2 nd. Annual FDOT District Two Traffic Incident Management Team HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS NEWSLETTER

Transcription

1 2 nd Annual FDOT District Two Traffic Incident Management Team HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS NEWSLETTER CCTV camera image of Tropical Storm Colin as it was moving through the Jacksonville area on June 6, 2016

2 IN THIS ISSUE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT CENTER S PERSPECTIVE [PG. 2] FDOT EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PERSPECTIVE [PG. 2] TROPICAL STORM COLIN [PG. 4] THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE [PG. 4] HURRICANE PREP QUICK TIPS [PG. 5] NAME THAT HURRICANE [PG. 5] 2016 GOVERNORS HURRICANE CONFERENCE [PG. 7] WHAT S IN THE NEWS [PG. 7] D2 COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS LINKS [PG. 7] ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONAL WEBSITES [PG. 8] The Traffic Management Center s Perspective It only takes 1. That is the old adage regarding whether it is a quiet or crazy Hurricane Season. It doesn t matter what NOAA or NHC predict, it just takes one Tropical Storm or Hurricane to make landfall where you live to make it a bad season. Every year, as June 1st approaches, we take time to look at our plans and procedures we have in place, and like every agency does, we work through our own TMC Preparedness Plan. This is also the time for individuals to reveiw their own personal Hurricane Preparedness Plan. You never know if there will be a Hurricane like Alex in January or if we ll be targeted by a Tropical Storm such as Colin. Having a plan in place and being prepared can save you (and/or your agency) time, money, heartache and in some cases, your life. Hurricane Preparedness is important not only for the Transportation Management Center (TMC), but having a plan at home is equally important. Your family s safety is assured by having a proper plan in place at home you can meet your professional requirements. In the TMC, there are 3 keys to our preparedness. First, figuring out who can work, which involves checking Operator availability, how to get in touch with everyone and updating emergency contact information. Once we have figured out who will be able to work, we go through our Emergency Preparedness Plan and make updates on an as needed basis. This plans covers pre-, post- and during storm activities, as well as covers what should be done leading up to landfall 3, 2 and 1 day(s) out. Finally, making sure the TMC can handle staff that might be stuck in the facility for 3 days. Checking food, water, flashlights, mattresses and more plays an important role in being ready. We try to be ready for everything, and in the case of an emergency, annually reviewing these policies and procedures are critical to our success. For more information on forming a plan for your home make sure you visit Florida Disaster at Don t be caught off guard when a hurricane or tropical storm comes to our District. Have a plan in place at work and at home is essential. Benjamin Franklin said By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. Get a plan. This is the time of year to remember the phase know before you go, use 511. So GET A PLAN and USE 511 this Hurricane Season! FDOT Emergency Operations Perspective The 2016 Hurricane Season began on June 1st. As I am preparing this article, we have already had four named storms. The first named storm was Alex, which formed in January. Some are arguing that this storm was actually the last storm of 2015 season, but it is officially listed as a 2016 storm. We saw Bonnie form the last week of May and dissipate the first week of June. Then Colin came along and visited us on June 5, 6 & 7. Danielle became a Tropical Storm on June 20th, and it moved from the Yucatan Peninsula west over Mexico. This is the earliest we have had four named storms since the beginning of hurricane record keeping. The past few years, we have experienced the effects of El Nino. During times of El Nino, features that enhance the formation of hurricanes get diminished. The Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea water temperatures are cooler during El Nino. Hurricanes need and FDOT District Two Traffic Incident Management Team - Hurricane Preparedness Newsletter 2

