BLANCO COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
MEMORIAL DAY 2015 RAIN EVENT
(Federal Disaster Declaration 4223 DR TX: Texas Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding)
AFTER ACTION REPORT, JUNE 11, 2015
I.
Executive Summary
A major flood event involving the Blanco and Little Blanco Rivers occurred in southern Blanco
County, Texas during Memorial Day weekend, 2015, which resulted in the loss of 3 persons,
substantial damage to approximately 25 homes and other structures, many recreational
vehicles, destruction of one state highway bridge and damage to several county-maintained low
water crossings. Tornadoes were reported during the initial rain fall event, and tornado reports
continued for several days in the southern and central areas of Blanco County. Search and
recovery efforts were conducted by state-supplied personnel, from multiple agencies, over a
two week period. Debris accumulation from river flooding on county rights-of-way is initially
estimated at 40,000 cubic yards of vegetation and an undetermined amount of white goods and
other debris. Debris removal is being finalized at the time of this report.
II. Overview
Exceptionally heavy and unseasonable rainfall occurred in Texas, beginning early in 2015 and
peaked in the month of May. May, 2015 is now recorded as the wettest on record with 8.81” of
rain recorded in the central Texas region. Year to date rainfall in Texas is slightly over 20 inches
or approximately 9.6” above average. Rainfall recorded in the City of Blanco for the May 24th –
25th twenty four hour period totaled over 11 inches. The damage resulting from this flooding
event was devastating, and cost from this disaster exceed $1million, and damage assessment
remains ongoing as we attempt to capture more accurate data.
On the evening of Saturday, May 23 and into the early morning of Sunday, May 24, 2015
significant rainfall occurred in southern Blanco County, resulting in a rapid rise in the water
levels in the Blanco and Little Blanco Rivers. Low water crossing rapidly became impassable
resulting in several vehicles being carried downstream, and entrapping several drivers and
vehicle occupants. River levels continued to rise throughout the night and early morning hours
and the Blanco River crested in San Marcos at over 42 feet, compared to a previously recorded
record high of 33 feet. Heavy rain showers continued, intermittently for several days during the
following week.
The Blanco County Sheriff’s Office began receiving reports of rising water at a number of low
water crossings on county roads during the late afternoon and early evening. At approximately
7 pm on May 23, an emergency operations communications center and command post was
established at the Blanco Fire Station and calls for service for citizens were routed to, and
responders were dispatched through this office. Local capabilities for rescue and recovery were
overwhelmed and a disaster declaration was issued by the Blanco County Judge. State officials
concurred and an existing declaration (initially dated May 10) was expanded to include Blanco
and other counties downstream of the Blanco River. A federal disaster declaration followed.
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BLANCO COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
MEMORIAL DAY 2015 RAIN EVENT
(Federal Disaster Declaration 4223 DR TX: Texas Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding)
AFTER ACTION REPORT, JUNE 11, 2015
The Blanco County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) operationalized its Incident
Command structure and subsequently established an Emergency Operations Center at a remote
location, leaving the command post and communications center in place at the fire station. A
second command post was created in the western area of the county to manage assets assigned
there. Additional resources were secured from the Texas Division of Emergency Management
including Texas National Guard Troops, Texas Interstate Fire Mutual Aid System, Texas A & M
University Texas Forest Service, Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol, Texas Task
Force 1 and Texas Search and Rescue Volunteers.
Blanco County received 18 reports of missing persons during the course of the event. Fifteen
were eventually located and verified to be safe; three persons lost their lives as a result of the
flooding disaster.
Sheltering operations were established the first night of the event by a group of volunteers at
the Gem of the Hills center in Blanco who provided shelter for over 50 evacuees. These local
volunteers were subsequently supported by American Red Cross workers and over the extent of
the search, rescue, and recovery activities they provided sleeping space, toilet and shower
facilities over 40 TEXSAR and 20 TIFMAS volunteers. The shelter volunteers also coordinated,
and/or prepared meals three times daily for all of the personnel deployed to Blanco County,
other VOAD personnel, EOC staffers and any others needing a hot meal.
