National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

shows a coal plant with steam puffing from one of the smokestacks, a concern in the fight against climate change, air pollution

North Carolina petition to curb carbon dioxide emissions advances

June 21, 2021 by Greg Barnes

North Carolina petition to curb carbon dioxide emissions advances - North Carolina Health News

The Environmental Management Commission is set to consider whether the state should join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which has led to a 47 percent reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from power plants in other eastern states.

By Greg Barnes

Update: The N.C Environmental Management Commission voted 9-3 on July 13 to move the RGGI petition forward by beginning what will likely be a lengthy rule-making process.

A rulemaking petition aimed at reducing heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions from North Carolina’s power plants has made its way to the full N.C. Environmental Management Commission.

On Tuesday, the commissions’ Air Quality Committee recommended that the full commission approve joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative — or RGGI — a cooperative effort among 11 states from Maine to Virginia that use the initiative to cap and reduce power sector carbon dioxide pollution.

The commission will have the final say on whether to join RGGI, which statistics show has reduced power plant emissions of carbon dioxide by 47 percent over the last decade through cap-and-trade agreements among the participating states.

The commission is expected to consider joining RGGI at a special meeting on July 13. North Carolina probably could not become a member state until Jan. 1, 2023, because of regulatory processes that have to occur first, state officials said at the Air Quality Committee meeting

The recommendation from the Air Quality Committee came the same day that Republican lawmakers released proposed legislation aimed at transitioning away from coal-fueled power plants to natural gas plants. Environmental groups criticized the measure and the reported lack of transparency in its development.

“Urgent action” needed

The petition to join RGGI was filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center on behalf of the environmental groups Clean Air Carolina and the North Carolina Coastal Federation.

“We filed this petition because North Carolina needs to take urgent action to reduce carbon pollution from power plants given the harm underway from climate change in our communities,” said Gudrun Thompson, an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, said in a statement. “This rule will push dirty coal generation off the power grid, protecting the people and communities of North Carolina from air pollution while moving our state toward a clean energy future.”

The RGGI initiative puts an annual cap on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, a cap that diminishes over time. The power companies can buy carbon dioxide allowances that RGGI makes available at auction for their share of the pollution.

Some of that money is returned to the participating states, which use it for clean energy and energy-efficient projects. In North Carolina, the money could be used to reduce electric bills, though officials say it is likely that customers would see a small increase from RGGI before any decrease is realized.

The threat of carbon dioxide, air pollutants

Burning fossil fuels not only produces carbon dioxide, but particulates and other pollutants that affect human health. The World Health Organization estimates that outdoor air pollution results in the deaths of as many as 4.2 million people annually. Multiple analyses from the past year point to air pollution’s role in increasing the rate of death for people infected with COVID-19, particularly for those living in neighborhoods with high burdens of pollution, such as near highways and industrial facilities.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, carbon dioxide trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere absorbs and radiates heat. Over time, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases have “tipped the Earth’s energy budget out of balance,” raising the Earth’s average temperature and contributing to an increase in sea levels and more intense storms and flooding. Last year, North Carolina broke almost every heat record.

Under Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration, the state has set a goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector by 70 percent by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050. Duke Energy, the state’s leading energy company, has a similar goal to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions.

Proponents and critics

Proponents of RGGI say it is an effective tool to help reach those carbon dioxide reduction goals.

“We’re already watching tropical storms form even though hurricane season just started,” Todd Miller, executive director of the North Carolina Coastal Federation, said in the joint statement. “It’s imperative to act to reduce carbon pollution so that our coast is less vulnerable to extreme weather, and this vote is a good first step in that direction.”

But not everyone is sold on RGGI.

During the Air Quality Committee meeting, attorney Fern Paterson spoke on behalf of the owners of Charlotte Pipe and Foundry, a family-operated business since 1901.

Paterson argued that it’s not clear whether RGGI has actually led to carbon dioxide reductions and she questioned whether the rulemaking process is lawful in this instance. She also said the Biden administration has vowed to fight climate change and the state should wait to see what comes forward.

More energy legislation

The legislation that Republican lawmakers unveiled Tuesday to hasten the transition from coal to natural gas power plants was drafted in secret for months with input from industry representatives, according to the News & Observer of Raleigh. The newspaper reported that the “project would likely require utilities and regulators to advance the now-stalled MVP-Southgate pipeline.”

The proposed MVP-Southgate natural gas pipeline system would span about 75 miles from southern Virginia into central North Carolina. Another proposed pipeline through part of North Carolina, the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline, has also stalled. Both pipelines are facing legal and regulatory hurdles.

