SEER Committee Update - Hurricane Helene
Oct. 3, 2024
SEA of NC,
In response to Hurricane Helene, several of you have asked about how our emergency response volunteers are doing and most of you are likely wondering what can be done to help. We have 17 structural engineers trained and certified as urban search and rescue (USAR) structural specialists. Each is assigned to a specific state and/or federal emergency response task force. Several were deployed last Thursday and we know there was a shift change yesterday. Our USAR teams are currently assessing and tagging bridge and building structures while trying to reach all the folks not yet accounted for. The authorities are still being very strict about allowing movement on the roads in the area.
In addition to developing our USAR program, in 2016 the SEA of NC in collaboration with the AIA and ASCE signed a joint memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the North Carolina Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to assist the state with building damage assessment following a declared disaster event. The MOU details the process by which volunteers from the three Design Professional Organizations (DPO) will be called upon for assistance. Under the MOU, DPO volunteers will be called upon when OEM officials assess the need for additional building inspection services. Typically, these services would be considered second responder activities. Currently first responders are still working in the western NC area, as stated above. Once an area is cleared by first responders, the need for damage assessment personnel is determined and a call will be directed through OEM to the DPO leadership team.
We do not know yet if our second responder DPO volunteers will be mobilized but we are prepping for that. We will be sending a separate email to all of those who have received disaster response training and registered in the Disaster Response Alliance volunteer database. If you have taken one of our Cal EOS SAP training courses but have not registered in the database, then please do so immediately if you planning to volunteer.
In the meantime, the people of western North Carolina are facing shortages of some basic living necessities. Our friends at the AIA of NC are mounting a response by collecting supplies and delivering them to our colleagues and others in the impacted area. The immediate needs include providing water, food, baby formula, diapers, and other necessities. In lieu of organizing several collection points and having everyone bring bottles of water food, diapers, and baby formula to these locations, we urge you to join their effort and make a contribution to the North Carolina Architectural Foundation and let them purchase a truckload of supplies from some of the big box stores and deliver them in a rented truck to destinations designated by our colleagues.
North Carolina Architectural Foundation – Hurricane Helene Relief
Please make your contribution at the link above now. They want to have trucks on the Road by Saturday, October 5.
Of course, there are lots of organizations rallying to help Western NC, including these three:
This will be a long recovery process, likely spanning years rather than months. We expect the area will be rebuilt stronger and our design and construction community will progress in designing for resilience and redundancy. Please volunteer, contribute and encourage our colleagues who are responding to this horrific event.
Sincerely,
Rob Stevenson
SEA of NC SEER Committee
Robert J. Stevenson, P.E., Principal
Regional VP | Life Sciences Market Sector Leader
Bennett & Pless, Inc.
5430 Wade Park Boulevard, Suite 400, Raleigh, NC 27607
[email protected] | www.bennett-pless.com
D: 919.249.1833 // O: 919.832.5587 // C: 919.801.0911
