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NCS Part of Massive Homeland Security Response Meeting Hurricane Victim Needs

Arlington, VA., October 30, 2003 - The National Communications System played a key role in the Department of Homeland Security's response to Hurricane Isabel, which ravaged areas of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia on September 18 and 19.

On September 11, 2003, Hurricane Isabel became the first Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic since 1998. On September 18, Isabel made landfall on the Outer Banks of North Carolina as a Category 2 hurricane and moved northwest, knocking out power to millions of people and causing at least 13 fatalities. Presidential disaster declarations were issued for all, or parts of, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The NCS deployed three Individual Mobilization Augmentees (IMAs) to disaster field offices in Raleigh, N.C., and Richmond, Va., to assist those NCS Regional Managers serving as Federal emergency communications coordinators. The NCS Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP) Office processed provisioning requests to support Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster field offices in Raleigh, N.C.; Richmond; Washington; Baltimore; New Castle, Del.; Elizabeth City, N.C.; New Bern, N.C.; and Harrisburg, Pa. In the aftermath of Hurricane Isabel, the telecommunications infrastructure was inundated with commercial power outages. However, many of the affected areas were able to make use of backup power to provide customer service. The NCC itself experienced significant power outages resulting in local area network (LAN) and e-mail problems, but emergency response operations continued through the use of backup generators.
FEMA coordinated the massive Federal response to the destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Isabel and met the immediate critical needs of millions of victims. In the days before Isabel made landfall, FEMA pre-positioned hundreds of tons of emergency disaster supplies in mobilization centers in the disaster areas. Supplies such as tents cots, blankets, portable toilets, generators, plastic sheeting and roofing materials are now moving to disaster areas as needed.

The U.S. Coast Guard, also part of the Homeland Security Department, supported FEMA, as well as State and local agencies with aircraft, boats and personnel flying missions in support of recovery efforts. Vessels and aircraft assessed aids to navigation, damage to ports and waterways, and detected and responded to any pollution incidents.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge accompanied President Bush on September 23 to Virginia to view the hurricane damage, response and recovery efforts and conduct a video conference with governors and emergency managers from the most severely impacted states and the District of Columbia. The President and Secretary used the visit to meet with and thank hundreds of emergency workers and volunteers who responded to assist Isabel's victims.

The President signed a Federal disaster declaration for Delaware, which joined declarations for North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia as areas that received a full range of Federal disaster assistance. Federal aid to victims included temporary housing for disaster victims forced from their homes, grants and low interest loans for repairs, unemployment assistance and crisis counseling. State governments and local jurisdictions may also qualify for public assistance to cover public building and infrastructure damages.

Homeland Security officials monitored 15 sector-specific Information Sharing and Analysis Centers, including the most vulnerable critical infrastructures such as electricity, telecommunications, water and transportation. Officials supported efforts by the private sector to resume critical power and water services in all the impacted areas.

In coordination with FEMA, Health and Human Services emergency response teams entered the damaged areas to assist state and local governments with evaluating the status and accessibility of hospitals and checking water and sanitation quality.

As part of the Federal Emergency Response Plan, the U. S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service supplied food to disaster relief organizations such as the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army for mass feeding or household distribution. Disaster organizations requested food assistance through state agencies that run USDA's nutrition assistance programs.

(The Department of Homeland Security contributed to this article.)

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