Environmental groups bemoaned the proposed legislation, which the N.C. Sierra Club said

was expected to be inserted into House Bill 951 in the House Energy Committee on Thursday.

The Sierra Club said in a statement that the proposal “would unnecessarily lock North Carolina into continued reliance on burning fracked gas at a time when the cost of renewables and energy storage are falling.”

“We urge the House to reject this bill and instead begin a transparent, public stakeholder process that includes ratepayers, environmental groups and the voices of fenceline communities that would be harmed by the fracked gas facilities being proposed. A clean energy future is within our grasp. Let’s not lock North Carolina into continued and unnecessary reliance on dirty fossil fuels,” Cynthia Satterfield, acting director of the N.C. Sierra Club, said in the statement.

shows water-driven wind blowing across a road as trees bend in the wind during a hurricane

Hurricane / tropical storm safety tips

August 3, 2020 by Editor

Hurricane / tropical storm safety tips - North Carolina Health News

In many years, North Carolina is visited by hurricanes and tropical storms. Each storm is different, but some pieces of advice and caution remain the same.

TIPS FOR TORNADO WATCHES AND WARNINGS

As Isaias comes ashore, it brings with it the possibility of tornadoes, especially in the trailing parts of the storm.

The National Weather Service has a website explaining the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning, and what to do to keep safe should a tornado head your way. https://www.weather.gov/bmx/sps_torsafetyrules

In the event of a tornado:

Avoid windows at all cost! In general, get as low as you can. A basement below ground level or the lowest floor of a building offers the greatest safety. Put as many walls between yourself and the outside as possible
Tornadoes could be obscured by rainfall or come at nighttime. Do not wait until you see or hear the tornado, it might be too late.
Forget about opening or closing windows. Do not waste the time! You only will put yourself and others in greater risk. Use those valuable seconds to find a place of safety.
In homes or public buildings: go to the basement or a small interior room, such as a closet, bathroom or interior hallway on the lowest level. Close all doors to the hallway for greater protection. If possible, get under something sturdy like a heavy table. Protect yourself from flying debris with pillows, heavy coats, blankets or quilts. Use bicycle or motorcycle helmets to protect your head.
In mobile homes: leave well in advance of the approaching severe weather and go to a strong building. If there is no shelter nearby, get into the nearest ditch, low spot or underground culvert. Lie flat, covering your head with your hands for protection.
If you’re outdoors or in a vehicle when you hear about a tornado on the way, stay close to a sturdy shelter or find shelter in a ditch or remain in your vehicle and cover your head for protection.
Kittens housed at the megashelter in Durham in the wake of Hurricane Dorian. Photo credit: Anne Blythe

DON’T LEAVE YOUR PETS OUT OF STORM PLANS

In North Carolina, we can reel off the names of destructive hurricanes and tropical storms like unruly guests we are not soon to forget — Dorian, Florence, Michael, Matthew, Floyd, Fran, Irma, Hugo, even Hazel.

With that familiarity comes storm preparations that are becoming all too familiar.

We’ve become accustomed to preparing storm kits with bottled water, canned and unperishable food, batteries, flashlights, alternate phone chargers and water-proof containers for important documents and family keepsakes.

Don’t forget to create a disaster plan for your pets, too.

Some tips from the American Red Cross and elsewhere:

Make sure that your pet is up to date on vaccinations and that all dogs and cats are wearing collars with securely fastened, up-to-date identification. Many pet shelters require proof of current vaccinations to reduce the spread of disease.
Prepare a pet emergency kit with water, food for three days, any medications, proof of ownership and vaccination records.
If you plan to shelter at a hotel or motel, know which ones along your evacuation route accept pets in an emergency. Call ahead for reservations if there is time. Most Red Cross shelters cannot accept pets because of health and safety concerns and other considerations, but service animals are allowed in Red Cross shelters.
Prepare a list of friends, relatives, boarding facilities, animal shelters and veterinarians who can care for pets in an emergency.

IN AN OPIOID TREATMENT PROGRAM? KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS?

People in opioid treatment programs who are receiving prescription drugs may take home additional doses for treatment or receive guest-dosing at another licensed opioid treatment program, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. The Central Registry offers a map of sites across the state.

IN A FLOODED AREA AND HAVE A PRIVATE WELL?

State health officials have provided guidance on how to better prepare private wells in flood-prone areas before a hurricane.

Prep ahead:

Store adequate bottled water for drinking and cooking. You won’t be able to drink, brush teeth or cook with well water until it is tested and found suitable.
Fill up the pressure tank as much as possible.
Turn off the electricity to the well. If you have an aerobic septic system, turn off the electricity for the system. No special preparations are recommended for conventional septic systems.
If your wellhead does not have a watertight seal, clean off the well casing, cover with a heavy-duty trash bag and secure with waterproof tape.
If you have the log or well report completed when the well was established, store a copy in a safe place that will be accessible if you evacuate.

