Hurricane Floyd Daily Response and Recovery Update

Hurricane Floyd Daily Response and Recovery Update
Department of Environment and Natural Resources • October 1, 1999 • 1600 hours

Current Situation:

CSC: Has 12 phone lines and 12 computers set-up. Five phone lines and computers are in CSC office and seven phone lines and computers are located in the training room adjacent to the CSC. CSC is working to fill 24 shifts/day for total of 120 shifts/week. CSC has received about 10 calls related to the hurricane on several different topics. This brings the cumulative total to about 35 hurricane/flood related calls.

DCM: No changes for today.

DWM: New staging sites are being reviewed and approved as requested. Currently, there are 47 approved sited for temp. staging and transfer, chipping, or burning in 19 different counties. Information is posted on the web page- wastenot.ehnr.state.nc.us/SWHOME/emergef.htm . Approved site in Nash County to manage approx. 11 million pounds (estimated dry weight) of flood- damaged tobacco. Discussed with NC Cooperative Ext. Service in Raleigh, the prospect of obtaining assistance from county extension staff in locating sites for septage or portable toilet waste land application. Approved a temp. septage land application site in Lenoir County. Prior to the approval there was no site in the county to manage the waste.

DEH: The City of Wilson reports 860 flooded residences. Electrical service is not supplied to these dwellings. Wilson County reports 76 flooded residences- 300 homes with private wells flooded. 10 bacteriological water samples collected to date in Wilson Co. No additional manpower to date. Greene County reports> 500 flooded residences and has disconnected electrical service to 150 of these. The County Commissioners' policy is to terminate electrical service only if the water reached the meter box. All municipal and county water systems are functioning and no boil water notices are in effect for these systems. Staff from Public Water Supply Section are working with subdivisions and mobile home parks. A search and recovery team is operating to recover dead animals. All shelters closed now. No health or environmental health problems reported in Halifax County. Aerial mosquito spraying is scheduled to begin as early as Sunday and continue into next week in the counties with highest landing counts. Shellfish waters are still closed. Training on indoor air problems caused by flooding has been offered by Epidemiology in several locations and is scheduled to be video-conferenced Friday morning over the PHTIN system. Local building inspectors and EHS from impacted areas encouraged to attend.

DFR: Continuing assistance to county Emergency Management: DFR personnel assisting the National Guard in Greene County in debris removal. Pitt County is scaling back their manpower. They will be releasing 3 people at the end of the working day today and will have local county personnel working Saturday and Sunday. DFR office in Pender County sustained major flood damage. Personnel are evaluating damages as water level drops.

DMF: Marine Patrol remains on-call to support local law enforcement, if required.

P2: No changes from yesterday.

DWR: No changes from yesterday.

DAQ:. Animal carcasses continue to be burned in Jones and Greene Counties. The Duplin County burner is no longer used for animals, but continues to be used for veg. Debris. It is anticipated that the carcass burner in Jones County will continue to operate for 4-5 more days. No estimate for the Greene County site. It is our understanding that the Wallace burner will cease operations today. Will confirm ASAP. We have reports that vegetative debris from Floyd is about 10% of that from Fran. Air monitoring at the carcass burning sites has ceased, but DAQ will continue to operate its regular ambient particulate network on a more frequent schedule than normal in the east. We have been told that the plastic bags will not be burned along with the hogs and container.

DLR: Dams- 33 failed, 83 overtopped, 58 damaged. Over 542 animal waste lagoons inspections made jointly with DWQ and DSW to date.

DWR- No report today.

Operational Priority:

Animal Operations	Dam Integrity	Drinking Water	Waste Disposal
Restrictions Disposal methods Inspections Assessments Re-permitting	Damaged high hazard dams Animal waste lagoons Lower water levels	Testing System backups Systems/plants operational	Temporary measures Garbage collection Site selection Contingencies in place and executed
These priorities expected to remain during the next 72 hours

DFR: Emergency support, resource evaluation and mitigation as needed, rehab of Clardige Nursery, rehab of Bladen Lakes State Forest, Rehab of zone in Pender County.

DLR: Continue monitoring damaged dams and contacting owners to advise lowering lake levels at damaged dams.

DMF: Public health and safety, reinforcement of local law enforcement, and fisheries management, enforcement operations.

CSC: Develop additional briefing books, build information database, train reassigned staff.

Operational Status:

DWM: Three UST Assessment Teams are out visiting (as accessible): Wilmington Regional. In Wilmington the tanks have been removed from one of the facilities where they had popped up out of the ground. The National Guard reports that a (UST) remediation system at one site is gone. Its location is unknown. Water has receded from all of the 24 facilities. Fayetteville Region- No evidence of tanks flooded over, no calls from the public, and talked to all oil jobbers, but no problems reported.

DFR: Edgecombe County casket recovery and improving graveyard access continues. Eleven DFR personnel, 2 forklifts, 1 bulldozer with blade and 1 ATV assisting. 160 caskets recovered. Anticipate completion of casket recovery by the end of the day. Two DFR Reefer trailers and operators assisting with casket recovery. Volume lift pumps dispatched to Pitt and Beaufort counties. Pitt County intended to reduce critical water levels in a lake where breach is imminent. Beaufort County-assist water pumping station efforts in Washington, also assisting Pitt County Emergency Operations Center in the Belvoir Community. Coordinating and operating 2 LSA's in Tarboro and Kinston. Cleanup at Claridge Nursery on hold awaiting dry weather. Scientist from South East Tree Improvement Cooperative are evaluation damage and rehab needs in seed orchards at Claridge Nursery in Goldsboro today. Limited chainsaw work on public ROW's. Personnel are evaluating damages to the DFR office in Pender County as water level drops. 51 staff persons at LSA's, 53 staff persons in various recovery efforts.

DMF: Currently has no assets in direct support of disaster recovery operations.

CSC: We have developed 10 briefing books, set-up 12 phone lines, and contacted the Governor's Council. They have a list of volunteers outside state government to call if necessary. CSC would like to identify Spanish speaking individuals w/in DENR.

DLR: Inspections being made of dams newly reported to be damaged to determine potential hazard to public. Documentation being completed of inspections and problems found to date.

DEH: We are providing assistance to the following staff to local health departments: Bertie- 1 DEH, Pamlico- 5 EHS staff from Toe River, Columbus- 1 DEH, 1 EHS, Edgecombe- 5 DEH, Pitt-2 DEH, Beaufort- 2 DWQ, and Brunswick-2 or 3 DWQ. Wayne County reports 4 Child Care Centers, 2 meat markets, 15 food service establishments, and 3 rest homes flooded. Wilson County reports 4 restaurants, 1 Child Care Center, and 1 Nursing Home flooded. Greene County reports that because of an extensive county water system, there will be few flooded wells to sample. State Public Health Laboratory reports about 1400 bacteriological water samples received and analyzed to date. Approx. 28% are positive for total coliform, which is close to the percentage positive prior to Floyd. Much more sampling is expected next week. Public Water Supply Section is working to get quantitative numbers of the number of smaller community systems. Additional EH specialist from other local health departments are scheduled to be sent Today and early next week. Mosquito spraying most likely to begin next week in Nash, Edgecombe, Halifax, Northampton, Hertford, and Gates Counties with other areas as soon as possible.

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