Hurricane Floyd Daily Response and Recovery Update
Department of Environment and Natural Resources • October 4, 1999 • 1600 hours
Current Situation:
DEH: Staff from EPA are assisting in contacting Transient Public Water Supplies to determine problems from flooding. These assessments will be on-going until completed. DEH/PWS field staff are consolidation list of other public supplies to determine which small community systems are still having problems. The Division of Public Health is preparing to send student volunteers from the Schools of Public Health and the School of Pharmacy, UNC to travel to the impacted counties to notify residents of the dangers involved in re-entry in flooded residences and businesses. This work to begin on Friday. Aerial Mosquito spraying is being done in Brunswick and Jones by private vendor today. Other counties should be sprayed by the end of the week if weather conditions permit.
DWQ: No major changes. Approximately 26 staff (DWQ & DLR) are involved in field investigations. Eleven wastewater treatment plants are currently flood impacted. Seventeen hog lagoons are currently flood impacted.
DPR: The long-term recovery from Floyd now reverts to the normal chain of command through the Park District Offices.
DFR: 1. DFR in Edgecombe County appears to be finished with the casket recovery, and graveyard access improvement support effort provided to the Disaster Mortuary Team. Eleven DFR personnel, 2 forklifts, 1 bulldozer with blade and 1 all-terrain vehicle (GO-TRAC) are being demobilized today after decontaminating the equipment. 181 total caskets recovered. 2. Scientists from Auburn University and US Forest Service will evaluate damage and rehab needs at Claridge Nursery in Goldsboro tomorrow (Tuesday). 3. DFR office in Pender County sustained major flood damage. Personnel are evaluating damages, attempting to recover damaged equipment, and are assessing the extent of damage to the building.
DMF: No changes.
DAQ: The carcass burners at the Jones County and Greene County sites have ceased operations as of last night. There should be no burning continuing which is associated with the hurricane except vegetative debris burning in air curtain burners. Any other burning would have to be approved by the DAQ regional supervisor for the area in which the burning was to occur.
DWR: Submitted a full situation report of Reservoirs and Rivers within the Wilmington District. For a copy of the report contact Tina Dixon, 715-5448. No changes other changes.
DSW: DSW continues to work with DWQ and DLR staff to evaluate the structural integrity of all animal waste lagoons that have been inundated by flood waters or are otherwise believed to have had their structural integrity compromised by recent heavy rains and/or floodwaters. Number of animal operations assessed and number remaining to be assessed are being compiled by DWQ and DWQ will forward the results to RCC when they have been compiled.
DPPEA: 1. Still working with Mobil Home Recovery. Current estimates are that an excess of 5,000 mobile homes will be condemned and need to be disposed of. FEMA wants the mobile home recovery contract to be in place in a few days. One hold up may be asbestos regulations. This is currently under discussion within Epidemiology. 2. Ten counties have agreed to have HHW collection efforts.
DWM: Working with FEMA Environmental Liason Officer to ensure that future temp. staging sites take into consideration cultural/archaeological resources. Recovery and disposal of mobile homes is becoming a big issue. Estimated as many as 8,000 could be affected. Proper management of asbestos is a major concern with recovery or disposal. Concerned about the lack of C&D disposal capacity in Nash County. Attempting to assist the county in securing additional capacity. No changes in Superfund sites: 171 sites in flood area- 6 have been flooded with known effects or releases- Columbus County- 2 sites, Edgecombe County- one site, New Hanover County- 3 sites. 30 other sites have been flooded with possible effects or releases: Beaufort- 1, Brunswick- 3, Columbus- 1, Edgecombe-1, Lenoir-3, Nash-4, New Hanover-3, Pitt- 8, Robeson-2, Sampson- 1, Wayne- 2, Wilson-1. Superfund staff are in the process of contacting 26 additional sites, in counties not originally suspected to be flooded, to determine the status. These are: Bertie- 2, Carteret-2, Chowan-2, Currituck-1, Dare-2, Hertford-4, Martin-5, Northampton-3, Pasquotank-5. Underground Storage Tanks- In the Washington Region 497 reported no problems, 35 reported damage; staff visited 81 sites- confirmed damage at 35.
