Emergency and disaster management briefing for May 25, 2018: A suspect is in custody following a school shooting in Indiana that injured at least two, a man opened fire and shot two people in a restaurant in Oklahoma City, another Kilauea eruption sends ash 10,000 feet in the air as a third lava flow reaches the ocean, NASA assists first responders with the evolving Kilauea eruption in Hawaii, new NOAA technology is set to improve the cone of uncertainty for hurricanes, an illegal immigrant was fatally shot by a border patrol agent in Texas, mussels off the coast of Seattle test positive for opioids, Cyclone Mekuni pounded the island of Socotra on its way to Oman, the federal government is sued by two survivors of the 2016 Tennessee wildfires, and runaway coal barges wreaked havoc on traffic and hit bridges as they freely floated down the Monongahela River in Pennsylvania.
- A suspect is reportedly in custody following a school shooting in Indiana that has injured at least two people and prompted the school to lockdown. An adult and a teenager were reportedly injured and transported to a local hospital for treatment after the incident. The shooting occurred at the Noblewest Middle School, in Noblesville, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis.
- A man walked into an Oklahoma City restaurant and opened fire, [link url=”http://www.kcrg.com/content/news/1-dead-multiple-injured-in-Oklahoma-City-shooting-483653801.html” title=”shooting two people”], before being killed by an armed citizen. The incident occurred at Louie’s On The Lake, at around 6:30 p.m., and an adult female and a female juvenile were both shot and taken to an area hospital where they underwent surgery. [link url=”https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oklahoma-shooting/gunman-at-oklahoma-restaurant-shot-dead-by-bystander-idUSKCN1IQ0AJ” title=”Both victims are expected to survive”] and although police are still unsure about the motive for the shooting, they do not suspect terrorism.
- Another eruption at Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano very early Friday morning sent [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/05/25/newest-hawaii-volcanic-ash-plume-rises-to-about-10000-feet.html” title=”a plume of ash 10,000 feet in the air”] before trade winds carried it to the southwest. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) also said that there are [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/05/24/latest-ash-from-hawaii-volcano-settles-in-small-towns.html” title=”now three rivers of lava that have reached the ocean”] after a previously opened fissure in the Leilani Estates area began spewing large volumes of lava on Thursday. Lava reaching the ocean is dangerous due to laze, or lava haze–a combination of hydrochloric acid and glass shards expelled into the air when lava mixes with the salt water.
- [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2018/05/24/how-nasa-tech-is-helping-hawaiis-kilauea-volcano-response.html” title=”NASA is helping first responders in their efforts to successfully manage the ongoing eruptions”] from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano. NASA and partner satellites used seven special instruments to identify where fissures were located, and where lava flows were originating. Other critical data and actionable information NASA continues to provide first responders in the ongoing eruption, includes the [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2018/05/24/how-nasa-tech-is-helping-hawaiis-kilauea-volcano-response.html” title=”composition and size of newly emitted volcanic plumes, and the movement of molten rock underground”], helping them keep citizens out of harm’s way.
- New improvements in technology are helping the [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2018/05/17/national-hurricane-center-gives-sneak-peek-newly-improved-technology.html” title=”National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) track and measure hurricanes more accurately”]. More sophisticated satellites, in conjunction with better track forecasting and improved computer codes, will help make the cone of uncertainty smaller and more accurate. [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2018/05/17/national-hurricane-center-gives-sneak-peek-newly-improved-technology.html” title=”Narrowing the cone of uncertainty allows for more targeted evacuation areas”], reducing the number of people who need to evacuate ahead of the storm. These new tools will also help extend advisories, warnings, and watches out to 72 hours–adding an entire day to allow for storm preparations. Experts at the National Hurricane Center in Miami caution, however, that the [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2018/05/17/national-hurricane-center-gives-sneak-peek-newly-improved-technology.html” title=”cone provides a probable accurate track only about two-thirds of the time”], and a failure to evacuate could cost lives during a storm.
- An illegal immigrant was fatally shot by a border patrol agent who was attacked by a group when responding to a call about illegal activity near a culvert on Wednesday. The incident occurred in Rio Bravo, Texas, and a statement issued by the [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/05/23/border-patrol-agent-shoots-kills-illegal-immigrant-in-texas-authorities-say.html” title=”U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP)”] noted that he was the only agent to arrive on the scene, and and when he found and tried to apprehend the illegal immigrants, he was attacked by the group with blunt objects. During the attack, [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/05/23/border-patrol-agent-shoots-kills-illegal-immigrant-in-texas-authorities-say.html” title=”the agent discharged his firearm”], striking and fatally wounding one of the attackers.
- Mussels off the coast of Seattle [link url=”https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mussels-test-positive-for-opioids-seattle-puget-sound/?ftag=CNM-00-10aac3a” title=”tested positive for opioids”] during an ongoing study to monitor offshore water pollution. Mussels are filter feeders, absorbing contaminates from their environment, indicating that the opioid epidemic is now impacting humans in a broader scope. Although the study revealed the presence of the opioids, the doses were thousands of times smaller than a human dose, and were not metabolized by the shellfish nor were they harmed, [link url=”https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mussels-test-positive-for-opioids-seattle-puget-sound/?ftag=CNM-00-10aac3a” title=”but fish are affected, even by small doses”].