3 like very warm water. The cooler the water, the less likely it is for hurricanes to form. Also, El Nino generates wind shear. For hurricanes that form, the wind shear usually tears them apart. If the wind shear doesn t destroy the hurricane, it tends to recurve, or push the storm back out in the Atlantic Ocean. This is why we have seen so little hurricane activity and basically no landfalls in several years. Now, we are experiencing an El Nino decline and a La Nina increase. La Nina has the opposite effect of El Nino. During the La Nina periods, the water temperature in the Atlantic and Caribbean gets warmer, the winds that cause the wind shear disappear and the recurve affect disappears with it. Therefore, during times of La Nina, we have a greater chance of hurricane formation and landfalls. This year, 2016, marks the end of a hurricane icon. Dr. William Bill Gray was the guru of hurricane forecasting, and sadly, he died on April 16th. Dr. Gray began his hurricane forecasting career in 1961 when he was hired by Colorado (Photo copied from Colorado State University website) State University to work in the Atmospheric Science Department. Even though Dr. Gray retired in 2005, he continued to work and kept producing hurricane forecasts each year. Phil Klotzbach was one of Dr. Gray s last student s he instructed at the University. Now, Dr. Klotzbach has taken over the forecasting arena, and will carry on the legacy of Dr. Gray. The 2016 Hurricane Season forecast released by Dr. Klotzbach on June 1st includes: 12 Named Storms, 5 Hurricanes and 2 Major Hurricanes (Category 3 or greater). Lately, the National Hurricane Center and the National Weather Service have gotten away from predicting a certain numbers of storms. Instead, they are using a range of numbers for their predictions. Whatever method being used; all the sources are saying this should be an average year for hurricanes. Everyone agrees, no matter what the predictions are, no matter how many hurricanes there end up being, it only takes one to ruin your day. There can be 20 named storms this year, and if none of them impact us, we will have an easy year. But, if one of those storms hits us, we will have a bad year. So, don t get caught up in the numbers; and just stay prepared, and be ready to respond as needed. This year s Governor s Hurricane Conference was another success. The first three days of the conference are always training classes, followed by the opening general session and 1 1/2 days of workshops and vendor exhibit hall displays. This year s theme was Reboot Readiness. It was a fitting theme since we have not had a hurricane landfall in Florida since With all of our tools of technology, sometimes the only fix is to just reboot the thing. The longer the time span between hurricane landfalls, the more we tend to get amnesia about the preparation, response and recovery. We need to reboot our minds and restart our programming from time-to-time. This years conference was the final Conference to be held in Orlando. For the next three years, it will be held in West Palm Beach. Being that we are already over a month into Hurricane Season, it may be time for us all to reboot our thinking on readiness. Check your personal emergency plan. Make sure your plan includes things such as checking your insurance policies and checking alternate evacuation routes out of your neighborhood (in case a large tree falls across your normal means of exit). Check to be sure you can communicate with the outside world in case the cell towers are down and the electricity is out. Most people don t realize that the portable telephones in their home won t work when the electricity is out. If you still have a landline telephone, you may want to consider purchasing an inexpensive desk type phone that doesn t require electricity to work. Also, make sure your plan includes your pets. If you don t have a personal emergency plan, now is the time to develop one. Don t wait until the storm is approaching to develop your plan, and don t wait to start putting together your emergency supplies kit either. It is much easier to develop the plan and gather your emergency supplies before the storm arrives. Hopefully, we will have an uneventful 2016 Hurricane Season. Let s prepare for the worst and always hope for the best. We can t control the weather, but we can be prepared to deal with the effects. Until next time, stay prepared and stay safe. Content provided by: Ed Ward CEM, FPEM FDOT District Two Emergency Coordination Officer. FDOT District Two Traffic Incident Management Team - Hurricane Preparedness Newsletter 3