CSC: CSC point of contact is Edythe McKinney, telephone number 1-877-623-6748 or (919) 733-1398. CSC has 12 phone lines and 12 computers operating. As of 1:15 PM on Oct. 4, 1999 CSC has received a total of about 35 calls (the number of calls has generally been light.
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
DSW: Priority is to evaluate the structural integrity of all animal waste lagoons possibly compromised by recent storms
DPPEA: We will be focused on the HHW efforts and mobile home recovery.
CSC: Developed twelve briefing books that will serve as resources for the CSC staff. Set-up 12 phone lines and computers (all with internet and tracking system access. Continually building and organizing information database to serve callers . Training new volunteers (developing orientation guide/tips).
DFR: 1. Rehabilitation of Claridge Nursery/Seed Orchard operation. 2. Rehab of DPZ Office in Pender County.
DLR: Continue monitoring damaged dams and initiate process of contacting dam owners to seek repair.
Operational Status:
DCM:
DWQ: We have approximately 26 staff (DWQ and DLR) involved in field investigations. No major changes on the number of animal operations and NPDES facilities still affected by flood waters.
DWM: New temp. staging sites are being reviewed and approved as requested. Currently, there are 47 approved sites for temporary staging and transfer, chipping, or burning in 19 different counties. An updated list is posted on the SWS Disaster Debris webpage. EPA Region IV Emergency Response and Removal Branch in cooperation with USCG and FEMA have responded to 83 incidents as of 10-03-99. 46 of these sites were determined to have no further action required. 2 of the sites have completed responses. (A third response that was earlier reported as Complete has been re-designated as On-going.) 11 of the sites require follow-up work. 24 of the sites have on-going responses. Two Assessment Teams were out Friday, visiting (UST): Lenoir and Wayne Counties and Pitt County. The Northeast area of our region, Dare, Camden, Currituck, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Chowan, Gates, Hertford, Bertie, Martin, Washington, Tyrrell, Hyde, Pamlico and Beaufort counties have been completed. In the Wilmington region, beginning today, one staff member will be assisting county health departments as needed in sampling water supply wells. In the Raleigh region staff are calling tank owners with facilities in the flooded areas to provide any assistance needed and to inquire about any damage to tank systems. Many are not answering phones at this time. No changes to report in the Fayetteville Region. No update in Hazardous waste.
DPR: District Superintendents will oversee individual park recovery activities and District Maintenance Mechanics will coordinate and process all FEMA claims in their district. Updates on park closings and openings will be available from the Division PIO, Margaret Jordan.
DFR: 1. Local DFR personnel in Pitt County are being released at 1700 hours today. They will provide local assistance in the coming weeks if needed. 2. Two DFR Reefer trailers (refrigerated) with truck tractors and operators assisting with recovered caskets in Edgecombe County were released yesterday. 3. DFR personnel conducting de-watering operation in residential area with portable pumps and 5,000 gallon tanker in Lenoir County. Have removed 300,000 gallons thus far. Pumping operations continuing and expect to finish later today. 4. Major cleanup at Claridge Nursery is underway. Damage appraisal is continuing, with major debris removal, and equipment recovery operations being implemented today. 5. Two chainsaw crews completed debris removal in Stanley County - City of Albemarle- as a result of the tornado damage. 6. Wayne County personnel assisting with assessment of road flooding that has occurred. 7. DFR staffing at LSAs - Kingston (28), Tarboro (20); other staffing - SERT Center (0), CO Operations (1), District & Regional OPS (3), Claridge Nursery cleanup (13), Local support to Counties (31); Grand Total - 96.
DMF: No changes.
DLR: Animal waste dike inspections winding down. DWQ has requested assistance from DLR for inspecting municipal waste lagoon dikes.
DSW: Evaluations are ongoing as weather and floodwater permit. DWQ is receiving the results of those evaluations. The Fayetteville Regional Office has completed their evaluations. Evaluations in other regions affected by the recent storm are ongoing. Initial evaluations are expected to be completed this week. DSW has begun work to estimate the number of animal operations in the 100 year flood plain.
DPPEA: Have 1 staff on mobile homes, 4 on assignment to Customer Service Center, 3 on HHW and 2 in the RCC.
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