Search and rescue / recovery efforts were conducted by Blanco and Johnson City fire
department personnel and were augmented with the arrival of additional personnel deployed
by the state operations center (Texas Task Force 1, Texas State Guard, TIFMAS, and DPS).
Search and recovery activities continued for two weeks after the initial flooding event, with
volunteers searching the entire length of the Blanco River and the eastern half of the Little
Blanco River. At that time all known missing persons were accounted for, and search activities
were suspended.
Five fire engines staffed by TIFMAS volunteers, each a paramedic-level medical responder, were
stationed at Henly, Texas in an unmanned fire station offered to us for our use. This allowed
rapid fire and EMS response in eastern Blanco County, where ordinary response would have
been significantly delayed due to the RM 165 bridge damage preventing direct access from the
City of Blanco.
Blanco County curtailed full scale emergency operations by June 1st, including the release of all
TDEM-supplied assets (TIFMAS, TAMU/TFS personnel), but continued in operational status with
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BLANCO COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
MEMORIAL DAY 2015 RAIN EVENT
(Federal Disaster Declaration 4223 DR TX: Texas Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding)
AFTER ACTION REPORT, JUNE 11, 2015
added staff in the Office of Emergency Management. These personnel are responsible for
reviewing and reconciling personnel rosters, documenting equipment utilized and conducting
meetings with representatives of state and federal disaster specialists. The county also began
the process of contracting with debris removal firms and debris contractor monitor firms in
order to remove storm-related debris from county road rights-of-way. Blanco County OEM will
continue in this recovery mode until the debris contactors have completed their work, county
and state road and bridge work is substantially complete and the project worksheets have been
approved at the state level and submitted to FEMA for reimbursement.
III. After Action Meeting/Report
A meeting was held on June 11, 2015 with representatives from each responding local agency
and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Comments from Texas A&M Texas Forest Service
representatives had previously been solicited and received before their demobilization.
Several core competencies were identified and comments from the group were received, as
were suggestions for enhancement or improvement in future events. Each of these was
assigned a person responsible for constructing changes, and time frames for completion were
set where applicable. The matrix developed following the meeting is attached.
IV. Significant Lessons Learned
Improvements were suggested by the group in several areas, including communications,
operationalizing the emergency operations center and establishing incident command activities,
managing external resources, section reporting and accountability, and exploring options for
computer assisted dispatching for the county.
The Matrix developed from comments offered by the group attending our After Action Review is
integral to this report.
For additional information contact:
Chris Liesmann
Blanco County Emergency Management
Coordinator
Telephone: (830) 868-4266
Email: blcomm3@zeecon.com
Prepared by:
Mike Megna
Blanco County Office of Emergency
Management
Telephone (409) 771 – 1340
Email: mmegna@sbcglobal.net
/AARFinalNarrativeReport.doc
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BLANCO COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
MEMORIAL DAY 2015 RAIN EVENT
(Federal Disaster Declaration 4223 DR TX: Texas Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding)
AFTER ACTION REPORT, JUNE 11, 2015
Item
No.
1
2
3
Core Capability
Observation / Discussion
Recommendations
Communications External / Interagency
(1)
Some responders had questions about
the primary channel in use for the event;
Dispatchers were overwhelmed with
calls. It was very helpful to move event
radio traffic to Ops channels; It was
beneficial to have additional personnel
in the dispatch office but crowded &
noisy
Develop a standing
communications plan for
emergencies. Investigate a
computerized assisted dispatch
system for Blanco County.
Deploy additional help to SO
Dispatch for event-specific radio
traffic. Consider a sound partition
between dispatchers in SO
Communications Center
Communications External / Interagency
(2)
Out - of - area responding agencies used
radios which were not all equipped with
the frequencies identified for the event
by Blanco OEM
Communications Internal
Daily or more frequent Situation Reports
would have been of benefit to SO
Communications
Improvement / Corrective
Action
Responsible Party / Agency
Completion Date
(1) An ICS 205 Communications
Plan to be developed for use in
the initial phases of an event.