After the flood:

It is strongly recommended to call your local health department or licensed well driller to shock chlorinate the well if it has been flooded. A water well driller will have access to more effective products and will have equipment and experience that a typical well owner will not have.

A man in boots and jeans stands on wet ground holding a bucket up to a well head that's sticking out of the ground. There's water pouring from the well head and he's catching some of it in the bucket. — Newport resident Glenn Skinner flushes his well, which was submerged in the floodwaters of Hurricane Florence as the storm pushed ashore. Photo credit: Taylor Knopf

Other tips include:

Do not turn on the electricity to your pump until flood waters recede.
If extensive flooding has occurred, do not drink the water. Use your water reserves and bottled water until your well water has been tested.
If you think your well was damaged, contact a driller. You can find a list of certified well contractors at http://www.ncwelldriller.org/web/eh/find-contractor.
If you haven’t already, find a nearby water testing lab to obtain sample collection bottles and instructions for bacterial contamination. You cannot see, taste or smell bacterial contamination in your well. Often, your local health department can test your water.
If you live near animal feeding operations, agricultural fields where pesticides are applied or industrial chemical factories, you should contact your local health department for additional testing, especially if you smell fuel or chemicals in your water.
If there is bacterial contamination, do not use contaminated water for drinking, cooking, making ice, bathing in any form or washing clothes or dishes. Use bottled water. Follow boil water alerts or get water from an uncontaminated source.

For more information about well water and health, visit https://epi.dph.ncdhhs.gov/oee/programs/wellwater.html.

Facts from previous storms:

After Hurricane Florence in 2018, nearly 45 percent of wells tested by the State Public Health Lab were found to have bacterial contamination. More than 13 percent of these wells had detectable E. coli.

Keep up with flooding information in your area in real time by checking out the North Carolina Flood Information Mapping and Alert Network.

shows a map with many areas of rain visible on the radar map, the storm is causing river gages to increase. — As Isaias came closer to North Carolina on the afternoon of August 3, flood gages were starting to show increased water levels in river beds and in some locations along the coast. Screenshot courtesy NC Flood Inundation Mapping and Alert Network.

Interactive maps show localized flooding, as reported by local stream and river gauges from around the state. There are 382 of them. Zoom in on the map to find the gauges in your area.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security provides directions on what to do and how to keep safe during a flash flood. Go to: https://www.ready.gov/floods

When a flash flood strikes, the Department of Homeland Security recommends:

Get to a place that you have previously identified as safe if there is time.
If told to evacuate, do so immediately.
Never drive around barricades. Local responders use them to safely direct traffic out of flooded areas.
Listen to the Emergency Alert System, NOAA Weather Radio, or local alerting systems for current emergency information and instructions.
Do not walk, swim or drive through flood waters. Turn Around. Don’t Drown!
Stay off bridges over fast-moving water. Swift water can wash bridges away without warning.
Staying inside a vehicle trapped in rapidly moving water unless water is rising inside it. Then seek refuse on the roof.
Seek refuge at the highest level of a building, but DO NOT climb into a closed attic. You could get trapped there by rising flood water. Go on the roof only if necessary. Once there, signal for help.

More tips from AAA Carolinas:

Avoid driving through flooded areas, even if you are familiar with the roads. The flooded area may contain dangers such as debris, tree branches or power lines that are not visible. The best thing you can do is turn around and find an alternate route.
To verify road conditions after a hurricane call: 511 in North Carolina and 888-877-9151 in South Carolina.

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM CARBON MONOXIDE

State health officials caution people not to use gasoline-powered generators, outdoor grills and camp stoves in enclosed spaces.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas produced whenever fuel is burned. In an enclosed space, such as a home, garage, car or camper, carbon monoxide can build up to deadly levels quickly. Even low levels of carbon monoxide can cause dizziness, fatigue, nausea, headaches, confusion or fainting. If you are experiencing these symptoms, get to fresh air immediately and seek medical attention.

High levels of carbon monoxide can be deadly within minutes. Anyone testing or using a generator or other fuel-burning device should take proper safety precautions:

Do not use gasoline-powered tools or engines in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces. Use them outdoors, at least 20 feet from doors, windows and air vents.
Do not use charcoal grills or propane stoves indoors, even in a fireplace.
Never use the stove or other gas appliances to heat your home.
Do not idle your car, truck or other vehicle in the garage, even if the garage door to the outside is open. Fumes can build up quickly in the garage and living area of your home.
Keep rooms well ventilated.
Read and follow all instructions that accompany fuel-burning devices. Use the proper fuel and make sure there is enough air for ventilation and fuel burning.
Install and maintain a carbon monoxide alarm in your home.
If you experience symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, including dizziness, nausea, headaches, confusion or fainting, get to fresh air immediately and seek medical care.

