the group moved their boat to leave,
the foal tried to follow them. The group feared the foal might drown, so
they lifted it onto their boat and left the island. The foal has been
taken to the Foundation for Shackleford Horses and will remain a
domesticated animal because it is unlikely the park can reunite it with
its mother after being removed from its natural habitat and herd. The
group was cited for their action and the park is working with them to
assist with educational opportunities and community service projects
that will benefit the Shackleford Banks horses. The park reminds
visitors to never approach closer than 50 feet to wildlife, even if
horses are sleeping motionless on their sides or following them. It is
not uncommon for foals to follow other horses or people if it has been
separated from its mother. Source: Cape Lookout National Seashore
Wednesday, January 11, 2023
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Dock damaged
The Cape Lookout Lighthouse dock was damaged by the freezing winter
storm that hit in late December. Currently, the dock is not fit for
public safety and is closed until it can be repaired. Island Express
Ferry Service will suspend services out of Harkers Island for the month
of January or until a solution can be found. Source: WITN
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Heavy buoys removed from beach
On March 21, the NPS and U.S. Coast Guard removed five 1,300-pound
buoys from the beaches of the seashore. One buoy had washed ashore
during Hurricane Florence in 2018 and the others had washed up in
subsequent storms. A Coast Guard helicopter was able to lift them from
the beach. Source: Cape Lookout National Seashore Facebook page
April 26, 2023
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Horse dies in transfer
On April 12, a 6-year-old wild stallion was being transferred from the
Shackleford Banks herd to the Rachel Carson Reserve in order to increase
genetic diversity there. The transfer was supported by a partnership
with the Foundation for Shackleford Horses and the North Carolina
Division of Coastal Management's Coastal Reserve program. The stallion
had been sedated and died suddenly during the transport process. Workers
tried to resuscitate the individual but were unsuccessful. The NPS is
conducting tests to determine a possible cause of death. Source: The
News and Observer
April 26, 2023
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Follow-up on Previously Reported Incident
The winter storm damage to the Harkers Island ferry dock (see 1/11/23
Coalition Report) has been repaired enough to allow passengers to
disembark onto the dock, rather than the beach. The dock is still under
repair and is not yet accessible for those in wheelchairs. There is no
estimated date for repairs to be finished. Source: WITN
May 10, 2023
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Artifact looted and recovered
On April 16, some visitors found a prehistoric spearhead ("a Kirk
Corner-Notched Point") on the beach and removed it from the park. The
point is likely 8,000 to 10,000 years old. Rangers were able to track
down the individuals and recover the object. It is unclear if the
individuals will face charges for the theft. Source: Charlotte Observer
June 7, 2023
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Boating accident
On May 28, three people were on a rented boat when a wave threw them
into the water. The three passengers were able to get to Shackleford
Banks, but one of them, a 42-year-old, collapsed near the wave line. The
two other individuals were unable to move the patient, but they called
911 and started CPR. NPS staff arrived within 15 minutes and utilized an
AED on the individual. Paramedics with Harkers Island Fire Department
and Beaufort Fire Department also responded. CPR was conducted for an
hour, but resuscitation efforts were not successful. The U.S. Coast
Guard and North Carolina Wildlife are leading the accident
investigation. Source: WITN
August 23, 2023
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Visitors trapped on island
Due to the filling in of sediments, the gap between Shark Island and
Cape Lookout has become connected by a narrow bar of sand during the
lowest tides. As a result, two separate incidents in August have had
visitors crossing at low tide and becoming trapped as the tides rise
behind them. In both instances, complex, multi-agency rescues were
needed to extract the visitors. Source: The News and Observer
September 6, 2023
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Hurricane Idalia
Many NPS units along the southeastern seaboard closed or advised
strong visitor caution ahead of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Idalia, which
was expected to bring high winds and many inches of rain to the area.
Additionally, Hurricane Franklin has caused elevated tides and "life
threatening rip currents."
October 4, 2023
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Boat rescue
On September 22, the passengers of a 38-foot catamaran requested
emergency assistance while anchored within Lookout Bight due to
deteriorating weather conditions caused by Tropical Storm Ophelia,
including 10-foot swells and winds over 40 miles per hour. There were
five passengers, including three children under age 10. A Coast Guard
boat was able to navigate through treacherous conditions, utilizing
parachute flares to illuminate the way. They transferred the five
passengers successfully to the rescue craft. A Coast Guard helicopter
crew arrived on scene and provided an overhead light for the transit
back to the station. The catamaran was left anchored, to be assessed by
local salvage crews after the storm passed. Source: The Virginian-Pilot
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