FYI Web addresses, info re US Virgin Is. (Lisa's territory) are toward the bottom. -----Original Message----- From: Emergency Information Media Affairs <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Date: Saturday, September 26, 1998 8:57 PM Subject: Hurricane Georges Saturday Update >Washington September 26, 1998, -- Following are selected highlights of >current federal response activities related to Hurricane Georges. > >National Hurricane Center > >As of 11:00 a.m. EDT today, Hurricane Georges was about 385 miles >southeast of New Orleans, 26.1 N latitude, 85.6 W longitude. Maximum >sustained winds are 105 mph, with higher gusts. Georges continues moving >to the west-northwest with a forward speed of 12 mph. Hurricane force >winds extend outward up to 125 miles from the center. Tropical storm force >winds extend outward up to 175 miles. > >The National Weather Service has issued a hurricane warning for the Gulf >Coast from Morgan City, La. to Panama City, Fla. A tropical storm warning >and hurricane watch are in effect from Panama City to St. Mark, Fla. and >from Morgan City to Intracoastal City, La. > >Based on the current track, Georges will begin to impact the Gulf Coast on >Sunday early afternoon as a Category III hurricane with maximum sustained >winds of 115 mph. > >Federal Response > >The President signed an Emergency Declaration for Florida on September 25 >approving direct federal funding for the first 72 hours of this disaster. >The Emergency Declaration authorizes 100 percent federal funding for >emergency protective measures, and 75 percent federal funding for debris >removal. Florida counties included in this Emergency Declaration are >Broward, Charlotte, Collier, Dade, DeSoto, Glades, Hendry, Hernando, >Hillsbourough, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Monroe, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, >and Sarasota. > >FEMA has alerted members of the National Emergency Response Team and they >are standing by awaiting possible deployment. The team is organized under >the Federal Response Plan and is an interagency response for major >disasters. > >Advance Emergency Response Teams have assembled and are enroute >Mississippi and Alabama. FEMA state liaisons have been also been sent to >these states. > >Four joint State/Federal Preliminary Damage Assessment Teams are going >into south Florida today. > >FEMA's Headquarters Emergency Support Team, and the Regional Operations >Center in Atlanta are operating 24 hours/day. > >The Mobile Emergency Response Support Team from FEMA's Thomasville, Ga. >Facility was dispatched to Mississippi today. > >The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has procured 1.25 million sandbags for >flood fighting operations. > >The U.S. Public Health Service, a part of the Department of Health and >Human Services, has assigned the Disaster Medical Assistance Team from >Kentucky to Key West, Fla. today. Disaster Medical Assistance Teams from >North Carolina and Georgia are heading for Jacksonville Naval Air Station >and will standby there for assignment. Teams from Massachusetts, Texas, >New Mexico, Michigan, and Arkansas are being pre-positioned at Maxwell Air >Force Base, Ala. > >The U.S. Department of Agriculture has authorized the release of their >food stores for use in shelters and at mass feeding sites. > >Puerto Rico Recovery > >Puerto Rican officials and FEMA staff are establishing a Disaster Field >Office to coordinate recovery operations in San Juan. > >The Puerto Rico Department of Education reports no major damage to school >buildings and their vehicles are operational. The Governor plans to reopen >all schools, except those being used as shelters, on Monday, September 28. > >The American Red Cross reports that this morning, 347 government-operated >shelters are open with a population of 19,553. > >The Port of San Juan is open for daylight operations only. > >Federal Aviation Administration staff are working on the Caribbean >Airspace Radar System. The passenger terminal at the Isla Grand Airport >was destroyed by the hurricane. > >Utility company officials estimate 50 percent of the power to be restored >over the weekend and should be fully restored in most urban areas by next >week. Fifty generators have been sent to Puerto Rico. Transportation >officials have made arrangements for flat-bed trucks to deliver the >generators across the island. At least 50 percent of the island's power >poles were destroyed in the storm. Approximately 100,000 of 1.3 million >urban area customers have had power restored > >Water service is out to 75 percent of the Puerto Rico Aqueduct & Sewer >Authority's customers. > >Agriculture officials report significant losses. Early reports indicate: >Coffee - 75 percent >Plantain - 95 percent >Chickens - 65 percent >Ornamental plants- 25 percent > >U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have provided personnel and >generators to one hospital, two disaster staging areas and the >Mobilization Center at Roosevelt Roads. They are also procuring 12 >refrigerated trailers to store ice and perishables on Puerto Rico. > >USACE has also been assigned to provide one million pounds of ice to the >island. Two U.S. Air Force C5 transports moved 160,000 pounds of ice >yesterday from Charleston Air Force Base. Flights will continue to deliver >ice until the mission is completed. In addition, plans call for one >million pounds to be delivered by barge every other day starting early >this coming week. > >USACE received 238,000 gallons of potable water yesterday. An additional >one million gallons has been ordered. Barges leave Elizabeth, N.J. today >carrying 900,000 gallons of potable water. Aircraft will deliver 100,000 >gallons per day for the next four days. > >A U.S. Navy Construction Battalion is clearing debris and roads on Culebra >and Vieques. The battalion is also providing communications support. > >Environmental Protection Agency officials are monitoring all drinking >water, waste water treatment plants, and storage facilities for oil, >chemicals and hazardous waste. > >U.S. Department of Agriculture staff are deploying to Puerto Rico today to >evaluate food needs. Although most grocery stores are open, food >distribution may be necessary in some areas. The Puerto Rico Department of >Education has made 13 warehouses available, if necessary. There are >approximately 2.4 million pounds of food in Puerto Rican warehouses that >are already packaged for household distribution. > >General Services Administration (GSA) has sent technical support staff to >the island. They will help coordinate GSA disaster operations. Yesterday, >GSA received shipments that included 10,000 blankets and 3,000 cots. They >have also deployed a mobile command post and additional support >transportation. > >U. S. Virgin Islands Recovery > >Power has been restored to 65 percent of the residents of St. Croix. On >St. Thomas, 80-90 percent of the power has been restored and 90 percent of >St. John now has power. > >Telephone service has been restored. > >Availability of potable water is not an issue for the U.S. Virgin Islands. >As a precaution, Environmental Protection Agency officials are testing the >water on St. Croix. > >The ports in St. Croix and St. Thomas are open for daylight operations >only. The Water Island pier was destroyed in the hurricane. > >Local officials have lifted the curfews on St. John and St. Thomas. The >8:00 p.m. curfew remains in place on St. Croix. > >Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) >Office of Emergency Information & Media Affairs --- Washington, D.C. > >Information Available 24 hours a day . . . > ... on the World Wide Web: http://www.fema.gov > ... FEMA is also co-sponsor of Storm98: http://www.storm98.com > ... via fax-on-demand: phone in the U.S.A. (202) 646-FEMA (646-3362) > ... via digital audio for broadcasters & print: contact [log in to unmask] > and listen to the FEMA Radio Network on the FEMA Website using RealAudio >