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This page includes situation reports issued by the Virginia ESF-8 Emergency Support Center. The Emergency Support Center is operated by the Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services to provide a central point for coordinated health and medical support to local jurisdictions and for management of Department of Health response to disasters. ESF-8 Situation Reports are provided by the Emergency Support Center to increase accessibility of information for Emergency Medical Services Task Forces and Coordination Team personnel and for staff of other health and medical organizations outside of normal duty hours.
ERTEX 00-01 HURRICANE ED SITREP 6 – 1200 20 May 2000
EXERCISE:
SITUATION:
Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services Task Forces Crater 6, Metro 11, Tidewater 12, Coordination Team One, and Health and Medical Emergency Response Team deployed to the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach for communications, emergency response, and tabletop exercise training from 0800 to 1700 20 May.
ERTEX 00-01 HURRICANE ED SITREP 5 -- 0730 19 May 2000 ----------------
EXERCISE
WATCHES AND WARNINGS:
There are no active watches or warnings.
SITUATION:
Preliminary damage assessments in Hampton Roads indicate flooding of low lying roadways, power interruptions in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton, and Newport News, and telephone outages in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Norfolk. Southern portions of the City of Virginia Beach are inaccessible due to debris in roadways and flooding.
Hurricane Ed has caused two confirmed fatalities and 17 storm related injuries.
One hospitals in Norfolk has been evacuated due to power failure. All other hospitals are operational. Two free standing dialysis clinics are reporting they are without power.
The earlier reported tornado in the Pungo area appears to have been one of five tornadoes that touched down in southeastern Virginia Beach. Because access is proving difficult preliminary aseessment of needs in this area may not be complete until later today.
CURRENT ACTIONS:
State EOC is at Readiness Condition 1. The ESF-8 Emergency Support Center is at 24 hour staffing.
Virginia Beach has requested emergency medical services assistance when entry is gained to the southern portion of the city. Cooridnation Teams and Task Forces are being tasked for deployment to be on-scene at 200800.
ERTEX 00-01 HURRICANE ED SITREP 4 -- 2130 18 May 2000 ----------------
EXERCISE
WATCHES AND WARNINGS:
Hurricane Warning extends from North Carolina-Virginia line north to Chincoteague and on the Chesakpeake Bay to Tangier Island.
Hurricane Watch extends to Cape May, New Jersey.
SITUATION:
HURRICANE ED crossed North Carolina overnight doing considerable damage from high winds and heavy rains. Gale force winds were first felt in Virginia at approximately 0900 this morning, with the wind intensifying to marginal Category by 1300. Rain in excess of 8 inches, locally more, has fallen in the Hampton Roads area. The center of Hurricane Ed is now located approximately 20 miles east of Cape Charles, Virginia, and the Hurricane is tracking north northeast at approximately 15 knots.
One confirmed fatality and seven injuries happened in Pungo, Virginia at approximately 0800 as a F-1 tornado touched down in a manufactured housing development.
Two hospitals in Norfolk and Virginia Beach have reported they are operating on emergency generators. There are extensive power outages in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach and spotty telephone outages throughout southside Hampton Roads.
WEATHER FORECAST:
Conditions are expected to improve rapidly overnight, with the last rain bands associated with the storm clearing the Eastern Shore by 0800 Friday.
CURRENT ACTIONS:
State EOC is at Readiness Condition 1. The ESF-8 Emergency Support Center is at 24 hour staffing.
PROJECTED ACTIONS:
As indicated by the situation, Task Forces will be placed at higher states of alert.
ERTEX 00-01 HURRICANE ED SITREP 3 -- 2100 17 May 2000 ----------------
EXERCISE
WATCHES AND WARNINGS:
Hurricane Warning extends from Wilmington, North Carolina, north to Chincoteague and on the Chesakpeake Bay to Tangier Island.
Hurricane Watch extends to Cape Henlopen, Delaware.
