April 11 Tornado Situational Reports and Maps

TEMA Significant Events Log

Earthquake felt in Tennessee

The U.S. Geological Survey reports that a 5.2 magnitude earthquake occurred at 4:36 a.m. early on Friday morning in southern Illinois on the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone, which is near the New Madrid Seismic Zone that includes Tennessee.

While the earthquake was felt in Tennessee, TEMA has not received any reports of damage from any counties in the state.

For more information on the earthquake, visit the U.S.G.S. website: Click Here for the Earthquake Monitor.

TEMA works closely with the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium for earthquake awareness and emergency preparedness. For more information, please visit. www.cusec.org.

Another TEMA partner for earthquake information is The Center For Earthquake Research and Information at the University of Memphis. Their website is www.ceri.memphis.edu.

Earthquake workshop held in Memphis

Officials from local, state and federal government convened in Memphis on March 17 for a three-day Catastrophic Earthquake Planning Workshop, as part of a larger effort to address the threat posed by the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ).

“The effort put forth in these working sessions is helping to better prepare government at all levels to support our citizens in the event of a catastrophic earthquake,” said James Bassham, Director of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

The overall goals of the workshop are:

· Improve and update Tennessee’s current catastrophic response plan and various supporting response and recovery plans for a major earthquake in the NMSZ.

· Improve the knowledge of key participants who may be required to respond to a catastrophic earthquake.

· Develop an improved level of coordination and partnership between the state of Tennessee and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region IV.

· Validate the state’s planning efforts properly meet the current known estimates regarding earthquake damage and loss estimates.

· Collect input for the development of state response and recovery priorities for a catastrophic earthquake event.

Severe Weather Awareness week

The picture, which was blown away by the Feb. 5-6 tornadoes, has been returned to its family. Click here to read the full story.

The dangers posed by severe weather were made painfully clear this year, when 33 Tennesseans were killed by a series of tornadoes that raced across the state on Feb. 5-6. The storms caused damage to more than 1,100 homes, almost half of which were destroyed.

As storm recovery efforts continue in several counties still, TEMA is joining with the National Weather Service in our annual campaign to raise the public’s awareness of severe weather threats and encourage them to take proactive steps in emergency preparedness that could save their lives.

Throughout the week of Feb. 24-29, the National Weather Service, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and other supporting groups conducted educational activities and drills to help people prevent injuries and deaths from tornadoes, damaging winds, flash floods, lightning, and hail. Each day during the week focused on a specific type of severe weather or on the warning and emergency drill system.

Click here to see the full brochure.

TEMA meets National Standard for Disaster Preparedness

From Left to Right: TEMA Deputy Director Elgan Usery; TEMA Executive Officer Donnie Smith; Tennessee Adjutant General Major General Gus Hargett; EMAP Executive Committee Member Beth Zimmerman; Governor Bredesen; TEMA Director James Bassham; TEMA Public Information Officer Jeremy Heidt; TEMA Director of Planning, Training and Exercises Mac Purdy

NASHVILLE – Governor Bredesen accepted an award today signifying Tennessee’s achievement in meeting national standards for disaster preparedness. Tennessee is now one of only 15 states under the Emergency Management Accreditation Program to achieve full accreditation under the national standards for Emergency Management Preparedness.

Tennessee Adjutant General Major General Gus Hargett and Tennessee Emergency Management Director James Bassham were joined by Beth Zimmerman, EMAP Executive Committee member and Arizona Division of Emergency Management, to present the plaque commemorating the state’s accomplishment to Bredesen.

“Tennesseans should be assured of our continued commitment to readiness and to maintaining a first-rate system for handling disasters,” said Governor Bredesen. “This accreditation signifies that commitment and I commend our Military Department and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency for their achievement.”

Tennessee is one of five states that recently achieved full accreditation under the Emergency Management Accreditation Program. The Volunteer State, as well as Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland and Missouri have joined Arizona, Florida, Illinois, New York, North Dakota, Massachusetts, Montana, Pennsylvania, Utah and Virginia on the forefront of emergency management preparedness. These 15 states have demonstrated, through program assessment, documentation and on-site assessment by an independent team, that their programs meet the national standards. EMAP accreditation is valid for five years.

