Propane Tank Bomb Found Near Power Plant

An employee for Transalta Power Plant found the propane tank with green and yellow wires coming out of it along a set of access tracks leading to the plant five miles northeast of Centralia.

The employee picked it up, put it on his flat bed truck and drove it back to his supervisor who then called 911.

I would like to add here that this is not something you should do, EVER. If you find something like this please call 911 immediately. Never attempt to move any device which appears to be a bomb or an unknown suspicious package.

The sheriff's office says the wires appear to be similar to those used in electrical blasting caps.

A Washington State Patrol bomb squad was called in and the blasting cap was removed. The state patrol said it had been activated, but for some reason, the powder inside had not detonated.

Train cars bring coal to the plant for processing. Transalta managers say they have not received any threats, so who is responsible is a mystery.

Sheriff Steve Mansfield says besides the obvious damage and deaths that could have occurred had the bomb gone off, there is another thing that concerns him about what happened Wednesday.

"People often unknowingly and with good intentions pick up suspicious objects which should only be handled by trained professionals," said Mansfield. "A device such as this, made of common material like a propane tank is extremely dangerous and can deliver an incredible amount of destructive power for its size."

Mansfield says if you run across a suspicious looking device, stay away from it and call 911.

The Department of Homeland Security has been asked to investigate.

Source with Video and Photo of device

CDC Releases New Blast Injury Fact Sheet For Professionals

In an instant, an explosion or blast can wreck havoc; producing numerous casualties with complex, technically challenging injuries not commonly seen after natural disasters such as floods or hurricanes.

To address this issue, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with partners from the Terrorism Injuries Information, Dissemination and Exchange (TIIDE) Project, as well as other experts in the field, have developed fact sheets for health care providers that provide detailed information on the treatment of blast injuries.

For the fact sheet please go directly to the CDC Mass Casualty Fact Sheet For Professionals site.

CDC Press Release: CDC Releases 1918 Pandemic Flu Storybook Online

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released today an online storybook containing narratives from survivors, families, and friends about one of the largest scourges ever on human kind – the 1918 influenza pandemic that killed millions of people around the world. The storybook provides valuable insight for public health officials preparing for the possibility of another pandemic sometime in our future.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the 1918 influenza pandemic. The internet storybook contains about 50 stories from individuals from 24 states around the country as well as photos and narrative videos from the storytellers.

“Complacency is enemy number one when it comes to preparing for another influenza pandemic,” said CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding. “These stories, told so eloquently by survivors, family members, and friends from past pandemics, serve as a sobering reminder of the devastating impact that influenza can have and reading them is a must for anyone involved in public health preparedness.”

The idea for such a storybook emerged during crisis and emergency risk communication (CERC) training CDC has been conducting with health professionals over the past few years. The online storybook contains narratives from survivors, families, and friends who lived through the 1918 and 1957 pandemics. The agency welcomes new submissions and plans to update the book each quarter. Narratives from the 1968 pandemic are also welcome.

“It′s an excellent resource, not only for public health professionals, but for people of all ages,” said Sharon KD Hoskins, a public affairs officer who coordinated the project for CDC. “It’s probably the closest to experiencing the real thing that many of us can imagine.”

The storybook can be found at http://www.pandemicflu.gov/storybook/index.html.

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

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CDC Press Release: Most U.S. Measles Cases Reported since 1996

Many Unvaccinated because of Philosophical Beliefs

More measles cases have been reported in the United States since Jan. 1, 2008 than during the same period in any year since 1996, according to a report released today by he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Between January 1 and July 31, 2008, 131 cases were reported to CDC′s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). At least fifteen patients, including four children younger than 15 months of age, were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

In the decade before the measles vaccination program began, an estimated 3–4 million persons in the United States were infected each year. Of these, 400–500 died, 48,000 were hospitalized, and another 1,000 developed chronic disability from measles encephalitis.

“Measles can be a severe, life-threatening illness” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of NCIRD. “These cases and outbreaks serve as a reminder that measles can and still does occur in the United States.”

Of the 131 patients, 112 were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status. Among the 112 unvaccinated U.S. residents with measles, 16 were younger than 12 months of age and too young for vaccination, and one had presumed evidence of measles immunity because the person was born before 1957.