(2) CAD products and
alternatives (e.g. contracted)
will be evaluated
(3)
Consider an alternative /
remote location but with
proximity to SO Dispatch for
special event / disaster radio
comms during an event
(1) Ben Oakley + others
(2) Blanco County SO, OEM
(3) Blanco County SO
To Be Determined
Create a cache of radios with all
necessary / appropriate
frequencies which could be
issued to external responder
leadership for communications
with the command post(s) and /
or Incident Command Center
Acquire additional radios
dedicated to external agency
use during an event
OEM / Emergency
Management
Coordinator/Staff
To Be Determined
Distribute interim Sit Reps during
each operational period
PIO and IC will develop interim
reports, primarily when
information of use to
volunteers, communications
and/or elected officials is
obtained.
Incident Commander &
Public Information Officer
Include in Annual
Emergency
Operations Plan
Revision
4
BLANCO COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
MEMORIAL DAY 2015 RAIN EVENT
(Federal Disaster Declaration 4223 DR TX: Texas Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding)
AFTER ACTION REPORT, JUNE 11, 2015
4
5
6
Event - Specific
Customized
Communications
Triggers for OEM/EOC
Activation/Deployment
EOC Position Depth /
Cross training
Updates, Missing Persons, Abandoned /
Submerged Vehicles and other
information was not widely available
There should be some predefined
criteria for when the OEM activates an
EOC CP.
Several EOC positions had only one
person identified for the role who
consequently worked long hours without
rest.
Develop custom boards in
WebEOC for wide distribution of
information
WebEOC boards can be created
for specific use and populated
as information is received,
updated when information is
verified, and shared across the
region with other responders
and interested agencies.
Incident Commander &
Public Information Officer
As Needed
Identify triggers (1) for
establishing CPs to support a
confined event (2) for limited
activation of EOC (minimal
resources) (3) for full activation of
county supported EOC
Define the trigger points
recommended and distribute
to all agency heads and SO
dispatch; OEM personnel
should be contacted by the
agency head or dispatch to
activate EOC/ICS functions.
Future plans should include
provisions for a Unified
Command when multiple
agencies respond and
establishing a Joint Operations
Center.
OEM / Responding Agency
Heads ('Chiefs Meeting'
Agenda Item)
Include in Annual
Emergency
Operations Plan
Revision
Identify additional persons to
occupy each EOC position /
function
Identify positions likely to be
filled for most emergencies;
identify two or more persons
for each position; provide job
information sheets (FEMA or
equiv.) for each
person/position; train each
person on the duties.
OEM ('Chiefs Meeting'
Agenda Item); On-going
training required to
maximize.
By September 1st:
Identify interested
persons and provide
job information;
training to follow
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BLANCO COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
MEMORIAL DAY 2015 RAIN EVENT
(Federal Disaster Declaration 4223 DR TX: Texas Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding)
AFTER ACTION REPORT, JUNE 11, 2015
7
8
9
External Resource
Requests
We may have benefited from a mobile
command center from Marble Falls PD or
from Texas DPS.
Consider requesting a selfcontained command and / or
communications center such as
those in MF or at DPS
Request a mobile command /
communications vehicle when
multiple external resources are
requested (e.g. State Guard,
TIFMAS, TEXSAR) who may
have incompatible
communications equipment
Search & Recovery
Efforts
There was inconsistent
communication/documentation
between various search groups and
Operations Section leadership. While all
groups' personnel may have been
checking in and out on a daily basis, the
information reaching the EOC was
absent, incomplete or late.
Improve daily (or more frequent)
reporting from search groups and
Operations Section leaders
Require all groups be
represented at all briefings,
and all groups furnish daily
rosters of all personnel on site.