“These states have accomplished a huge milestone, and we are pleased to see their success,” said Dewayne West, chairperson of the EMAP Commission and director of Johnston County Emergency Management, North Carolina. “States that work toward and achieve compliance with these standards are at the forefront in ensuring their residents are served by a comprehensive system to deal with disasters.”

Emergency management accreditation represents a significant achievement. To achieve accreditation, each state must fully document how they meet each standard of disaster preparedness and response within EMAP standards and undergo a peer-review assessment by EMAP trained assessors. TEMA’s compliance documentation for the EMAP assessors filled two full-size bookcases with more than 40 binders.

EMAP is a voluntary accreditation process for state, territorial and local government programs that coordinate preparedness and response activities for disasters, from tornadoes to terrorist acts. It recognizes the ability of a state or local government to bring together personnel, resources, and communications from a variety of agencies and organizations in preparation for and in response to an emergency. EMAP is the only accreditation process for state and local emergency management preparedness.

The EMAP process evaluates emergency management programs on compliance with requirements in 15 functional areas, including: planning; resource management; training; exercises, evaluations and corrective actions; and communications and warning.

The full news release, which includes links to images suitable for publication, is in the media section.

Governor Bredesen establishes advisory board to oversee statewide communications network

Governor Phil Bredesen has created an advisory board to oversee the development of a statewide communications system to be used by state and local officials in responding to public need and protection in the event of a statewide threat to safety.

Executive Order 49, signed on Aug. 29, establishes the Tennessee Public Safety Wireless Communications Advisory Board, charged with overseeing the planning, design, development, implementation and maintenance of a statewide wireless interoperable communications system. An interoperable system would allow public safety personnel to talk with one another – exchanging voice or data on-demand, in real time - via radio communication systems when a catastrophe or disaster threatens public safety and security.

“We learned from Katrina that the ability of local and state officials to communicate quickly and effectively can make a huge difference in helping people cope through any disaster situation,” Bredesen said. “It’s an essential part of the response we are committed to providing as part of Tennessee’s emergency management preparations.”

A recent National Governors Association (NGA) survey showed that states have identified interoperable communications as their top priority.

“Responders at all levels must be able to work together in an emergency situation,” said TEMA Director James Bassham. “Establishing this advisory board will ensure that the state moves forward in a coordinated manner with both technology and guidance to improve the safety of all Tennesseans.”

The Advisory Board will have thirteen (13) members, consisting of the following individuals:

The Director of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (“TEMA”), who will serve as Chairman;

The Adjutant General of the Military Department;

The Director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation;

The Director of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency;

The Commissioner of Agriculture;

The Commissioner of Correction;

The Commissioner of Environment and Conservation;

The Commissioner of Finance and Administration;

The Commissioner of Health;

The Commissioner of Safety;

The Commissioner of Transportation; and

Two representatives of local governments to be selected by the Governor.

Board members will not receive compensation for their service, but will be reimbursed for personal expenses related to board meetings in accordance with travel reimbursement rules that apply to state employees.

First responders excel in earthquake exercises

After more than a year in planning, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency along with other state agencies and numerous local governments conducted the first-ever test of revised Tennessee catastrophic emergency plans over three days in June.

The scenario called for a no-notice event … a massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake in the New Madrid Seismic Zone along West Tennessee. In reality, this large of an earthquake would most likely result in massive building damage, disruption to communications and electrical power grids, fracturing of transportation infrastructure, as well as large chemical or hazardous material releases and untold casualties to the public.

Adding a touch of realism to the exercise, an actual earthquake measuring 3.3 in magnitude was recorded in East Tennessee on the first day of the exercise, which was held in West Tennessee.

The state’s earthquake exercise, known by its acronym TNCAT, also coincided with a joint federal/state earthquake-oriented Spills of National Significance exercise conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The exercise venues at Union University in Jackson, Tenn., and in UT Martin in Martin, Tenn., drew hundreds of volunteer participants for a mass casualty drill. In response to the simulated disaster, more than 20 local governments, including fire, police, emergency medical service personnel and emergency management officials, organized teams to manage search & rescue efforts, provide decontamination of victims, triage and transport the wounded and even process the mock fatalities at each venue.