4 Tropical Storm Colin Jacksonville had to deal with the effects of Tropical Storm Colin on June 5th, 6th and 7th. Colin caused flooding issues and spawned tornadoes. One of these tornadoes caused residential damage as it carved a path north up through I-10 near Chaffee Road. The TMC was in constant contact with the various Asset Management (AM) Contractors (42 events requiring coordination) coordinating debris, flooding, crashes and damage to the roadway facility. A Portable Changeable Message Sign also blew over onto the barrier wall approaching the I-95 Overland Project. The tornado opened the roof of a home like a can of soup and snapped trees about 20 feet along the south side of I-10 near our DMS. Having a plan in place ensured the TMC was ready if DMS damage occurred. The pictures below from a nearby CCTV camera (left screen shot) shows the initial damage, and also what the area looked like after the area had been cleaned up by Maintenance Crews (right screen shot). What is the Saffir-Simpson Scale - Content Provided by the National Hurricane Center THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE is a 1 to 5 categorization based on the hurricane s intensity (sustained wind speed) at the indicated time. The scale was originally developed in 1971 by wind engineer Herb Saffir and meteorologist Bob Simpson (who was the director of the National Hurricane Center at the time.) The scale became known to the public in This scale estimates potential property damage. Hurricanes reaching Category 3 and higher are considered major hurricanes because of their potential for significant loss of life and damage. Category 1 and 2 storms are still dangerous, and require preventative measures. FDOT District Two Traffic Incident Management Team - Hurricane Preparedness Newsletter 4

5 Category Sustained-Winds Types of Damage Due to Hurricane Winds mph kt km/h mph kt km/h Very dangerous winds will produce some damage: Well-constructed frame homes could have damage to roof, shingles, vinyl siding and gutters. Large branches of trees will snap and shallowly rooted trees may be toppled. Extensive damage to power lines and poles likely will result in power outages that could last a few to several days. Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage: Well-constructed frame homes could sustain major roof and siding damage. Many shallowly rooted trees will be snapped or uprooted and block numerous roads. Near-total power loss is expected with outages that could last from several days to weeks. 3 (major) 4 (major) 5 (major) mph kt km/h mph kt km/h 157 mph or higher 137 kt or higher 252 km/h or higher Devastating damage will occur: Well-built framed homes may incur major damage or removal of roof decking and gable ends. Many trees will be snapped or uprooted, blocking numerous roads. Electricity and water will be unavailable for several days to weeks after the storm passes. Catastrophic damage will occur: Well-built framed homes can sustain severe damage with loss of most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls. Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months. Catastrophic damage will occur: A high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months. Hurricane Preparedness Quick Tips Plan ahead! Select your evacuation route in advance. If you are in the projected path of a hurricane, listen to evacuation advice or orders from emergency officials and do not delay your departure. Monitor local TV and radio stations for updated emergency and traffic information. As part of your hurricane evacuation plan, assemble a disaster supplies kit. If evacuating, pack your medicine, bring extra cash, medical insurance card, food and water, etc. Don t forget your pets. Inquire in advance which hotels and shelters allow pets and remember to pack their food and necessities. Make sure your vehicle is fully fueled and serviced. Remember to call 511 or use the Florida 511 app to get real-time traffic information, but not while you are driving. NEVER drive through standing or moving water. Watch out for downed power lines and if you encounter them do not get out of your car. Name that Hurricane - Content Provided by The National Hurricane Center FDOT District Two Traffic Incident Management Team - Hurricane Preparedness Newsletter 5

