‘Major flooding causes huge problems’
Emergency exercise gives Josephine County leaders insight for disasters
(Photos by Walley Aiken, Illinois Valley News)
From our weekly issue dated December 12, 2007
Here is the situation:
It has been raining steadily for a week. The ground is saturated, and creeks flowing into Rogue River are swollen. Two inches of rain is expected during the next 24 to 48 hours, and the Rogue is already 4 feet above flood level in Medford.
Last night all three bridges in Grants Pass had to be closed due to structural concerns.
This was the scenario with which county leaders were forced to deal during a multiagency tabletop training exercise at Grants Pass Airport in Merlin on Friday, Dec. 7. The circumstances were presented by Charlie Phenix, a retired U. S. Forest Service employee who now spends his time as a disaster training facilitator for the National Incident Management System creating havoc (fake) in communities for training.
The session was attended by approximately 150 representatives from more than 25 city, county, state and federal agencies. Josephine County operations represented included the sheriff’s office, public health, public works, and the board of county commissioners. All have the goal of effectively dealing with possible disaster.
The exercise involved simulated evacuations of low-lying areas; risk to homes and businesses; drinking water contamination; and flooded roadways.
As well as being forced to react to continuing crises, the participants had to plan for situations that were sure to develop during the hypothetical next day.
Toler said afterward that he could see training needs to be a priority and hopes to secure federal grant money to facilitate it. He said that “a well-prepared leadership is essential.”
Toler noted that, “The loss of all three Grants Pass bridges effectively cut the community in half with the hospital being on one side of the river and downtown being on the other.” He noted that it was learned through this exercise that the pedestrian bridge near All Sports Park is structurally capable of handling emergency vehicles.
Although this exercise was limited to the Grants Pass area, Toler said he expects another training exercise that will deal with a major flood in Illinois Valley. And a spring exercise is scheduled that will involve a major fire.
“This is a major county service that we should assume to be in place,” Toler said. “It is a fundamental county service that people should expect.”
Said Belle Shepherd, Josephine County Public Health Division manager, “The county experienced major floods during 1997 and 2005 that caused serious damage, and required coordination among many agencies.
“Josephine County,” she explained, “holds exercises annually that address preparedness for natural, manmade and biological disasters.”
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