Assessing Katrina's
Impact on Alabama Water Systems
September 12, 2005
The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) has
deployed teams of engineers and scientists all along the Gulf
Coast to aid Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts. The ADEM is
coordinating with public water and wastewater systems that have
been impacted by the storm that hit the coast eight days ago to
ensure they are functioning properly.
The department is providing assessment and technical
assistance to water systems in an effort to maintain safe
drinking water supplies.
The Alabama agency is working in close partnership with the
U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to
identify and recover hazardous materials that may have been
dislodged during the storm.
The ADEM is currently involved in the assessment phase for
most of southwest Alabama. This includes using aerial
reconnaissance to look for oil sheen on surface waters that may
indicate spills and other leaks of chemicals, petroleum products
and other hazardous materials.
In Bayou La Batre, a number of boats are sunk or partially
submerged and efforts are underway there to contain oil and gas
spills.
"Our emergency response personnel have been working with
federal, state, and local officials in a coordinated effort to
restore safety to these storm damaged areas," said ADEM Director
Trey Glenn.
"We are processing up-to-the minute reports and mobilizing
staff as necessary to protect public health and safeguard the
environment," he said. Alabama Governor Bob Riley and
Conservation Commissioner Barnett Lawley announced today that
Alabama's state parks will house evacuees from Hurricane Katrina
through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
FEMA is supplying trailers that will serve as long-term
housing to evacuees who register by calling 1-800-621-FEMA.
Several hundred trailers are on their way to several state parks
today, according to FEMA.
Alabama's 22 state parks have a total of 2,500 campsites and
more than 350 rooms in lodges, chalets and cabins across the
state. Modern campsites have water and electrical hookups, and
some have sewer hook-ups as well.
Commissioner Lawley said that the Conservation Department is
more than happy to make the space available for FEMA to use. "If
there's anything that we can do to help out, we're willing to do
it, even if it means making every room available," he said.
Lawley said that some tourists who had reservations at state
parks have called to cancel them in anticipation of evacuees
needing the rooms.
"With the popularity of our parks during the fall season,
that's a small but extremely generous thing to do," he said. "We
hope that when this emergency situation is over that those who
canceled will take the time to visit our parks once again."
Lawley said he anticipates that the parks will host
Alabamians as well as evacuees from Mississippi and Louisiana.
"Alabama has had several large disaster situations, including
Hurricane Ivan in 2004. We've depended on neighboring states to
help us in the past, and now we're going to do everything we can
to assist the people who need help."
The use of Alabama state parks for evacuees will be for an
unknown period of time. Officials stress that evacuees must
register with FEMA first to be assigned to one of the parks. The
parks are not set up to handle people arriving without prior
approval from FEMA.
Due to the flood disaster related to Hurricane Katrina, all
Alabama coastal waters in Mississippi Sound from the Dauphin
Island Bridge west to the Mississippi state line are closed to
the operation of all vessels and watercraft, including
commercial and recreational fishing vessels and watercraft.
Source: ENS September 12, 2005
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