The board this morning

Hurricane Lowell hits western Hawaii as a major storm; Texas flood warnings and a Malibu sinkhole fill out the day

By The FirstResponders Desk

Good morning. Lead item: Hurricane Lowell, agency-confirmed. NWS Honolulu HI has a Hurricane Warning in force for the Kauai Northwest Waters and Kauai Leeward Waters. NPR reports Lowell approaching western Hawaii as a major Category 3 storm with the potential for flooding and mudslides. CBS News reports up to two feet of rain in places, 90-mph winds, monster waves and homes devastated; ABC News reports fierce winds and heavy rain already hitting the western islands. If you staff the western islands, treat coastal, flood and mudslide exposure as active and plan for cut-off access.

Flooding — southeast Texas. NWS Lake Charles LA has multiple Flood Warnings covering Hardin, Jefferson, Jasper and Orange counties, Texas. Expect water-rescue readiness and road closures across those counties.

Rescue. The Los Angeles Times reports evacuation orders for 31 Malibu homes after a large, expanding sinkhole opened in a driveway amid coastal flood risk. The Guardian reports that victims of the Amazon cargo plane crash at Miami airport — employees of an aircraft cleaning company, in a van — have been identified by officials. We are not naming anyone; that is for the agencies once next of kin are confirmed.

Fire — all unconfirmed, verify locally before you commit. A California town is reported on lockdown with yellow smoke from a building, not confirmed by any agency. An Ohio apartment fire is described in unconfirmed reports as having injured firefighters — not confirmed by any agency, and no agency has given a casualty count. Satellite fire detections — none confirmed by any agency — are reported over North Dakota, Indiana, Tennessee, Wyoming, Illinois and Ohio. Radio and satellite feeds are not confirmation.

Law enforcement. Fox News reports the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and U.S. Marshals Service ran Operation Riverwatch, over 500 compliance checks, arresting 59 registered sex offenders. NJ.com reports a man charged with aggravated arson for intentionally setting a fire. The Oregonian reports Tigard police released a shooting victim's identity and charged a Portland man; we are not naming the victim.

Dispatch and watch. Government Executive reports air traffic controllers are still waiting on 2.8% of their approved pay raise, with FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford tying release to better use of the existing workforce. Route Fifty reports more than 20 states now accept mobile driver's licenses.