- Meteorologists are predicting [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/05/24/latest-images-show-residents-sheltering-from-cyclone.html” title=”landfall of Cyclone Mekuni to occur near the heavily populated city of Salalah in Oman”], near Yemen, on Saturday morning. The Cyclone is being described as very severe, and is currently pounding the island of Socotra on its way to the Oman/Yemen border area. Strong winds and pounding rains from the nearby cyclone [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/05/24/latest-images-show-residents-sheltering-from-cyclone.html” title=”produced flash flooding and mudslides on the island Friday”], which sent island residents scrambling to find shelter amid its impact.
- Two survivors from Tennessee’s wildfires in 2016 have [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/05/24/federal-lawsuit-seeks-14-8m-in-deadly-tennessee-wildfires.html” title=”filed a lawsuit against the federal government seeking $14.8 million in damages”]. The lawsuit states that [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/05/24/federal-lawsuit-seeks-14-8m-in-deadly-tennessee-wildfires.html” title=”federal park employees violated established fire-management policies”], including a failure to monitor the Chimney Tops 2 fire for five consecutive days, and to contain, rather than put out, the fire during existing severe drought conditions. Instead, the fire, unmonitored and unattended, was spread rapidly by hurricane force winds that blew embers into Gatlinburg, downed power lines, and ultimately resulted in [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/05/24/federal-lawsuit-seeks-14-8m-in-deadly-tennessee-wildfires.html” title=”a rapidly moving wildfire that killed 14 people and destroyed or damaged 2,5000 buildings”], including homes and businesses.
- [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/05/25/coal-filled-barges-break-loose-on-river-2-sink.html” title=”Runaway coal-filled barges on a river in western Pennsylvania”] caused havoc as they floated freely down the river on Thursday. Two bridges spanning the [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/05/25/coal-filled-barges-break-loose-on-river-2-sink.html” title=”Monongahela River were shut down to traffic for hours”] as the barges drifted toward them, colliding with at least one of them, and a railroad bridge was also hit. Two of the coal-filled barges sank, while there rest of the free floating barges were finally apprehended by tugboats and other vessels.
JUST IN: Oklahoma City police say "only confirmed fatality" in restaurant shooting "is the suspect. He was apparently shot-to-death by an armed citizen." https://t.co/THE3wxuCLM pic.twitter.com/ZU3d8pqW1v
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) May 25, 2018
May 24 afternoon #HVO #Kilauea update: new mini-updates on the HVO website, multiple active fissures & lava flows in Rift Zone, 3rd ocean entry, continued ash explosions at the summit (all < 10,000 ft.), & slowly increasing summit seismicity https://t.co/7sDZqcOJ5s #KilaueaErupts pic.twitter.com/Bpzv6HBnPD
— USGS Volcanoes? (@USGSVolcanoes) May 25, 2018
From space, @NASA and partners are helping disaster responders by providing images and data products of the #Kilauea volcanic eruptions and atmospheric impacts. https://t.co/x0PwvCScex pic.twitter.com/H2ZwRYU3Hr
— NASA Earth (@NASAEarth) May 21, 2018
The Gulf of Mexico Technology Demonstration is the first operational cruise on board NOAA's Ship #Okeanos for the 2018 season. Learn about @oceanexplorer's mission plan & the three new technologies they will be working on during the cruise https://t.co/hG24V8Tinv #NOAA #OER #GOM pic.twitter.com/iif8wTJ5oK
— NOAA Research (@NOAAResearch) March 23, 2018
An undocumented immigrant was shot and killed Wednesday by a US Customs and Border Protection officer in Rio Bravo, Texas, according to a CBP news release https://t.co/GT6i612eB4 pic.twitter.com/66Ft092K7n
— CNN (@CNN) May 24, 2018
This is bonkers: So many opioids have made it into the waterways near Seattle that muscles have begun testing positive for them. https://t.co/wGnpQs5ab6 @WCPO pic.twitter.com/d2qEofE4AL
— Meghan Goth (@MeghanWesley) May 24, 2018
#SuomiNPP satellite captured this IR imagery of #CycloneMekunu continuing its trek toward #Yemen and #Oman in the Arabian Sea. At last report the #storm's sustained winds were near 92 mph, just shy of Category 2 strength. See more: https://t.co/Ien7znHyPx pic.twitter.com/S47LSr3kRv
— NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) May 24, 2018
Tennessee Wildfire Survivors File $14.8M Lawsuit, https://t.co/ICcmBhhZJa pic.twitter.com/8gXNFyrKfR
— Firefighter Nation (@firenation) May 25, 2018
Bridges were closed for inspection following runaway barges on the Monongahela River valley near Pittsburgh. At least one barge sank, dumping coal into the river. https://t.co/eGhHrn9IvM
— BreakingNewzman (@BreakingNewzman) May 25, 2018