2011 Windstorm

1. 2011 Windstorm “Be Prepared: Preventing Disaster/ Planning for Recovery” South Bay Cities Council of Governments 13th Annual General Assembly February 24, 2012

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

3. 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

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

5. Windstorm Recap • 1,500 mature street & park trees down, uprooted or made unstable • 525 mature street & park trees severely damaged requiring removal

6. 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 • 30 utility poles required temporary repair and permanent replacement

7. 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)

8. 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 • City Manager declared a Local State of Emergency • City Emergency Operations Center activated

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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) • Failure of damage recovery, Federal and State

14. 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

15. 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?