Incident Commander &
Operations Section Chief
Include in Annual
Emergency
Operations Plan
Revision
Leadership Visibility
Incident Command Staff and County
Elected Officials were visible, engaged in
all activities and supportive of all
volunteers
Continue practices learned in this
event - visible leadership is
important to success
Maintain
EMCs, Elected Officials
NA
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OEM
Ad Hoc
BLANCO COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
MEMORIAL DAY 2015 RAIN EVENT
(Federal Disaster Declaration 4223 DR TX: Texas Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding)
AFTER ACTION REPORT, JUNE 11, 2015
Within the PIO function,
identify a single source for
maintain / updating / verifying
missing persons and / or
vehicle data. Ideally all
information should funnel
through this person / position
PIO
Ad Hoc
10
Missing Persons /
Vehicle Tracking
Information on missing persons and
missing vehicles was sometimes
disorganized, redundant, inaccurate or
difficult to locate
Consider using WebEOC for this
function…a board specific to
missing persons and / or missing
vehicles can be established for
the event.
11
Operations Section
Accountability
(Comments from TFS
Incident Planning
Team)
TFS stressed the importance of having all
facets of the search / rescue / recovery
activities accurately reported to the
Operations Chief. (Similar to our
observations recorded above in Search
and Recovery Efforts.)
See above (S & R Efforts)
See above (S & R Efforts)
See above (S & R Efforts)
See above (S & R
Efforts)
Command Post established at Blanco
Fire was not sufficiently large, or
sufficiently equipped to sustain activity
for an extended period of time
"Need improvements to the fire
station to adequately house and
Incident Command/Command
Post, i.e. more space, dedicated
phone lines, computers, printers,
paper, ink AND standby
generator, etc." "Develop an
emergency response kit"
"...preposition cots, bedding,
toiletries for initial responders."
(Taken from After Action
Summary, Blanco FD)
Acquire supplies and
equipment required to utilized
the Blanco Fire Station as a
short - to medium term
command post or operations
center
Blanco Fire Department
To Be Determined
12
Command Post(s)
adequacy
7
BLANCO COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
MEMORIAL DAY 2015 RAIN EVENT
(Federal Disaster Declaration 4223 DR TX: Texas Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding)
AFTER ACTION REPORT, JUNE 11, 2015
13
Emergency Power for
Command Post at
Blanco Fire Station
There is no backup power system for the
Blanco Fire Station. Had we lost local
power, the command post and essential
communications would have been taken
off-line
Acquire a generator for the
Blanco Fire Station
Investigate funding sources
including FEMA or TDEM
mitigation grant funds to
acquire a generator for the
Blanco Fire Station
Blanco Fire Department
Board, Blanco Fire
Chief/staff
To Be Determined
14
Incident Command
System Training
Requirements
(Comments from TFS
Incident Planning
Team)
TFS suggested we could use more ICS trained personnel. They also noted that
the leaders in this event should be used
as the subject matter experts for
training, and future events
Conduct regular training on
various topics or components of
ICS - which could be done at
monthly meetings - as opposed to
full day or multi-day training
which might be difficult to
accommodate in work schedules.
Conduct recurring training on
ICS
EMC
Ongoing
15
Miscellaneous
Voice over Internet Protocol at Johnson
City City Hall failed
Investigate alternative / back up
communications system(s)
Identify options for redundancy
JC OEM
To Be Determined
16
Miscellaneous
Assistance provided our EOC staff by the
TFS IMT was of great benefit
Consider requesting an IMT for
any catastrophic event
Maintain
OEM / IC
Ad Hoc
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BLANCO COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
MEMORIAL DAY 2015 RAIN EVENT
(Federal Disaster Declaration 4223 DR TX: Texas Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding)
AFTER ACTION REPORT, JUNE 11, 2015
Abbreviations/Acronyms
CAD
CP
Computer Assisted Dispatch
Command Post
DPS
Texas Department of Public Safety
EMC
Emergency Management Coordinator
EOC
Emergency Operations Center
IC
IMT
Incident Commander
Incident Management Team
JC
Johnson City
MF
Marble Falls
OEM
PIO
S&R
Sit Rep
SO
TDEM
TEXSAR
TFS
TIFMAS
Blanco County of Office of Emergency Management
Public Information Officer
Search and Rescue / Recovery
Situation Report
Blanco County Sheriffs Office
Texas DPS Division of Emergency Management
Texas Search and Rescue
Texas A&M Texas Forest Service
Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System
// AAR May Flood Event
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