Of the 95 patients eligible for vaccination, 63 were unvaccinated because of their or their parents′ philosophical or religious beliefs.

Although immunization coverage rates for measles vaccine remain high, unvaccinated persons are at risk for measles, and sizeable measles outbreaks can occur in communities with a high number of unvaccinated persons.

Measles is consistently one of the first diseases to reappear when immunization coverage rates fall. Increases in the proportion of the population declining vaccination for themselves or their children might lead to large-scale outbreaks in the U.S. Currently, Israel and a number of countries in Europe -- including Switzerland, Austria, Italy, United Kingdom -- are reporting sizeable measles outbreaks among populations refusing vaccination.

“These cases resulted primarily from failure to vaccinate, many because of philosophical or religious belief,” said Dr. Schuchat. “The vaccine against measles is highly effective in preventing infections, and high immunization levels in the community are effective at preventing or drastically decreasing the size of outbreaks.”

Reports include cases from Illinois (32 cases), New York (27), Washington (19), Arizona (14), California (14), Wisconsin (7), Michigan (4), Hawaii (5), Arkansas (2), and Washington, D.C., and Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Virginia (1 each).

Nine of the importations were in U.S. residents who had traveled abroad, and 8 were in foreign visitors. An additional 99 of the 131 cases had evidence of importation or were epidemiologically linked to importations. These import-related cases have largely occurred among school-aged children who are eligible for vaccination but whose parents have chosen not to vaccinate them. The source of 15 cases could not be determined.

Of the 131 cases, 17 were importations from the following countries: Switzerland (3), Italy (3), Israel (2), Belgium (2), India (2), Germany (1), The People′s Republic of China (1), Pakistan (1), The Russian Federation (1) and the Philippines (1).

There were 55 cases of measles reported during 2006; 66 cases during 2005; 37 cases during 2004; 56 cases during 2003; and 44 cases during 2002.

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Source

Tropical Storm Fay May Strengthen Into Hurricane Over Atlantic

TS Fey may gain strength once it crosses over Florida and goes into the Atlantic Ocean according to the National Hurricane Center which has issued a watch along the east coast of Florida and Georgia.

The storm's center is expected to move offshore after midnight New York time in the vicinity of Vero Beach, Florida, about 129 miles (208 kilometers) north of Miami, said Dan Kottlowski, expert senior meteorologist at private forecaster AccuWeather Inc. in State College, Pennsylvania.

``There is a good chance it will become a hurricane,'' Kottlowski said by telephone. ``There is very warm water in the Gulf Stream current off the coast; if it can get over that, some computer information says it could strengthen to at least a Category 1 hurricane.''

Fay was moving north-northeast at 8 mph and was located about 60 miles south-southwest of Melbourne, Florida, the hurricane center in Miami said in an advisory on its Web site at about 5 p.m. local time.

Kottlowski said models show the storm heading over the ocean then hooking back toward the west and making landfall in Georgia on Aug. 21 or 22.

Some models show the storm eventually re-emerging in the Gulf of Mexico, said Brian Wimer, a meteorologist for AccuWeather.

If Fay enters the Gulf, it may then make landfall between New Orleans and the Florida panhandle on Aug. 23, Jeff Masters, director of meteorology at private forecaster Weather Underground Inc., said on his blog.

Fay was forecast to bring as much as 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain to parts of Florida. Storm tides of 1 to 3 feet (0.9 meters) above normal are possible, as are isolated tornadoes, the hurricane center said.

A tropical-storm warning was in effect along parts of Florida's east coast as well as Lake Okeechobee.

Monroe, Collier, Lee, Hendry and Charlotte counties said on their Web sites that schools are closed today.

Caribbean Deaths

The storm killed more than a dozen people in the Caribbean, including some in Haiti, the Associated Press reported.

Fay killed five people in the Dominican Republic, the country's Emergency Operations Center said on its Web site.

A man was seriously injured by flying debris in Marathon Key, Florida, while preparing for the storm, according to the Monroe County Web site.

Orange juice prices fell, after yesterday touching the highest this month as the storm approached. Florida is the world's second-largest orange grower.

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