Hurricane Pam Exercise Concludes


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.

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