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by FEMA, Region VI
Release Date: July 23, 2004
Release Number: R6-04-093
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Hurricane Pam
brought sustained winds of 120 mph, up to 20 inches of rain in parts of
southeast Louisiana and storm surge that topped levees in the New Orleans
area. More than one million residents evacuated and Hurricane Pam
destroyed 500,000-600,000 buildings. Emergency officials from 50 parish,
state, federal and volunteer organizations faced this scenario during a
five-day exercise held this week at the State Emergency Operations Center
in Baton Rouge.
The exercise used realistic
weather and damage information developed by the National Weather Service,
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the LSU Hurricane Center and other state
and federal agencies to help officials develop joint response plans for a
catastrophic hurricane in Louisiana.
"We made great progress this week
in our preparedness efforts," said Ron Castleman, FEMA Regional Director.
"Disaster response teams developed action plans in critical areas such as
search and rescue, medical care, sheltering, temporary housing, school
restoration and debris management. These plans are essential for quick
response to a hurricane but will also help in other emergencies."
"Hurricane planning in Louisiana
will continue," said Colonel Michael L. Brown, Deputy Director for
Emergency Preparedness, Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and
Emergency Preparedness. "Over the next 60 days, we will polish the action
plans developed during the Hurricane Pam exercise. We have also determined
where to focus our efforts in the future."
A partial summary of action plans
follows:
Debris
- The debris
team estimates that a storm like Hurricane Pam would result in 30
million cubic yards of debris and 237,000 cubic yards of household
hazardous waste
- The team
identified existing landfills that have available storage space and
locations of hazardous waste disposal sites. The debris plan also
outlines priorities for debris removal.
Sheltering
- The
interagency shelter group identified the need for about 1,000 shelters
for a catastrophic disaster. The shelter team identified 784 shelters
and has developed plans for locating the remaining shelters.
- In a storm
like Hurricane Pam, shelters will likely remain open for 100 days. The
group identified the resources necessary to support 1000 shelters for
100 days. They planned for staff augmentation and how to include
shelterees in shelter management.
- State
resources are adequate to operate shelters for the first 3-5 days. The
group planned how federal and other resources will replenish supplies at
shelters.
Search
and Rescue
- The search and
rescue group developed a transportation plan for getting stranded
residents out of harm's way.
- Planners
identified lead and support agencies for search and rescue and
established a command structure that will include four areas with up to
800 searchers.
Medical
- The medical
care group reviewed and enhanced existing plans. The group determined
how to implement existing immunization plans rapidly for tetanus,
influenza and other diseases likely to be present after a major
hurricane.
- The group
determined how to re-supply hospitals around the state that would face
heavy patient loads.
- The medical
action plan includes patient movement details and identifies probable
locations, such as state university campuses, where individuals would
receive care and then be transported to hospitals, special needs
shelters or regular shelters as necessary.
Schools
- The school
group determined that 13,000-15,000 teachers and administrators would be
needed to support affected schools. The group acknowledged the role of
local school boards and developed strategies for use by local school
officials.
- Staffing
strategies include the use of displaced teachers, retired teachers,
emergency certified teachers and others eligible for emergency
certification. Displaced paraprofessionals would also be recruited to
fill essential school positions.
- The group
discussed facility options for increasing student population at
undamaged schools and prioritizing repairs to buildings with less damage
to assist in normalizing operations
- The school
plan also calls for placement or development of temporary schools near
temporary housing communities built for hurricane victims.
The Hurricane Pam scenario
focused on 13 parishes in southeast Louisiana-Ascension, Assumption,
Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St.
James, St. John, St. Tammany Tangipahoa, Terrebonne. Representatives from
outside the primary parishes participated since hurricane evacuation and
sheltering involve communities throughout the state and into Arkansas,
Mississippi and Texas.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became
part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing
mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the
nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and
recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates
proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the
National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last
Updated: Friday, 23-Jul-2004 15:05:38
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