For more information about carbon monoxide poisoning prevention visit http://epi.publichealth.nc.gov/oee/a_z/co.html.

Farm building flooded in aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Wayne County, NC near Seven Springs.

What could happen if the pandemic and a major hurricane collide?

July 23, 2020 by Greg Barnes

What could happen if the pandemic and a major hurricane collide? - North Carolina Health News

As the coronavirus continues to cause chaos in North Carolina, forecasters predict an above-normal hurricane season. State officials urge people in at-risk areas to make plans now.

By Greg Barnes

Traffic snarled in Wilmington on July 11 as hundreds of vehicles lined up to receive free hurricane preparedness toolkits.

After three major hurricanes in 36 months, officials say the tremendous response to the toolkits shows that people are taking the threat of another hurricane seriously.

That threat has become magnified this year. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts a 60 percent chance of an above-normal hurricane season with 13 to 19 named storms, with six to 10 of those becoming hurricanes. Seven storms have already been named this season.

In less turbulent times — those with cooler oceans and without the dampening effects of an El Nino — the typical prediction would be 12 named storms with six becoming hurricanes.

North Carolina, like other states, has struggled to recover from the aftermath of one hurricane after another. Now it faces a much bigger challenge: The likelihood that a hurricane will hit the coast during a pandemic of the highly contagious coronavirus.

Screen shot of Know Your Zone website, with colorful maps showing hurricane flood zones — The new website created by the North Carolina Office of Emergency Management helps people in coastal communities understand what kind of flood risk they face in case of a storm. Click on the image to go to the website.

Unwanted challenges

Mike Sprayberry, director of the state Department of Public Safety’s Emergency Management, said COVID-19 adds many new and unwanted challenges, especially with shelters.

He said his agency has “a good, solid plan” to deal with a hurricane during these troubling times, but he didn’t downplay the seriousness of the additional problems a major storm could create this year.

“It’s important to be concerned,” Sprayberry said. ”Not worried, just concerned.”

Earlier this month, he said, Emergency Management and other state agencies held a virtual teleconference to update and hear concerns from about 300 people — including local emergency management officials, first responders, National Guardsmen, volunteers and many others — on executing the plans for hurricane preparedness and recovery.

Normally, Sprayberry and officials from other state agencies would take their show on the road, making in-person visits before representatives from counties, cities and towns in hurricane-prone areas.

Social distancing in shelters

shows colorful maps of coastal communities that would flood in the case of a hurricane — Screenshot of the printable poster displaying areas of Beaufort County that would flood in case of hurricane storm surge. Image courtesy: NC Emergency Managemen

Virtual conferencing is just one way that the pandemic has influenced the state’s hurricane preparedness planning. Others include maintaining safe distancing in shelters, a potential reduction in disaster relief from other states, preparing to deal with already crowded hospitals and exhausted medical personnel, and ensuring that people have places other than shelters to ride out the storm.

Perhaps the biggest challenge should a hurricane strike is safely operating and maintaining evacuation shelters, Sprayberry said. To provide adequate social distancing, the state has limited the shelters to 115 square feet per person.

Natosha Vincent, Wilmington’s emergency services coordinator, said that means the four shelters designated for her city cannot hold a total of more than 235 people. During Hurricane Florence, Vincent said, those same shelters had a capacity of about 600 people.

Although no one would be turned away, Vincent said, the city is encouraging people who might have even a remote chance of having to evacuate to a shelter to make arrangements now to stay with family or friends who live inland.

Sprayberry said the state has plans in place to open more shelters if needed, a difficult task even without the pandemic because it is usually done with little advance warning.

Because of the coronavirus, Sprayberry said, shelters are being viewed as “a last resort,” to be used primarily for people with nowhere else to go. Unlike in the past, cots won’t be provided to maximize space, and people will have to bring their own bedding, Vincent said.

Sprayberry called shelters — and the possibility that such close living quarters will lead to a spread of the coronavirus — his “greatest concern.”

As an alternative to shelters, Sprayberry said the state has identified more than 30,000 non-congregate living quarters for people forced to evacuate, including rooms in motels and dormitories farther inland.

Although still awaiting approval from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Sprayberry said the state plans to establish reception areas where low-income people in high-risk areas could go before evacuating to learn which motel or dormitory would accommodate them.