SITUATION:
HURRICANE ED strengthened to a Category 3 before making landfall at 1200 today at Cape Fear. North Carolina has completed evacuation of the Outer Banks.
WEATHER FORECAST:
HURRICANE ED's track is due north, forecast to turn to the northeast and exit land over Tidewater. Expected strength of that time will be a Category I. It is expected to increase its speed over the ground to 20 mph today. Virginia is expected to feel the first impact of the storm effects at 0100 on Thursday morning. Gale force winds are expected to arrive in Tidewater at 0900 on Thursday.
CURRENT ACTIONS:
State EOC will assume Readiness Condition 1 with full staffing at 0600 Thursday morning.
ESF-8 Emergency Support Center will go to 24 hour staffing starting at 0800 Thursday.
The Federal Emergency Response Team-Advanced Element arrived at the Virginia EOC at 1800.
PROJECTED ACTIONS:
As indicated by the situation, Task Forces will be placed at higher states of alert.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommend all health and medical facilities consider implementing emergency plans and canceling routine activities starting Thursday morning. All facilities in Hampton Roads should have completed protective actions.
ERTEX 00-01 HURRICANE ED SITREP 2 -- 2200 16 May 2000 ---------------
EXERCISE
WATCHES AND WARNINGS:
Hurricane Warning extends from Charleston, South Carolina to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
Hurricane Watch extends Cape Hatteras, North Carolina to Cape Charles, Virginia.
Heavy Surf Advisory from Savannah, Georgia to Cape Henlopen, Delaware.
SITUATION:
During the day HURRICANE ED strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane and increased it speed of advance to 15 miles per hour. As of 0500 this morning the storm had turned to a North by West track, and has maintained this track throughout the day. Gale force winds extend to 150 miles from the center of the storm. Coastal areas from Jacksonville, Florida, north to Wilmington are experiencing high tides, some beach erosion, and some coastal flooding.
WEATHER FORECAST:
HURRICANE ED is forecast to continue to track generally to the North with the possibility of both additional strengthening and some acceleration in speed. Landfall is now expected in the vicinity of Cape Fear near mid-day tomorrow. If this happens we can expect a track to the north with the storm recurving to the northeast over northern North Carolina or southeast Virginia.
CURRENT ACTIONS:
Virginia Emergency Operations Center is at Readiness Condition 4 and is expected to upgrade to Readiness Condition 3 at 0600 tomorrow morning.
Emergency Support Center is staffed from 0800 to 1700 daily.
Emergency Medical Services Task Forces and Coordination Teams have been placed on WARNING status.
PROJECTED ACTIONS:
As indicated by the situation, Task Forces will be placed at higher states of alert.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
All health and medical organizations should monitor the storm's track and start planning for staffing and service cancellations in the event the storm's impacts are felt in Virginia on late Wednesday and Thursday.
ERTEX 00-01 HURRICANE ED SITREP 1 -- 2000 15 May 2000 ---------------
EXERCISE
WATCHES AND WARNINGS:
Hurricane Watch extends from Jacksonville, Florida, to the South Carolina-North Carolina Line.
SITUATION:
HURRICANE ED is a Category 1 hurricane currently located 200 miles east of Savannah, Georgia. Coastal areas from Jacksonville, Florida, north to Wilmington are experiencing high tides, some beach erosion, and some coastal flooding.
WEATHER FORECAST:
HURRICANE ED is forecast to track to the northwest at approximately 10 knots, with landfall expected near Charleston in the early afternoon tomorrow. Further intensification to Category 2 may be possible prior to landfall.
CURRENT ACTIONS:
Virginia Emergency Operations Center is at Readiness Condition 4 and is expected to remain at this status.
Emergency Support Center is staffed from 0800 to 1700 daily.
Emergency Medical Services Task Forces and Coordination Teams have been placed on WARNING status.
PROJECTED ACTIONS:
As indicated by the situation, Task Forces will be placed at higher states of alert.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
All health and medical organizations should start monitoring the storm's track.