NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Monday, April 13, 2009

INCIDENTS

Stones River NB

Tornado Strikes Park And Nearby Community

A tornado struck the area on Friday afternoon, causing damage and fatalities in nearby Murfreesboro but - except for trees - largely sparing the park. All employees are accounted for and okay. Minor damage has been reported to one seasonal employee's home, but he is being taken care of. All park structures reportedly escaped damage, but there are large numbers of fallen trees throughout the park - numbering in the hundreds, if not thousands. A comprehensive damage assessment will be undertaken this week. [Mark Ruggiero, Bill Reynolds, SERO]

HYPERLINK "http://www.waaytv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10166297" http://www.waaytv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10166297

Great Smoky Mountains NP

Kentucky Hiker Dies After Fall

R.L., 73, died last Friday evening after suffering injuries in a fall that occurred that afternoon while he was hiking in the park with his wife. The accident reportedly occurred on Schoolhouse Gap trail about seven miles from the Townsend entrance, but responding rangers were unable to find the pair on that trail. Shortly thereafter, R.L.' wife called to report that the accident had actually occurred on the Chestnut Top trail, about five miles from the originally reported location. When rangers got there, they found R.L. sitting by the side of Townsend entrance road. He said that he and his wife had hiked just a few hundred yards up the trail when a thunderstorm rolled in and they turned back towards their car. He then stumbled off the trail and tumbled about 20 feet down a steep slope, possibly suffering back injuries. He was able to continue down the slope on his own and eventually reached the road. Due to his back pain, ranger summoned a Rural Metro ambulance, which transported him to a helicopter that flew him to the University of Tennessee Hospital in Knoxville. The park was later notified that he died of apparent blunt trauma to his chest late that evening. No autopsy is planned. [Bob Miller, Management Assistant]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS:

Office of Public Affairs - WASO Public Affairs has just released a two-minute-long cherry blossom podcast that is available on InsideNPS.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7545" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7545

Yosemite NP - Approximately 200 people representing over a dozen area agencies and organizations turned out near Yosemite's El Portal Administrative Site on April 4th to participate in a large scale multi-casualty incident training exercise.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7546" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7546

Pacific West Regional Office - After 32 years of NPS service in interpretation, budget, and information technology, Patricia Welles will retire from the Pacific West Regional Office in Seattle.

HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewcommunityarticle&type=PeopleNews&id=2297" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewcommunityarticle&type=PeopleNews&id=2297

White Sands NM - Bob La France, a retired 38-year employee of the National Park Service, passed away peacefully on March 17th, surrounded by family.

HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewcommunityarticle&type=PeopleNews&id=2298" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewcommunityarticle&type=PeopleNews&id=2298

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Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found at the following web site:

HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363

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

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