The state has also created evacuation zones in an effort to make evacuating faster, more organized and efficient. The zones can be found on a new interactive website, which will also update evacuation orders for the zones. In addition, ReadyNC has a comprehensive website that provides information about storm preparedness, evacuations, shelters, recovery and the coronavirus.

Wind blows trees and water across a flooded road during the storm. Many believe climate change contributed to the ferocity of this and other recent storms. — Strong winds and waters bend trees in Onslow County along its Queen Creek Bridge during Hurricane Florence. Photo courtesy: NC DOT

Enough PPE?

Sprayberry said he is less concerned about the availability of face masks and other personal protective equipment should a hurricane strike. The state now has a significant amount of PPE in its warehouses, compared with the shortage that happened in March and April, Sprayberry said.

“I’m not gonna say comfortable, I’m gonna say I’m not alarmed right now and I think it’s something that we need to monitor closely and to make sure that we have a good plan in place,” he said. “Right now, we have a significant amount of PPE in stock, but we can’t take our eyes off the ball.”

Sprayberry said local government officials can order more personal protective equipment from the state with no questions asked.

“We’re not stopping ordering because we know that we’re going to need it for building our strategic state stockpile for PPE,” he said.

Marginalized communities

People living in marginalized communities — typically poor minorities in low-lying, flood-prone areas — are the most susceptible to the coronavirus and to major storms. Many of those people lack transportation or friends and family living inland where they could go to seek shelter from a hurricane.

“One of the things that stands out to me about North Carolina, specifically, is that the risks and the vulnerabilities of those folks who are least able to manage those risks are so high,” said Elena Craft, senior director of climate and health for the Environmental Defense Fund. “For example, the low-income minority populations, especially in eastern North Carolina, and the impact of the underlying disease factors that also contribute to the risk for coronavirus infections.

“We think of it as a double or triple whammy where they’re at increased risk for having a severe coronavirus infection. They are more likely to have jobs where they’re potentially exposed to coronavirus, less likely to have access to health care. It’s just a tsunami of different variables that all contribute to sort of higher risk,” she said. ”Then you obviously add the impact from hurricanes.”

Sprayberry is aware of those concerns.

“We always make plans for transportation,” he said. “We can get buses. We have to put less people on the buses than normal. So what would be critical during a time like this is to ensure that if an evacuation order is going to be made that it’s done timely enough so that we have an orderly response that helps us maintain social distancing.”

FloodZoneInteractiveMap — Screenshot of North Carolina’s 20 coastal counties and the areas of potential flooding in case of hurricane and storm surge. Screenshot courtesy: NC Emergency Management

Betsy Albright, chairwoman of the Environmental Economics & Policy Program at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment, said the issue goes far beyond ensuring that people living in marginalized communities can safely evacuate. Albright spoke during a July 1 webinar hosted by the university and titled: “Perfect Storms: Responding to Hurricanes While Addressing COVID-19.”

“We know that low-wealth communities and communities of color are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, both in health and economic impacts,” Albright said. “The impacts of hurricanes are amplified disproportionately across race, due to centuries of institutional and systemic racism. Further studies have documented inequitable access to resources for hurricane recovery across race.

“So all this taken together, the risk of hurricanes will magnify risks of COVID, and vice versa, with more significant impacts on communities of color, under-resourced communities and people who are living or working in congregate facilities, nursing homes and correctional facilities, meat processing facilities, etc.”

Grassroots efforts

Dawn Baldwin Gibson has worked in disaster relief efforts since Hurricane Irene struck the North Carolina coast in 2011. She now heads a task force for N.C. Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters, is the administrator for a 5,657-member Facebook group called Eastern NC Disaster Resources, and is a superintendent at Peletah Ministries in New Bern.

In short, she is among the leading voices on the ground in eastern North Carolina taking charge of efforts to provide information, resources and disaster recovery to impoverished minority communities.

Baldwin Gibson tells a story that begins shortly after Hurricane Irene, while she was helping to hand out food in hard-hit areas. She said she came upon a man who thanked her for the food and then asked, “What about my dog?” With no food left in his home, the man had resorted to eating dog food.

Baldwin Gibson said hurricane preparedness and relief efforts have improved markedly since then.

“We’ve taken this community approach that it has to happen in communities,” she said. “We need government. We need emergency management. We need these state agencies. But we also have to have communities that are at the table.”

Baldwin Gibson said the communities are doing that better than ever. She noted an event scheduled for later this month in which she expects hundreds of people to be provided free healthy food, hurricane preparedness toolkits and information on how to prepare for a storm. The event is scheduled for July 30 at Peletah Ministries in New Bern.

