Derecho Storm Response

1. Derecho
Storm Response

2. Friday, June 29
 Approximately 10 p.m., a severe
thunderstorm (derecho) hit Fairfax
County.
 Within 30 minutes the County’s
Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
was activated at a monitoring level.

4. Saturday, June 30
 At 4 a.m. the EOC was deactivated; all
public safety and VDOT needs had been
met and Dominion Virginia Power was
reporting approximately 20,000 meters
out of service.
 The EOC was re-activated at 9:30 a.m.

5. EOC Operational Hours
 The EOC was staffed 24/7 Saturday,
June 30, through 8 p.m. Monday, July 2.
– 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday, July 3.
– 11 a.m. to midnight, Wednesday, July 4
– 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, July 5
– 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, July 6.
– OEM duty officer monitored the event
during the overnight hours maintaining
situational awareness.

6. Derecho Storm Response
 Power Outages in Fairfax County
 Dominion Va. Power - 394,361 meters.
 NOVEC - 26,306 meters.
 Saturday, June 30, 2 p.m.:
– 229,000 Dominion Virginia Power meters
without power.
– 3,263 NOVEC meters without power.

7. Saturday, June 30
 No 9-1-1 phone service, limited
communication ability.
 120+ traffic intersections without power.
 Over 40 percent of fire stations were
operating on emergency generator power
and 50% had no land-line phone service.

8. Saturday, June 30
 The County has 63 wastewater pumping
stations; 40 lost commercial power.
 All 63 wastewater pumping stations lost
SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data
Acquisition) system communications
during this storm.

9. Saturday, June 30
 100+ homes reported damaged by fallen
tress; 15 homes being reviewed
by Building
Inspector.
 50+ FCPS sites
were without
power.

13. Saturday, June 30
 Falls Church Water Utility issued a boil
water advisory advising water customers
in portions of Tysons Corner, Vienna,
Dunn Loring and Merrifield to use boiled
tap water or bottled water for drinking
and cooking purposes as a safety
precaution.
 No issues for Fairfax Water customers.

14. Saturday, June 30
 County voice and data was compromised
due to power outages.
 Internal County
radio system
remained
functional.
 F&R windshield
surveys.

15. Saturday, June 30
 Phone calls were initiated to everyone
registered on the County’s special
medical needs registry to see if any
access or functional needs were
identified; calls were continued daily
through Tuesday, July 3.
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/specialneeds/

16. Saturday, June 30
 All County facilities
with power serve as
cooling opportunities.
 Due to power outages,
messaging was done
about available
facilities that had
power and were open.

17. Saturday, June 30
 Local and State emergency declarations.
 Governor Robert (Bob) F. McDonnell and
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Chairman Sharon
Bulova attended
an operational
briefing in
the EOC.

18. Saturday, June 30
 Governor Robert (Bob) F. McDonnell and
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Chairman Sharon
Bulova conducted
a joint press
conference
held at MPSTOC.

19. Derecho Storm Response

20. Sunday, July 1
 EOC operational 24/7.
 130 intersections
affected.
 Boil water advisory
in affect.
 Several police
stations without
commercial power.

21. Sunday, July 1
 No 9-1-1 phone service, limited
communication ability.
 Cooling opportunities continued.
 Extended hours at I-66 Transfer Station
and I-495 Landfill complex.

22. Sunday, July 1
 Regional CAO conference call to
determine regional
infrastructure damage,
operating status, etc.
 Assessment of County
facilities is ongoing;
operational status for
Monday determined.

23. Sunday, July 1
 Notifications made to County staff (EAN,
employee hotline, etc.)
 Accommodations made for several
agencies and personnel due to power
outages.

24. Derecho Storm Response

25. Monday, July 2
 EOC operational
through 8 p.m. Duty
officer provided
overnight coverage.
 Approximately 100
intersections affected.
 Intermittent issues with
mobile comm terminals.

26. Monday, July 2
 9-1-1 phone service issues continue.
 Cooling opportunities continue.
 Continue to assess County infrastructure
and operations.

27. Monday, July 2
 County open with unscheduled leave;
emergency service personnel reported as
scheduled.
 Courts were closed.
 County services continued with some
modifications.

28. Derecho Storm Response

29. Tuesday, July 3
 EOC operational, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
 9-1-1 phone service restored; fully
functional.
 Cooling opportunities continue.
 Continue to assess County infrastructure
and operations. County open with
unscheduled leave; emergency service
personnel reported as scheduled.

30. Tuesday, July 3
 Multiple conference calls with human
service agencies, Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster (VOADs), faith-based
groups, etc. to ensure that human service
needs were being met.
 Regional conference calls with emergency
managers and CAOs continued (daily
events).

31. Tuesday, July 3
 Lewinsville Presbyterian Church, McLean,
opened to provide a cool spot for
residents. The church discontinued its
heat relief operations at 5 p.m. on
Thursday, July 5.
 Other non-county sponsored locations
were opened as well as cooling
opportunities in several Board Districts.

32. Derecho Storm Response

33. Wednesday, July 4
 EOC operational, 11 a.m. to midnight;
Hours adjusted to ensure monitoring and
coordination due to possible weather and
fireworks events.
 Extended hours continue at I-66 Transfer
Station and I-495 Landfill complex.
 Flat fee for debris drop-off.

34. Wednesday, July 4
 Extended hours at RECenters.
 Fee waived for use of shower facilities at
RECenters.
 Fire & Rescue continue “walkabouts” in
the hardest hit areas of the County.

35. Wednesday, July 4
 Cooling opportunities continued.
 Special information and referral line was
operational, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
 Continue to assess County
infrastructure and operations.

36. Derecho Storm Response

37. Thursday, July 5
 EOC operational, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 Continued restoration of power to
County facilities, schools and
prioritization of restoration of services
in conjunction with Dominion Virginia
Power.

38. Thursday, July 5
 Cooling opportunities continue.
 Continued decrease in roadways/
intersections affected by power/debris.
 Continue to assess County infrastructure
and operations.

39. Derecho Storm Response

40. Friday, July 6
 EOC operational, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 483 meters without power (As of 5 p.m.)
 FCPS – power restored at all sites
 Continue to assess County infrastructure;
all County facilities have power.

41. Derecho Storm Response
 For the event (June 29-July 6), there
were four reported deaths* in Fairfax
County.
 The Virginia Office of the Chief Medical
Examiner has reported there have
been 10 heat-related fatalities
statewide since June 20.
* Two fatalities from the storm; the additional two were patients transported to
Fairfax hospitals from outside our jurisdiction.

42. Derecho Storm Response
 Next Steps
– The Office of Emergency Management will conduct a
complete after-incident report, bringing in County
agencies, partner agencies and external partners.
– The Office of Emergency Management and the
Department of Information Technology have been working
and beta testing an online damage disaster database, a
reporting tool for residents to report damages. Given the
June 29 storm, OEM and DIT staff fast-tracked the
project. The database is live and will be promoted this
week for residents to report derecho damage.
– Investigate opportunities for improved communications.