2011 Windstorm

“Be Prepared: Preventing Disaster/Planning for Recovery”

South Bay Cities Council of Governments13th Annual General Assembly

February 24, 2012

2011 Windstorm

Windstorm Recap

• Hurricane force winds 72 - 82 mph November 30 – December 1

• Power system severely damaged and unstable

> Only one power line remained in service to supply power to city

> ~6,330 customers without power (10% of electric customers)

> 19 primary circuits (the “backbone”) affected throughout city

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• Most power system damage caused by broken trees and branches contacting PWP wires, transformers, and poles

2011 Windstorm

Windstorm Recap

• Tree fell on Hudson Ave. senior apartment building

> Water and gas main ruptured

> 37 people evacuated and transported by Pasadena ARTS buses to shelter established at Robinson Park and staffed by the American Red Cross.

> Building is red tagged

• Multiple simultaneous small fires from downed power lines

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2011 Windstorm

Windstorm Recap

• Approximately 325 miles of streets blocked or partially blocked by storm debris – falling trees, tree limbs, utility poles and/or wires

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2011 Windstorm

Windstorm Recap

• 1,500 mature street & park trees down, uprooted or made unstable

• 525 mature street & park trees severely damaged requiring removal

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2011 Windstorm

Windstorm Recap

• ~100 transformers damaged requiring replacement

• ~40,000 feet (7.5 miles) of 4kV primary wire and secondary wire (connection to individual properties) were broken

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• 30 utility poles required temporary repair and permanent replacement

2011 Windstorm

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Windstorm Recap

• Police Dept. Communication Center processed 4,650 calls for service (10 p.m. on Nov. 30 to 1 p.m. on Dec. 1)

> 2,113 Incoming 9-1-1 calls

> 2,537 incoming non-emergency line calls

• Fire Dept. dispatched to 386 calls — 8 times normal call volume (8 p.m. Nov. 30 to 9 p.m. Dec. 1)

2011 Windstorm

City Response

• Fire Department Operations Center activated

• Fire Department staffed 4 extra engines and a patrol

• Police Department increased staffing

> 21 Officers

> 9 Communications

> 25 Volunteers

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• City Manager declared a Local State of Emergency

• City Emergency Operations Center activated

2011 Windstorm

City Response

• Initially 175 Public Works employees plus contract resources are called in to address hazards

> Up to 200 personnel, including LA County Public Works, worked 12 hour shifts 7 days per week to complete street cleanup

• Approximately 50,000 tons (100 million pounds) of trees, limbs, and debris collected from City streets

> Established Green waste drop-off locations

> Recycled 100 percent of the green material collected

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2011 Windstorm

Lessons Learned – What Worked

• Mutual Aid

> Fire fighters from 11 neighboring agencies

> 30 LA County Public Works crews with heavy equipment

> Power crews from Burbank , Anaheim LADWP, and Glendale

• CalEMA Acting Secretary Michael Dayton, Assemblyman Portantino, and Senator Carol Liu toured damaged areas

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Fire Agency CallsGlendale 26Arcadia 22Alhambra 19South Pasadena 8Monterey Park 5San Gabriel 5Monrovia 3Burbank 2San Marino 2Los Angeles County 1Los Angeles City 1

2011 Windstorm

Lessons Learned – What Worked

• Immediate comprehensive coordinated city response

> Clearing trees and debris from roads

> Managed power system to keep 90% customers connected

• Good internal communication within City EOC Sections resulting in effective and efficient field response

• Timely emergency declaration facilitated mutual aid

• Neighborhoods come together to provide mutual support

• Early communication with TV, print, radio, and other media

• Social media was effective

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2011 Windstorm

Lessons Learned –Improvements

• Too many phone numbers to call and too few operators

> Improve call-in disaster capabilities (311 System)

> Multiple reports/responses to same address

> Centralized call database, system status, and messaging needed

• Incomplete and inconsistent information to power customers

> Revise process to facilitate timely, accurate communication

> Streamline and coordinate call center activities

> Accelerate investment in Power Outage Management System

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2011 Windstorm

Lessons Learned –Improvement

• Initial assessments underestimated damage to infrastructure

• Mobilize community resources to get information to residents without phone service, computers, TV, radio, etc.

> Enhance on the ground communications with residents through established neighborhood volunteers (Neighborhood Connections, PERT, Neighborhood Watch captains)

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• Failure of damage recovery, Federal and State

2011 Windstorm

What Resident Can Do

• Build a disaster kit

• Develop a family disaster and reunification plan

• Get trained through a disaster preparedness presentation on how to organize your neighborhood or business to be self sufficient for at least 7-days

• Sign up for local community alerts (NIXLE)

• Know neighbors’ routines and look out for each other

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2011 Windstorm

Questions

• What went well with the City’s response and restoration to the windstorm event?

• What should the City consider improving for future disaster responses?

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