“What we need is for this information that we’re getting from the governor’s office, from Director Sprayberry’s office … to make sure that it’s getting to everyone that needs to be getting it,” Baldwin Gibson said.

shows a road that's wiped out by a roiling sea.Houses on stilts that are now in the surf are visible in the distance. Many believe climate change contributed to the ferocity of this and other recent storms. — NC Highway 12 north of Rodanthe in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. For many, the storm was a harbinger of climate change effects to come along the Outer Banks as storms increase in intensity and sea levels creep up. Photo courtesy: NC DOT

Outside help may be limited

Typically, just after a hurricane hits in North Carolina, help will come pouring in from other states, sometimes even before the storm. That assistance includes swift water rescue boats and personnel, medical professionals, church organizations, utility crews and the like.

Because of the pandemic, Sprayberry said, that may not happen with the same intensity as in the past, especially when it comes to medical workers. The states now have their own problems to deal with, he said.

Baldwin Gibson said one of her biggest concerns is a lack of linemen from other states to help restore power.

“If that doesn’t happen then we’re talking about we may be without electricity for much longer periods of time,” she said. “What does that look like in marginalized communities? So we’re working on those things right now. But if we don’t prepare and get ready …”

Baldwin Gibson said her biggest worry is that people become so focused on dealing with the pandemic that they forget just how important it is to prepare for a hurricane.

“My greatest concern is that we are so focused on the disaster of COVID-19 that we don’t understand how we must stay prepared for hurricane season,” Baldwin Gibson said. “That is my overwhelming concern, and I am appreciative that the information is being pushed out, but this is really going to have to be something that we’re doing at a community level, that we are working with our local agencies and our local officials to make sure that everyone understands the seriousness of what we are facing.”

shows a seemingly calm beach at sunrise, but there may be rip currents present

First responders warn of rip current risks

May 31, 2019 by Coastal Review Online

First responders warn of rip current risks - North Carolina Health News

With the "official start of summer" behind us, it's important for beachgoers to be aware of rip current risks along the North Carolina coast. Knowing how to spot a rip current before it becomes a risk is key.

By Jennifer Allen

Coastal Review Online

There have been seven drownings on the coast so far this year.

Since this story was first published by Coastal Review Online on May 23, there have been at least one more death related to rip currents.

Emerald Isle Police Chief Tony Reese said that this is the earliest they’ve seen any type of water rescues or drownings in the 20 years he’s been at the town. Usually, the water temperature this time of year is still in the 60s, and people typically don’t go into the ocean.

But it’s not the cold putting lives in danger. It’s rip currents.

If a visitor were to find themselves in a rip current, Atlantic Beach Fire Chief Mike Simpson said, “The best thing to do is remain calm and float. Panic and fatigue are the reason for most rip current drownings. Swimming parallel to the shore will eventually get you out of the rip current as most rip currents are only 10-20 feet wide. Signal for help, remain calm and try to float.”

Dave Baker, ocean rescue director and firefighter for Wrightsville Beach, explained that the rip currents, “do not pull you under, they pull you out,” which is why it’s important to remain calm and swim parallel to the shore.

Pine Knoll Shores Fire Chief Jason Baker recognized that it is hard not to panic. “Being caught in a rip is scary but if you panic you die, no question. People panic and they fight the rip, this expends energy and energy is your ability to stay afloat, if you tire out, you cannot keep yourself afloat.”

Reese added there have been many situations where panic has caused someone caught in a rip current to over exert themselves and go into cardiac arrest, leading to their death.

In addition to having your own flotation device when swimming, Reese said that you should never attempt a rescue without one. The town has about 100 for use at nearly every beach access in Emerald Isle. If you get close enough to the person and don’t have a flotation device, he warned, “You’re going to become the flotation device. But first, if you see someone in the water, call 911 before you do anything else and get rescue personnel on the way.”

shows a telephone pole with a rip current warning sign on it — Rip Current Warning, Cape Hatteras Light Station (Lighthouse), Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Buxton, North Carolina. https://www.flickr.com/photos/kenlund/14474906143 Photo credit: Ken Lund, Flickr Creative Commons

If calling 911, it is imperative that you know your location, be it a beach access or approximate distance from a fixed location such as pier, restaurant or hotel, Dave Baker said. “That way help has a greater chance of responding in a timely manner and not wonder where on the beach strand you are located.”

Many beach towns and the National Park Service are working to keep beachgoers aware of the dangers of rip currents by using warning flag systems, having lifeguards both stationed on and patrolling the beaches from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend and using various avenues to inform the public about the dangers of rip currents.

Reese advised that before heading into the ocean, understand the risks.

