Tuesday PM Update

[A few quick updates from David as of 3pm Tuesday.]

1. Don't send any more stuff. Don't drive here with stuff.

There are many, many semi trucks waiting to be unloaded. This is Day 5, and the cavalry is here; in fact, it has become a problem.

Three Examples:

• In the EOC a few minutes ago, we turned away two 'free' helicopters from the Cajun Navy, who are waiting nearby to fly in... because there are already 20 helicopters (private, military, air ambulance) in the Black Mountain area alone, let alone the larger county.

• Same issue with incoming food and other supplies. There aren't enough volunteers to process it all. And 50 police personnel just roared into town this morning to take up positions around the town as security for looting... and for all the goods that have arrived.

• Coming here is not a great idea. We're all using lights and sirens to get through the ridiculous amount of traffic. Most stoplights don't work, so the 4-way stop protocol takes forever. We really just need people to stay away.

2. Starlink. I may have to modify my disapproval of Elon Musk. He's behind the 20 Starlinks delivered; we're using two of them.

If you don't have your own Starlink as Jen and I do, you might get one. Literally the most important thing after water, since you can text for help. Not an ad, just sharing the lesson.

3. Missing People. Many of you have shared that you have a friend/loved one here... and you haven't heard from them. In many, many cases, this is simply due to the lack of cell service and landline phones (remember those). If you remain concerned, then register them with this form. It is managed by the County here and is the best way to start the process of finding out about someone.

I don't have an opinion about the social media check-in forums, but understand: those are not monitored by the first responders.

4. Communications. I've spent a good part of my day getting my team to help restore networking in the town buildings for all the staff and volunteers... and re-establishing cellular.

We had Ian up on the fire department roof arranging the Starlink equipment and running new cable (illegal for me to climb the ladder, let alone scramble on the roof, with my new hips).

The cellular issue is also instructive: it will take a long time for the regular towers to come back online. I've been working with Verizon; they have two emergency mobile towers (called COWs) here, and every time they are on, they break from the overload of thousands of residents using their phones simultaneously. Band-aid, not cure.

My nerd friends may find it interesting that I nixed the plan to fly a long-service drone as a cell tower—life safety issue (see above, 20 helicopters in our area). But pretty cool technology.

5. Evacuations. Some of you may already know that Jen evacuated today, as did Jamie Bookwalter and the kids. Our tenants with their daughter, and neighbors with theirs, have all evacuated.

This is painful in many ways, but it is very much the best thing to do... reduces impact both on the household level and on the town. Less poop, less food and water consumption, less cell tower impact, less dirty clothes (an interesting issue as this goes on).

See this folder for a few pics and one video that gives you a feel for the EOC here at the fire department.

6. On The Ground Support. Ian is staying for a bit to help me, and a former Kitsbow employee (shout out to Dennis Gibson) and his wife Carrie, radio nerds, are all helping. Our good friend Lisa Jennings, a ranger who sometimes serves as a PIO (public information officer) for the USFS, is with me on the command staff, doing an amazing job coaching our fire chief, police chief, and public works director through the process of talking to the press, and more importantly, messaging to a traumatized public. So cool to see all these deep skills applied to a community. Incredible.

I also love that I keep bumping into friends and loved ones in our town, and they are helping, and they are so appreciative of everyone who is helping.

The scale of this disaster continues to unfold. 40 confirmed fatalities, 400 missing.
The good news is here too, with hundreds (thousands?) self-rescuing, helping each other get out of land islands, and even a few private helicopter evacuations. So while this is scary, traumatizing, and often overwhelming... there is the best of humanity here, every minute and every hour. I am reminded again of the power of community service, to something bigger than yourself.

I promise to share more about How You Can Help soon.