NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Wednesday, October 20, 1999

                               *** NOTICE ***

No Morning Reports have been transmitted since Tuesday, October 12th, due to
efforts to resolve hardware and software problems with the editor's computer. 
Work on systems will conclude over the next two days.  Barring further
problems, regular dissemination of the Morning Report will therefore resume
on Monday, October 25th.  

INCIDENTS

99-612 - Southeast Region Areas - Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene had varying effects on parks in the Southeast as it made its
way northward:

o     Everglades NP/Dry Tortugas NP (FL) - Everglades NP closed last Thursday
      afternoon.  The hurricane made landfall in the Flamingo/Cape Sable area
      of the park on Friday afternoon with sustained winds of 75 mph and very
      heavy rain.  The IMT managing the incident contacted all 200 plus park
      employees after the storm passed and determined that all were okay and
      that none of their homes had been seriously damaged (ranger Dave Fowler
      and his wife Shelley had a baby daughter on Friday as the hurricane
      blew through).  Initial assessments indicate minor damage to park
      facilities, primarily from water.  Severe flooding occurred in Shark
      Valley and the East Everglades/Chekika areas.  A team of park
      scientists began a survey of natural resource conditions on Sunday;
      that report is pending.  All areas except for Shark Valley and East
      Everglades/Chekika had reopened by yesterday.  Dry Tortugas NP closed
      last Wednesday.  Employees weathered the storm within the large masonry
      fort.  Only minor damage has been reported.  

o     Biscayne NP (FL) - The park sustained some damage, mostly to
      vegetation.  Park headquarters received water damage from driving rains
      and there was damage to shutters and screened porches.  The trail to
      Convoy Point Jetty, recently made accessible by volunteers from
      Telephone Pioneers of America, sustained damage and likely will remain
      closed for some time.  Floating docks were also damaged by high tides
      and winds.  Minor damage was also reported on the islands.  A full
      assessment is underway.  All facilities have reopened.  

o     Big Cypress NP (FL) - The park sustained some minor damage at Oasis VC
      and at headquarters.  Some trees and branches had to be removed from
      roadways.  About five inches of rain fell at headquarters, eight inches
      at Oasis, and over 12 inches at Raccoon Point.  The loop road was
      closed because of water flowing over the road.

o     Canaveral NS (FL) - The south half of the park was still closed as of
      Monday.  Numerous trees were down and trails are closed.  Extensive
      damage was inflicted on park inholder structures.  Wooden walkways were
      damaged, and flooding and washover of the sand roadway limits travel.

o     Castillo de San Marcos NM/Fort Matanzas NM (FL) - Both parks were
      closed on the weekend.  A few trees and limbs were blown down.  The
      areas have reopened.

o     Fort Caroline NM/Timucuan E&HP (FL) - Minor damage has been reported,
      but the parks are open.

o     Cumberland Island NS (GA) - The hurricane damaged park docks.

o     Cape Hatteras NS/Fort Raleigh NHS/Wright Brothers NM (NC) - The parks
      closed on Sunday to allow staff to secure personal property and
      evacuate prior to the hurricane's arrival.  The storm track was south
      of the forecast path, so the area did not receive as much rain or wind
      as expected.  No damage to park facilities or resources has been
      reported.  Normal operations resumed on Monday.  

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

99-613 - North Cascades NP (WA) - Indecent Exposure

On October 1st, ranger Brett Timm was on patrol when he was flagged down by a
female motorist who said that she'd just been confronted by a naked man while
hiking the Thornton Lakes trail.  Timm, a county deputy, and a state trooper
began searching for the man - subsequently identified as R.C., 39, of
Shoreline, Washington - and found him four miles from the trailhead.  R.C.
was clothed when contacted, but admitted exposing himself to the woman.  He
faces a mandatory appearance in state court on a charge of indecent exposure. 
[Hugh Dougher, NOCA, 10/12]

99-614 - Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - Search; MVA with Concession Employee Fatality

M.L., 67, a night auditor at Grand Lodge on the North Rim, failed
to report for work at 11 p.m. on October 8th.  On October 11th, lodge
managers reported that she'd failed to show up for several shifts and that
they were worried about her well-being.  A hasty search was conducted on the
11th, focusing on back roads and scenic overlooks.  No sign of M.L. or her
Toyota pickup was found and M.L. was listed as missing in NCIC.  On the
12th, the park received a report of a Toyota pickup about 200 feet down a
steep ravine in heavy brush off one of the North Rim's scenic roads.  The
heavily damaged truck was M.L.'s; her body was found about 70 feet from
the truck further down the ravine.  The investigation continues.  [GRCA,
10/15]

FIRE ACTIVITY

No NIFC fire reports have been received at this address since October 17th. 
At that time, NIFC was still at preparedness level II.  There were a number
of significant fires burning in California and a few in other Western states
(Wyoming, Utah, Idaho), but little action elsewhere.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, PROTECTION AND EDUCATION 

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No entries.

MEMORANDA

No entries.

INTERCHANGE

No entries.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

No entries.

                                *  *  *  *  *

Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed by park,
office and/or field area cc:Mail hub coordinators.  Please address requests
pertaining to receipt of the Morning Report to your servicing hub
coordinator.

Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

                                 --- ### ---