“If you’re going to take a vacation in the desert, I’m sure you’d sit down and do research about what to be aware of and to look for, coming to the ocean is no different. People need to do their research and understand surf conditions,” he said.

Mike Barber, public information officer for Cape Hatteras National Seashore, said the same. “It is very important for seashore visitors to check the daily beach forecast and learn about ocean hazards before heading to the beach.”

Reese explained that the Emerald Isle Fire Department evaluates the beach conditions every morning and shares their observations with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “We base our forecast and flag on what we’re seeing on our beaches.”

Pine Knoll Shores Fire Chief Jason Baker said you can also use your smartphone to check the weather and NOAA’s rip current forecast before even leaving for the beach.

“There are dozens of weather apps that can give you the forecast where you will be vacationing. NOAA puts out a rip current forecast every day, look at it and see what they are predicting,” he said.

Pine Knoll Shores, like many beach communities, uses green, yellow and red warning flags. Jason Baker said to think of the colors used for the flags like traffic stop lights.

“Green means go, yellow means caution, red means stop. Here in Pine Knoll Shores, we also fly a black flag for closure of the water. You can go to the Pine Knoll Shores Fire and EMS Facebook page and check what flag we are flying that day as well as a synopsis of what the flag colors mean,” Jason Baker said.

If you have questions, call the fire department and ask what they think of the beach conditions that day. “They are the ones who perform the rescues, they study the weather conditions, and they have a good ‘feel’ about how dangerous the conditions are,” Jason Baker said. The town also shares conditions via social media, at paid parking accesses and the police department patrols the beach four times a day to speak with beachgoers.

Visitors should first look to see if there are lifeguarded areas for swimming and heed beach warning flags and any posted informational signs, Simpson said, and to either wear a flotation device or have some form with them, such as a boogie board. He also reminded visitors to “never let small children out of their sight or in the water alone.”

The warning flag system in Atlantic Beach is also green, yellow and red, with green meaning low hazard, yellow medium hazard and red being high hazard.

shows two black and white photographs with images of ocean beachs with rip current activity offshore — Image from page 80 of “Coast Watch” (1979), published by NC Sea Grant in 1979. “We used to believe that the formation of rip currents was relatively spontaneous and correlated with individual events such as large storms,” said University of Florida researcher Bob Dean in the publication. “Now, we’re starting to believe rip currents persist for longer time periods at various strengths, sometimes as long as several weeks or months.”

“Yellow or red beach warning flags are used at many beach accesses throughout Atlantic Beach,” Simpson said, adding if rip current risks are low, there will be a green flag at the main lifeguarded beach area, which is at the “Circle” beach.

Starting Friday through Labor Day, Lifeguards will begin patrolling the beach from the three towers and two lifeguards will be out on ATVs Friday-Sunday on either end of the main beach strand.

Simpson added that the fire department checks beach conditions at 9 a.m. and between 4 and 5 p.m. daily and posts warning flags accordingly. The police department has increased beach patrols to several times daily to be able to educate and warn beach visitors of the dangers of rip currents.

Reese told Coastal Review Online that Emerald Isle never flies green flags on its 13 miles of beach, which is half of the 26-mile Bogue Banks, because they don’t consider the ocean to ever be completely calm and safe.

“There are always currents, always hazards if you enter the ocean,” Reese explained. “The lowest level of flag we fly is a yellow flag, that is a moderate risk. For high risk, we’ve always flown the red flag.” If you don’t see flags on the beach between Memorial Day and Labor Day, then you can assume yellow-flag conditions.

Emerald Isle flies warning flags at public accesses, at both town welcome signs, both fire departments, at lifeguard stands at the Western and Eastern ocean regional accesses, which have lifeguards starting Memorial Day weekend, on the vehicles of the four lifeguards that patrol the beach as well as the Public Works vehicles that drive on the beach to empty the trash cans. The attendant at the paid parking lots can also provide information.

Rising NC Heat Blasts Everyone, but Hits Those Over 65 Harder

July 10, 2018 by Thomas Goldsmith

Rising NC Heat Blasts Everyone, but Hits Those Over 65 Harder - North Carolina Health News

As global, national and local temperatures continue to rise, North Carolina seniors are showing up at emergency departments suffering from the heat.

By Thomas Goldsmith

A teenager growing up in Wilmington in the late 1960s and early ’70s sweated through about 40 days each year on which it was hotter than average.

In 2018, that teenager has now reached retirement age and feels the extra heat on about 70 days a year, an increase of 75 percent. That’s according to Climate Central, a nonprofit climate-study organization in Princeton, N.J., which analyzes data from NOAA and other sources.

shows probability that temperatures in the Southeast will be hotter than usual over the coming 6-10 days — Long term outlook forecasts from the National Weather Service are a graphic display of the confidence that a forecaster has, given as a probability, that the observed temperature, averaged over upcoming days will be either below normal, normal or above normal. This is a screenshot of the 6-10 day forecast dated July 9, 2018.

