Cedar Rapids, Iowa, just flooded

[Tubacap]

In PAWG we use a format for the file names.  It takes a some crew coordination, but man is it a whole lot easier to sort out at the EOC.  Even if they just get the Lat/Long in the image name. 

PAWG Photo Image Format

Make sure you fly a crew of three if you can, have one person shooting pictures, one recording lat/long, direction, and object, and obviously the pilot.

Good luck!

[mikeylikey]

I just read and looked at the pics posted on AF.mil on Iowa and their National Guard.  I was expecting to see in the pictures a "Civil Air Patrol" desk.  Is it there, or did you Iowa folks not set up shop this time around??

[♠SARKID♠]

WI newspaper posted a great picture of CAP at work.
http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/291687

[CadetProgramGuy]

I just read and looked at the pics posted on AF.mil on Iowa and their National Guard.  I was expecting to see in the pictures a "Civil Air Patrol" desk.  Is it there, or did you Iowa folks not set up shop this time around??

Last I knew IAWG lost it's seat in the SEOC, but that was in January.  According to isuhawkeye, we must have it back again, I just don't know where it is.

I have access for CAP to the SEOC, as well as being qualified as a LO for SEOC, but I wasn't called or talked to about serving.

[RiverAux]

In PAWG we use a format for the file names.  It takes a some crew coordination, but man is it a whole lot easier to sort out at the EOC.  Even if they just get the Lat/Long in the image name. 

PAWG Photo Image Format

Never seen a CAP plane where the GPS was set up for decimal degrees (N39.43312 W77.58315).  All I've seen are degrees, minutes, and tenths of minutes: 39 deg 10.31'N 60 deg 50.99'W). 

Making sure everyone writes down the info they should have is a running battle.  People don't seem to realize the photographs are worthless without a lot of that stuff.  They'll spend an hour flying to a target and not want to take an extra 5 minutes to ensure it is documented correctly. 

[CAP Producer]

Updates have been posted to the Iowa Floods Website:

http://www.ncrpao.org/specials/2008_ia_floods/iafloods.htm

[♠SARKID♠]

I found a couple views of Lake Dalton, WI draining away after it broke its levee.  It takes down two houses with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wqxIT5zAtI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0bVsSWXG-I

[RiverAux]

On today's "Around the Services" broadcast they talked about the NG using their RC-22 (I think that is the right designator) aircraft to do flood damage assessment.  Apparently they've had 2 of them involved (4 are in Iraq and they have 5 others).  They normally use it for counterdrug work and it seems like a superior alternative to what we can provide, but then again, I'm fairly skeptical about the long-term prospects for CAP's aerial ES program. 

[isuhawkeye]

I may have tasked that aircraft a few years ago.  If it is out of Wisconsin's counter drug program...

Thats an amazing platform, and it explains why I started seeing fewer, and fewer CAP images, and more pictures with a cross hair in the center of the picture.  That would be consistent with that platform. 

[Eclipse]

On today's "Around the Services" broadcast they talked about the NG using their RC-22 (I think that is the right designator) aircraft to do flood damage assessment.  Apparently they've had 2 of them involved (4 are in Iraq and they have 5 others).  They normally use it for counterdrug work and it seems like a superior alternative to what we can provide, but then again, I'm fairly skeptical about the long-term prospects for CAP's aerial ES program. 

A camera is a camera, and I guarantee you CAP is cheaper.

[Johnny Yuma]

isuhawkeye,

What's with these teams entering locked homes in Cedar Rapids and cops rousting the residents? I'm hoping I'm missing something but it appears to be the temas themselves doing the taping/editing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONAudPPhum8

[mikeylikey]

I hope it was just a COP being a jerk because he was hot and tired. 

Last time I looked, Iowa was a State in the United States.  Civil liberties don't stop when a natural disaster strikes.  Even a mandatory evacuation can be disobeyed, and was  demonstrated in Louisiana during 2005. 

With the COP saying "I will make sure you don't come back here until it is all over", means there was no federal or state evacuation order.  Thus private citizens can stay in their homes if they wish too.  Honestly, I think I would stay if the threat to my life was not there, just to protect my home.   

[isuhawkeye]

Yeah I can talk about this video.

