Hazleton Area Rips County’s Storm Help: Southern Half of County Needed More Coordination Aid, Rep. Eachus Says.

By Jennifer Learn-Andes, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Times Leader

Feb. 23–Officials from Luzerne County’s mountainous southern half say they could have used more coordination from the county during the recent storm, which to them was the equivalent of a Susquehanna River flood.

County officials say they did their best but will consider constructive criticism on possible improvements.

Alan Pugh, the county’s public safety director, released a storm response timeline showing that his office wasn’t informed about stranded motorists on Interstate 81 until 6:15 p.m. on Feb. 14. And the county learned about the stranded only when a mother called the county a few minutes earlier to report that her 16-year-old was stuck with little fuel near the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.

The county mobilized a plan to assist stranded motorists there and later in the Hazleton area and also fired off alerts over the county’s emergency management radio system, county officials say. The county’s emergency office was also staffed from 8 a.m. on Feb. 14 to 5 p.m. on Feb. 16.

While all that is appreciated, the Hazleton area had nobody coordinating emergency workers and preparing municipalities for the onslaught of traffic on other roads caused by the closure of the interstates, said state Rep. Todd Eachus.

Eachus, D-Butler Township, said representatives of 14 out of 16 local governments reported their concerns to him during a meeting earlier this week. Some were particularly upset, he said, because county commissioners had promised to improve emergency communication after freezing rainstorms in 2005.

“That didn’t happen,” said Eachus, who also acknowledges that the state should have done a better job keeping county and local officials informed about developing problems during the recent snowstorm.

County officials agreed to meet soon with Eachus and municipal leaders to discuss a solution, he said. Eachus said he’d like to set up a Hazleton area command post that could be used during future emergencies.

Eachus praised Pugh for agreeing to testify about the storm response today before a state bi-partisan policy and transportation committee.

Minority Commissioner Stephen A. Urban said he’s open to suggestions, but wants to stress that the county has a lean public safety staff that must monitor and assist all 76 municipalities. Those workers were largely focused on helping emergency vehicles, manning phones and getting food and water to the stranded during the recent storm, he said.

“Every municipality is supposed to have its own EMA director and plan. If they want to set up their own joint center or network, that’s fine,” he said.

Urban also said most of the problems stemmed from the state’s failure to clean roads, and he hopes state leaders don’t try to “shoulder the blame” on the county.

Commissioner Greg Skrepenak said during a Thursday chamber of commerce breakfast that he thinks the county EMA “got a bad rap.”

“You have to understand, if we don’t know the information that we can’t get it out,” he said.

“With that said, we’re going to take this opportunity to improve every system we can.”

Snowstorm timeline

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Luzerne County officials released the following timeline of their response to the recent snowstorm:

6 a.m. — Storm begins as heavy sleet and ice changing to heavy snow throughout the late morning and afternoon. Public Safety personnel prepare staff, supplies and equipment.

8 a.m. — EMA activates Emergency Operations Center. There is a heavy layer of sleet now covered by snow on the ground. At this point it seems a normal winter storm. The snow changes to sleet during the morning hours.

8:30 a.m. — Call volume to the 911 Center is average for a storm of this nature.

9 a.m. — Hoyt Library roof collapse. Luzerne County Public Safety personnel respond.

9:30 a.m. — Luzerne County Public Safety plow dispatched to Laflin to assist EMS and Fire w/ plowing while they operated at a cardiac arrest.

2 p.m. — Luzerne County State of Emergency takes effect. Alert is put out to all municipalities. Public Information Officer phones media outlet with advisory.

3:30 p.m. — Conference call with PEMA (no issues reported to Luzerne County EMA), Lackawanna County reporting problems on I-81 near I-84 and I-380 with slow travel and stranded motorists.

4 p.m. — Call volume check at 911 Center is normal for a storm of this nature. Only 1 minor incident call reported.

6 p.m. — Public Safety is advised by Emergency Management personnel that a call was received from a mother of a 16-year-old female advising that her daughter was stranded on the highway and in danger of running out of fuel near W-B/Scranton Airport.

6:15 p.m. –Luzerne County Public Safety first learns that there were people stranded on I-81 starting in Pittston Twp. near the airport.

6:30 p.m. — Several calls took place between state police and EMA/EOC in an attempt to find out what was really happening. It was decided that action needed to be taken but what course of action was yet to be determined.

6:45 p.m. — Luzerne County Public Safety workers take a plow truck and an SUV to the PennDOT shed in Pittston Twp on Rt. 315 and meet with the shift foreman. He has no plans to attempt to clear the highway or help stranded people. He stated that there is nothing he could do because of the traffic jam and the amount of snow that has built up because of drifting. After conversation with state police and Public Safety workers, he changes his mind. Public Safety personnel meet with a state police unit in the area of the airport exit on the northbound side and put a plan into action.

