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Kimberly Arsenault

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EDM Friday Briefing: DHS Publishes New Guidance for Human Trafficking

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DHS building Arsenault

Emergency and disaster management briefing for August 13, 2021: A ship ran aground off Japan’s Honshu island and split in two; CDOT plans a partial reopening of I-70 in Glenwood Canyon for Saturday; California’s Dixie Fire has destroyed over 1,100 structures; the NHC has issued Tropical Storm Watches and Warnings ahead of re-intensification of Fred; the DHS released a new guidance publication to address human trafficking; the NHC is watching another area of interest in the Atlantic that has an 80% chance of development; excessive heat advisories, watches, and warnings were issued for portions of both the East and West Coasts; and DTE says power outages caused by severe storms overnight Wednesday will take until Sunday to fully restore.

1. A Panama-registered ship anchored off Hachinohe Port on Japan’s Honshu Island ran aground and split in two on Wednesday morning. Strong winds produced by heavy weather swept away the anchored Crimson Polaris, which was carrying wood chips, and caused the vessel to run aground off Hachinohe. Crew members were rescued before the vessel split in two and began leading fuel into the ocean.

2. A partial reopening of I-70 in Glenwood Canyon, Colorado, is set for Saturday, but officials caution drivers that forecast rainfall on Friday could delay the opening. Crews are working diligently to clear multiple mudslides generated by heavy rainfall across the Grizzly Creek Wildfire burn scar off the state’s main thoroughfare and moved 200 loads of debris on Thursday. Crews are also doing work to help prevent future mudslides from impacting the road.

3. Firefighters are working to increase containment on the Dixie Fire burning in California. The blaze has destroyed at least 1,109 structures and scorched 515,756 acres as of Thursday evening. Significant fire behavior including wind-driven runs, isolated torching, short-range spotting (up to three-quarters of a mile), and rugged topography continue to challenge firefighting efforts.

4. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) downgraded Fred to a tropical depression, although re-strengthening is likely. Tropical Storm Warnings were issued by the NHC for the Florida Keys, beginning on Saturday. Currently, about 20 knots of westerly wind shear are causing disorganization within the depression. However, abundant moisture and very warm sea surface temperatures will allow Fred to increase strength as it approaches the Florida Keys and Florida’s West Coast.

5. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a new guidance publication to address human trafficking. Developed by the Center for Countering Human Trafficking at DHS, the victim-centered approach is emphasized in the new publication “Continued Presence Resource Guide,” which provides information for law enforcement agencies and civil attorneys. Continued Presence is a status given to non-citizens identified as human trafficking victims so they are able to live and work in the United States temporarily while an investigation into the crimes against them is completed.

6. Another area of interest is developing in the tropics. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast calls for at least an 80% chance of development for the system, which is currently located about 850 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. Tropical Storm Watches or Warnings are possible later today or tonight for the Leeward Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Interests along the path of the storm should monitor local weather forecasts for future developments.

7. Excessive Heat Advisories, Watches, and Warnings are in effect for Friday for portions of both the East and West Coasts. Washington is also under an Air Quality Alert until 5 p.m. Friday, while their Excessive Heat Warning ends at 8 p.m. on Saturday. Portions of Wyoming and Colorado are also under Air Quality Alerts, while the majority of the excessive heat advisories and warnings along the East Coast end Friday at about 8 p.m.

8. Severe storms that occured overnight Wednesday to Thursday in the Metro-Detroit area, knocked out power to thousands of customers. Flooding also occurred on Interstates 94 and 75 as a result of multiple substation outages. Crews restored power to about 150,000 of the more than 520,000 customers without power by Thursday night, but noted that it would likely be Sunday before all power was restored.

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EDM Friday Briefing: I-40 Bridge to Reopen, Beginning on Monday

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Emergency and disaster management briefing for July 30, 2021: The FDA announces a recall of carrot products; the NWS confirmed that four tornadoes touched down in Wisconsin early Thursday; a Utah dust storm caused a 22-vehicle crash that killed 8 people; the Bootleg Fire has scorched over 413,000 acres as the largest wildfire in the nation; more structures are threatened as the Dixie Fire in California continues to grow; TDOT announced that the I-40 Hernando de Soto bridge over the Mississippi will begin reopening on Monday; large air tanker shortages can impede initial attacks and allow unchecked fire growth; the Port of Houston’s two container terminals reopened Thursday afternoon; the FDA announced a recall of several McCormick & Co spices; and UC San Diego Health announced Tuesday that it suffered a cyberattack that compromised student, patient, and employee information.