6 Since 1953, Atlantic tropical storms had been named from lists originated by the National Hurricane Center. They are now maintained and updated through a strict procedure by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The six lists below are used in rotation and re-cycled every six years, i.e., the 2016 list will be used again in Alex Bonnie Colin Danielle Earl Fiona Gaston Hermine Ian Julia Karl Lisa Matthew Nicole Otto Paula Richard Shary Tobias Virginie Walter Arlene Bret Cindy Don Emily Franklin Gert Harvey Irma Jose Katia Lee Maria Nate Ophelia Philippe Rina Sean Tammy Vince Whitney Alberto Beryl Chris Debby Ernesto Florence Gordon Helene Isaac Joyce Kirk Leslie Michael Nadine Oscar Patty Rafael Sara Tony Valerie William Andrea Barry Chantal Dorian Erin Fernand Gabrielle Humberto Imelda Jerry Karen Lorenzo Melissa Nestor Olga Pablo Rebekah Sebastien Tanya Van Wendy Arthur Bertha Cristobal Dolly Edouard Fay Gonzalo Hanna Isaias Josephine Kyle Laura Marco Nana Omar Paulette Rene Sally Teddy Vicky Wilfred Ana Bill Claudette Danny Erika Fred Grace Henri Ida Joaquin Kate Larry Mindy Nicholas Odette Peter Rose Sam Teresa Victor Wanda The only time that there is a change in the list is if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of its name on a different storm would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity. If that occurs, then at an annual meeting by the WMO committee, the offending name is stricken from the list and another name is selected to replace it. Several names have been retired since the lists were created. Retired names of hurricanes affecting Florida include: Donna-Category 4 (late August-1960) made landfall in the Florida Keys before crossing the peninsula September 11 Agnes-Category 1 (June-1972) produced devastating flooding across the Southeast U.S. and caused nine deaths in Florida mainly from thunderstorms Andrew-Category 4 (August-1992) made landfall in Homestead and produced a 17-foot storm surge Opal-Category 4 (September-1995) was a Category 3 when it made landfall near Pensacola but a combination of storm surge and breaking waves devastated the beaches Mitch-Category 5 (October-1998) hit Honduras and was downgraded to a tropical storm when it hit South Florida causing two deaths and $40 million in damages in Florida Charley-Category 4 (August-2004) came ashore north of Captiva Island, crossed Central Florida and is tagged the second costliest hurricane in U.S. history with $15 billion in damages Frances-Category 4 (August-2004) was a Category 2 when it made landfall in Stuart and spawned over 100 tornadoes across the Southeast Ivan-Category 5 (September 2004) came ashore in Gulf Shores, Alabama but circled around through North Carolina and South Florida before dissipating in Louisiana Jeanne-Category 3 (September 2004) came ashore in Stuart where Frances made landfall three weeks earlier and blew across the peninsula Dennis-Category 4 (July-2005) was a Category 3 when it hit Navarre Beach in the Panhandle Katrina-Category 5 (August 2005) made landfall near the Miami- Dade/Broward County line as a Category 1, crossed southern Florida swept into the Gulf where it became a Category 5 when it devastated coastal Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. Katrina caused seven deaths in southern Florida and is the costliest hurricane to date in the U.S. FDOT District Two Traffic Incident Management Team - Hurricane Preparedness Newsletter 6

7 Wilma-Category 4 (October-2005) was a Category 2 when it came ashore at Cape Romano, swept across South Florida and out into the Atlantic near Palm Beach. Wilma is blamed for five deaths and $16.8 billion in damages in southern Florida The 2016 Governor s Hurricane Conference Check out what happened at the conference by going to the following link: What s in the News Check out this link for a recent article from Florida regarding Hurricane Preparedness: District Two - County Emergency Operations Websites You can go to the links below to get your local County Emergency Operations information: Alachua County Pages/EmergencyManagement.aspx Baker County Office/EOC.html Bradford County EMindex.html Clay County Columbia County Dixie County Duval County emergency-preparedness.aspx Gilchrist County Hamilton County Lafayette County html Levy County emergencymanagement.aspx Madison County emergencymanagement/ Nassau County Putnam County St. Johns County Suwanee County Taylor County Union County FDOT District Two Traffic Incident Management Team - Hurricane Preparedness Newsletter 7

8 Additional Informational Links For more information on Hurricane Preparedness and the status of any tropical storms and/or hurricanes, please visit the following links: Hurricane Preparedness Climate Prediction Center National Hurricane Center Florida Division of Emergency Management Tips on how you can better prepare for hurricane season: Central Florida Hurricane Center Florida Emergency Preparedness Association Governor s Hurricane Conference Social Media: Facebook: Twitter: NOAA NWS National Hurricane Center Social Media for the Atlantic: Facebook: Twitter: FDOT District Two Traffic Incident Management Team - Hurricane Preparedness Newsletter 8