The US is trying to cope with another storm passing through, Tropical Depression Imelda, as it has caused many disruptions and dozens of inches of rain near Beaumont, Texas, while the USCG is assisting the local authorities.
According to the Guardian, there was a traffic congestion in Beaumont Ship Channel because of the heavy weather conditions, while ExxonMobil’s Beaumont petrochemical plant has temporarily closed.
Members of the Coast Guard are on standby in the service’s emergency operations centers in Jefferson County, Harris County and the City of Houston.
In addition, Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Unit Baton Rouge shallow water response teams and helicopters are alerted to respond to requests for assistance for anyone in need.
The Coast Guard highlights that those in distress should use 911 to request assistance. Social media should not be used to report life-threatening distress due to limited resources to monitor the dozens of social media platforms during a large-scale rescue event.
Guardian added that the National Weather service estimated that the Jefferson county was deluged with more than 40in of rain in a span of just 72 hours, which would make it the seventh-wettest tropical cyclone in US history.
Overall, the Bahamas were recently hit by Hurricane Dorian, that killing at least 50 people. In essence, the USCG has published Policy Letter 19-03, “Guidance for Vessel Requests to Participate in Hurricane Operations,” providing guidance to District Commanders, Sector Commanders, and Officers in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI) when considering requests for vessels to participate in hurricane relief efforts.