7:30 p.m. — The PennDOT plow begins work clearing a ramp and then becomes stuck in a large snow drift. The Public Safety plow attempts to help dig him out but is unsuccessful due to the amount of snow that has piled up due to drifting. The PennDOT truck frees itself and again starts clearing the snow from the area. State police has heavy-duty wreckers on scene and they finally start getting some trucks cleared from the highway. Progress is slow but being made.

8 p.m. –Emergency Management reaches Gene Rafali of PennDOT to inquire about reports of problems in the Hazleton area. He indicates there are minor delays and some stuck vehicles that had been cleared with no current problems. He did note that he was only notified of any problems on I-81 at 19:00 hrs. (7 p.m.)

9:30 p.m. — Public Safety requests the Red Cross to bring food for stranded motorists.

9:45 p.m. — Luzerne County Public Safety personnel meet with local fire and EMS crews staging at the Sunoco on Rt. 315 in Pittston Twp. They have 2 quads and an old military 6×6 vehicle. They begin patrolling the Highway.

10 p.m. — A request for EMS assistance is placed to the 911 center for a resident with a diabetic problem. The quads with medical personnel are dispatched to find the resident; 2 or 3 additional medical calls came in during this time. All persons refused transport to the hospital. The quads and 6×6 continue to check on stranded motorists.

11 p.m. — The Red Cross directs Public Safety personnel to the Wal-Mart on Oak St. in Pittston Twp. to purchase a pallet full of water. With the assistance from Pittston City EMS the water was brought back to the staging area where it was loaded into the 6×6 and the quads to be distributed to persons stranded.

Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007

2 a.m. — A microwave failure from EMA to Mountain Top was detected. Public Safety attention was redirected to this incident because the primary police channel for Wilkes-Barre city police was now out of service. After identifying and correcting the problem with the microwave, it was approximately 4:30 Thursday morning.

5 a.m. — Additional Public Safety personnel were called back on duty to start delivering food and more water to motorists stranded on the highway. It was at this point that Public Safety called state police at Hazleton about reports of a similar situation in the Hazleton area. PSP Hazleton stated that the situation (a series of stuck tractor-trailers) was under control and that they did not need food or water for stranded motorists.

5:30 a.m. — Luzerne County Public Safety placed a call to state police at Wyoming and they advised that the highway was clear and that all stranded motorists were removed from the highway.

6 a.m. to 10 a.m. — During this time the National Guard was activated, and the WB/Scranton Airport terminal was opened to stranded travelers. Emergency Management assisted in this effort. At several times during the morning, checks with Emergency Management revealed that state police still did not need help with stranded travelers in the Hazleton area.

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. — Public Safety/EMA received normal calls for service, questions about road conditions, and began receiving increased call volume about a back-up on I-81 at Hazleton.

3:25 p.m. — EMA received call from PEMA to set up conference call at 16:15 hrs (4:15 p.m.) concerning status of I-81 and I-80.

4:15 p.m. to 5:40 p.m. –Luzerne County EMA joined conference call with other counties, PEMA and PennDOT which announced that I-81, I-80 and I-78 would be closed at 18:00 hrs.(6 p.m.) Detour routes were outlined.

5 p.m. — All personnel were summoned back to duty at the EMA/ EOC because I-81 and I-80 was shut down in the Hazleton area. A mass detour was going to take place.

5:50 p.m. — Luzerne County Public Information issued news release supplemental to PEMA/PennDOT releases regarding road closures and detours.

8 p.m. — Emergency Management received call from Hazle Twp. Fire Dept Chief concerned about detour ramifications on Route 309, and why local departments weren’t consulted. He was advised it was a state decision to close the interstates and detour onto surface roads.

6 p.m. to 7 p.m. — American Red Cross opens shelters at Rice Elementary School and Hazleton Area.

10:30 p.m. — Luzerne County Public Safety vehicles loaded with food and water are dispatched to Rice Elementary school to assist Red Cross set up a shelter. Cots are also delivered.

11 p.m. — Efforts completed to get a box truck and the county’s back hoe with forks for additional deliveries that need to be made.

Friday, Feb. 16 2007

2 a.m. — First delivery is made to Rt. 309 and Airport Beltway in Hazle Twp. Public Safety personnel handed off supplies to DCNR resources for delivery to stranded motorists. Still awaiting second truck from National Guard.

8 a.m. — Luzerne County Public Safety personnel deliver food and water to stranded motorists on exit ramps and in parking lots along I-81 and I-80.

5 p.m. — 24-hour operation status of EOC stands down, but EMA and Public Safety employees remain at EOC and continue to deliver food to shelters and stranded motorists.

8 p.m. — Luzerne County Public Safety personnel deliver food and water to stranded motorists on exit ramps and in parking lots along I-81 and I-80.

Saturday, Feb. 17, 2007

6 a.m. — Food delivery operation concludes.

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Copyright (c) 2007, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Times Leader

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

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