“This type of exercise participation by state and local agencies is critical to the state’s preparedness for all hazards that may threaten the safety of our citizens. An earthquake is just one of many potential threats that we face here in Tennessee,” said Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Director James Bassham.

Approximately 400 small earthquakes occurred in the New Madrid Seismic Zone area over the last two years including four earthquakes of about magnitude 4.0 in 2005. On June 2, 2005, a magnitude 4.0 earthquake was felt strongly across the area and caused minor damage in northwest Tennessee.

With these constant reminders of the potential for a Katrina-like disaster, Governor Phil Bredesen directed TEMA to improve emergency preparedness with an emphasis on the earthquake threat in Tennessee. This led TEMA to revise and update the state’s catastrophic emergency plans following the devastating Hurricane’s Katrina and Rita in 2005.

Three areas of the catastrophic plans were tested extensively as part of TNCAT. Those areas were: emergency communications, logistics and mass casualty surge capacity of the hospital system.

TEMA leading way on state readiness for earthquakes

James Bassham is the director of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and board chairman of the Central United States Earthquake Consortium.

By JAMES BASSHAM

The New Madrid Seismic Zone presents a significant challenge to the citizens of Tennessee. Based on historical evidence, the possibility exists for a very serious threat to life and property in West Tennessee from the fault lines along the Mississippi River.

In 1811, a series of major tremors caused widespread damage, made the Mississippi River flow backward and resulted in a large loss of life.

In the post-Katrina era of emergency management, Gov. Phil Bredesen recognized the need to improve the state's emergency response plans and enhance our capabilities to ensure an effective catastrophic disaster response that reflects all the hazards Tennesseans may face. He asked TEMA to conduct a top-to-bottom review of our emergency preparedness with emphasis on the New Madrid Seismic Zone.

We have done so, and are working closely with our local emergency management partners to make important improvements to our planning, coordination and communications. Tennessee has one of the nation's most robust response capabilities and is a recognized leader in earthquake preparedness.

I look forward to participating in the efforts of the West Tennessee Seismic Safety Commission to improve statewide readiness through further planning, exercising those plans and educating the public on improving their safety. Middle Tennesseans will be crucial in an earthquake: They will be the first responders available to Weststate victims, and Nashville and surrounding counties will be hosts to any evacuees from the disaster.

Exercises in readiness

In June, TEMA and other state and federal agencies will participate in an exercise of the state's Catastrophic Annex to the Tennessee Emergency Management Plan. This exercise will center on a New Madrid earthquake scenario and coincide with a separate, multistate exercise organized by the U.S. Coast Guard and Environmental Protection Agency. These exercises, though earthquake-oriented, are testing distinctly different portions of our emergency management system.

State agencies with large roles in response to a major earthquake have been deeply involved in creating disaster operation guides for our catastrophe response. For example, the departments of Transportation and Safety have jointly worked with TEMA on strategies to rapidly assess damage to highways, bridges and overpasses leading into areas with a high potential for damage in an earthquake.

In the current budget, Gov. Bredesen has requested new resources this year for earthquake preparedness planning at TEMA. Also, FEMA has provided funding for additional catastrophic-planning staff .

TEMA will participate in two large earthquake planning sessions in 2008 as a step toward a multistate catastrophic exercise in 2011, the 200th anniversary of the last major New Madrid event.

The question of whether the state and its citizens are prepared for a catastrophe is not just a matter of how much money has been spent or who has equipment available. Preparedness is a process that continually builds upon your readiness and resources in the most efficient manner for victims of disaster.

Corps puts maps online for Wolf Creek

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released flooding maps related to a possible failure at the Wolf Creek Dam in Somerset, Ky. The maps can be found online at the Corps’ website at this link: http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/WolfCreek/maps_online.htm

Persons wanting to purchase flood insurance should contact their personal insurance carrier and request a National Flood Insurance Program policy. The program is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Mitigation Division. More information on the program can be found here (www.fema.gov/business/nfip) and a list of Tennessee communities that are participating in the program can be found here (www.fema.gov/cis/TN.pdf).

If you have any flood insurance-related questions about your community, please contact Stan Harrison, regional director for the State Planning Offices in Tennessee. He is the state’s primary point of contact for the National Flood Insurance Program and can be reached at (423) 434-6476 or via e-mail at stanley.harrison@state.tn.us.