“In North Carolina, the three hottest summers on record back to 1895 were 2010, 2011 and 2016,” said Sean Sublette, meteorologist at Climate Central.

He also said that now, nights don’t cool off as much. “The nights when it stayed above 70 were about 20 back in 1970. Now that number is 70. It’s going to be harder to recover after the heat of the day.”

Health professionals warn that older people may feel the heat in different and sometimes unexpected ways. Experts at the National Institute on Aging recently pointed out health-related risk factors that can place older people at peril:

Sweat glands and circulatory systems that don’t relieve heat as well as they should;
Diseases that can cause fever or overall weakness, including those affecting the heart, kidney or liver;
Any condition that requires dietary changes, including salt restriction;
Medications including some heart and blood pressure drugs that could reduce sweating;
Carrying extra pounds, or being underweight; and
Alcohol consumption.

Hot-weather risks can lead to heat exhaustion and the much more serious heat stroke: A national study found that people between 65 and 74 averaged a 5 percent increased risk of death during heat waves; for people 75 and older, the average increased risk of death was 8.2 percent. (The study defined a heat wave as temperatures greater than the 99.5th percentile for more than two days.)

“Rising, rising, rising”

“It is a very important public health concern,” said Dr. Graham Snyder, emergency physician at WakeMed in Raleigh. “The combination of older age and taking a lot of medications can put you at risk.”

People with dementia — and that includes as many as one-half of people older than 85 — might forget to pay an electric bill that makes air conditioning possible, Snyder said. Lack of money can also present problems for older people in heat waves; those without transportation can’t take a cooling trip to a shopping mall or swimming pool.

“Poorer people who may be stuck in an apartment can feel the temperatures rising, rising, rising,” Snyder said. “Someone with dementia might say, ‘I don’t feel good,’ but not know why. If you have elderly loved ones, it’s really important in the heat to check in with them.”

screenshot of a website reading: June 2018 ranks third warmest on record for US — Screenshot of the homepage for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, grabbed on July 9, 2018.

Our aging teenager from Wilmington would likely be joined by people across the state in encountering more days of hot weather. In Greensboro, the increase in the number of above-normal days was from 33 to 68, more than double. In cooler Asheville, those days rose from 45 to 58.

Meanwhile, during the second week in July, the National Weather Service is predicting that temperatures will creep back up to the ’90s across North Carolina. Hospitals have already seen more than 1,300 people show up since early May because of generally rising temperatures.

In the week of June 17-23, nearly 500 people were seen in North Carolina hospital emergency departments because of the heat, as the National Weather Service posted maximum daily heat indexes at RDU from 97.4 degrees to 107.5 degrees.

Residents caught a break during the week of June 24 through June 30, when daily maximum temperatures dipped to a range of 77.7 degrees to 103.9 degrees and about 290 people visited hospital emergency departments with heat-related illness.

Tips for older people in hot weather:

The state Division of Aging and Adult Services has information about where people older than 60 can apply to get fans. In addition, the division advises older people to talk with doctors and other health professionals about medications, including painkillers, that can reduce awareness of dehydration and diuretics used for fluid loss. Additional tips from DAAS:

Cool off by taking baths or showers or placing ice bags or wet towels on the body.
Stay out of direct sunlight, put shades over the windows, and use cross-ventilation and fans to cool rooms.
Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing that permits sweat to evaporate.
Drink plenty of liquids such as water, fruit or vegetable juices and iced tea to replace the fluids lost by sweating. As a person ages, thirst declines. Limit intake of alcoholic beverages or fluids that have too much salt, since salt can complicate existing medical problems, such as high blood pressure.
Eat small meals and eat more often and avoid foods that are high in protein which increases metabolic (body) heat.

Source: North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services

Of the two common heat-related conditions, heat exhaustion is the less serious. “A patient with heat exhaustion would present with vomiting, leg fatigue, cramping. You need to immediately get in the shade and get hydrated,” Snyder said. “Heat stroke is all of those things, plus confusion. If the person says he’s confused, that’s a heat stroke. You’re starting to talk about potential fatality.”

Heat rising in the East

Eastern North Carolinians typically feel more summer heat than people in other regions — Fayetteville experienced about 75 days of above-normal temperatures in 2015 before dipping to 62 in 2017. But increases will likely continue statewide unless national and worldwide energy practices change dramatically, said Sublette from Climate Central.

Additional Thanks

Categories

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