NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Thursday, May 7, 2009

INCIDENTS

Yukon-Charley Rivers NP&P

NPS Responds To Yukon River Flooding, Community Damage

Flooding on the Yukon River has caused significant damage in the park's gateway communities, Eagle and Eagle Village, including losses to employee homes, and led to the evacuation on Tuesday afternoon of at least one family living near the National Park Service unit. There is a high potential for additional damage to National Park Service assets in Eagle and in several locations downstream within the 2.5 million acre preserve. Flood waters are being driven by a combination of higher than usual snow pack (up to 150% of normal), higher than usual ice formation on the river (up to 140% of normal), and several days of unseasonably warm weather that has caused rapid melting and ice movement downstream on the Yukon. Using an NPS charter helicopter, rangers evacuated a couple living just outside the preserve boundary about 12 miles downstream of Eagle. The family had seen one of their sled dogs and riverboat crushed by ice on Monday night and was in significant danger. The couple was evacuated from their cabin's roof along with their remaining 24 sled dogs on Tuesday afternoon and flown to Eagle. Rangers are evaluating options for evacuating up to five other people who live on private land within the preserve and who are in danger from the ice and high water. “We're concerned about our neighbors and will be seeing how we can best help out,” said Greg Dudgeon, superintendent at Yukon-Charley Rivers. “We've got employees in Eagle who have lost property as well, so we'll be looking out for them and moving in staff and supplies from Fairbanks to assist them.” Eagle Village, about three to four miles from the NPS field headquarters in Eagle, has seen many of its buildings damaged or destroyed by flooding. Within Eagle, at least two employee homes have had water damage and one of them had water up to the second story. An estimated ten homes in Eagle had been damaged or destroyed, and an estimated 30 of the area's 125 residents were homeless as of Tuesday morning. Dudgeon said on Tuesday that several Eagle Village residents were reported to be stranded by the flood waters, and that a second National Park Service helicopter would be providing either evacuation or bringing supplies to those families later that day. As of Tuesday afternoon, the NPS had provided the only emergency air response in this northeastern Alaska community. The park has also flown reconnaissance flights up and down river from Eagle and reported significant ice between Eagle and the Canadian border which could cause additional ice jams and flooding as it moves downstream over the balance of the week. Park staff and a NPS Type II team flown in from Fairbanks have assisted the community by providing packaged meals, water and toiletries to the Eagle school, which is serving as an evacuation center. The staff has also evacuating its own computer equipment, historical documents and other vulnerable supplies to NPS buildings on higher ground in Eagle. After the flooding subsides, Yukon-Charley staff will assess damage downstream to resources in the preserve. Flooding and ice movement along the riverbanks is common, but this year's damage likely will be significantly above the usual flood levels. The preserve maintains several historical public use cabins along the river, including the landmark two-story Slaven's Roadhouse at Coal Creek. Other smaller cabins and artifacts from the early 1900s and earlier dot the riverbanks. An additional concern is that house debris, fuel tanks and other waste from damaged residences will wash through the preserve this spring, causing possible cleanup work for the NPS. [John Quinley, Public Affairs Officer, Alaska Regional Office]

Grand Canyon NP

Visitor Injured When Concessioner Mule Falls On Her

On Tuesday morning, rangers responded to a mule accident on the Bright Angel Trail that involved at 66-year-old woman from California. Park dispatch received a radio call from a mule wrangler reporting that a mule had lost it's footing, fallen, then rolled over the woman. The accident occurred about two-and-a-half miles below the rim. The mule and its passenger were part of two concessioner mule strings who were en route to Phantom Ranch for an overnight stay. Two park paramedics were flown to the accident scene and stabilized the woman before extricating her using a short-haul operation. She was flown to the helibase on the South Rim, then to Flagstaff Medical Center. About a dozen people from the park were involved in the rescue operation. They were assisted by Xanterra mule wranglers and visitors on the trail. During helicopter operations, the Bright Angel Trail was closed for approximately an hour. An investigation into the cause of the accident will be completed by the National Park Service. [Maureen Oltrogge, Public Affairs Officer]

OTHER NEWS

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

Historic Preservation Training Center - On Sunday, May 3rd, HPTC was presented with a stewardship award for exemplary maintenance and impeccable workmanship at the Jenkins Cannery in the City of Frederick, Maryland.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7646" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7646

Independence NHP - Secretary of Interior Salazar was in Philadelphia this week to address Department of the Interior employees and to learn about the $5 million Recovery Act project to rehabilitate the tower of Independence Hall.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7647" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7647

Wilderness Stewardship and Recreation Management - Joe Van Horn and Olympic National Park have received 2008 Wes Henry National Excellence in Wilderness Stewardship awards.

HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=7643" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=7643

Haleakala NP - During the Troy Barboza Memorial Torch Run to benefit Hawaii Special Olympics on May 2nd, Haleakala law enforcement ranger Mike Ing was recognized publicly for his 20 years of volunteer service to the Special Olympics.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2335" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2335

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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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