I addressed some of these issues in my blog post from a few days ago.

http://isuhawkeye.typepad.com/halbrook_associatescom/2008/06/frustration-ove.html

Here is the situation.  nearly 4,000 residences in cedar rapids were buried under between 3 and 20 feet of water.  As the water rose a mandatory evacuation was enacted, and a perimeter was placed around those parts of the city that were affected.  As people evacuated their residences they were instructed to tie a cloth around their door nob as a sign that everyone was out of the property.  As the water receded there were a lot of concerns (a la Katrina).  Was the area safe, were there bodies/victims to be recovered. How much damage was done, so on, and so on.  

The decision was made that before residents were returned to their homes the flooded areas needed to be searched, evaluated, and cleared.  In order to accomplish this strike teams were put together.  The strike teams consisted of

1. A member of IA-TF1 (Iowa's Urban SAR task force)
2. A fire figheter/EMS provider
3.  A search K-9 (HRD)
4. A Law enforcement officer
5. A utilities technician
6. Other specialty resources as needed (Guard troop for transportation)

These teams were expected to quickly clear and evaluate properties to ensure that there were no major hazards in the community, and the utilities guys were there to shut off gas and electric to properties.  This will allow the gas company to come in and restore services to the city.  

As the teams went to work the residents were told that they would get permission to get into their properties.  Residents got in line. They waited, and waited, and waited.  They became angry at the delays, and took their anger out on the search teams.  

The work to clear the town has been much slower than expected.  many houses did not mark that they were clear.  As a result teams have been instructed to search for victims.  This means forcing entry into many more houses than has been expected.  

The utility infrastructure has been much more damaged than expected, so those repairs are taking place.  

Finally early in the process a utility worker was nearly killed when a buildings foundation collapsed, and he was sucked into the basement.  This incident was reported, as a minor injury.  When residents heard that the clearance was delayed because of a minor injury they became more upset.  

Having only watched the movie once I can only assume that the resident who had the confrontation with the cop was probably inside the perimeter before the section was cleared.  

Hope that helps

[isuhawkeye]

eclipse

A camera may be a camera, but when blank checks are being written no one cares how cheap you can get a job done.


I wont comment on the Job the Iowa wing has done

[RiverAux]

A camera is a camera, and I guarantee you CAP is cheaper.

No, not really.  We have no video downlink capability at all.    The difference between a belly-mounted stabilized camera and what you get from a scanner puking his guts out while trying to take a photo (been there  ) is significant. 

I'm sure our folks are doing what they're supposed to be doing, but this CG aircraft is not all that special looking - twin prop.  Yes, I'm sure it is moderately more expensive than CAP, but its not like a U-2, but appears much more capable.  Sure, there aren't many of them. 

[isuhawkeye]

If that aircraft is the same one I am thinking of it is not CG, it is Wisconsin Air National Guard

[RiverAux]

yes, these are national guard aircraft. 

[isuhawkeye]

so, what does everyone think of that video.  do the actions still seem inapropriate, or are they justified?

also NCR has put out some impressive new press releases.  check them out

[Eclipse]

so, what does everyone think of that video.  do the actions still seem inappropriate, or are they justified?

I don't think we have enough context to comment. We don't know what prompted the exchange to start with.

They appear to be police and fire, so in theory would have the authority to enter the homes and order people out, assuming a mandatory evac is enforceable.

Emotions run high for everyone in situations like this and frankly the citizen looks like the type who tries to tell police how its going to be in situations like these, generally resulting in a less than agreeable situation for the citizen.

[mikeylikey]

^ I am not so sure.  The Cop did say something like "I will make sure you don't come back at all until this is all over", making me think everyone was allowed back in their homes, or were not forced to leave "by force" to begin with. 

I could imagine, this guy had witnessed fire and search teams forcibly enter homes and was maybe looking out for his neighbors property, those that did not come back yet.

I still don't understand how these teams are legally allowed to break into private residences.  Gas and Power can be shut off at the source of transmission.  The "searching for deceased" never really flies with me.  If a person is deceased, the family, Friends and neighbors will discover that when everyone settles back in. 

You better believe if I was sitting in my living room and a group of people in t-shirts and jeans breaks down my door, and I did not know what was going on, they may end up dead.  Plus, what is to stop people from claiming these search teams stole valuable property when they broke in?

It is not a very good practice in my opinion.  Maybe Iowa law is different than where I live.