Evacuation of Ormont [MT/IC/OPEN]

[The Ice States]

_{Ooc: No signups needed, if you want to roleplay providing aid or participating in this evacuation that's great, if you just want to read this thread only that's also great! I do, however, maintain the right to ban you from posting in this thread, or to ignore a post, for any OOC reason (eg godmodding, powergaming, one-liners).}

The Ice Herald - Tsunami Shatters Ormont
5 February, 1413 - by reporter Vernon Deere

The viceroyalty of Ormont, at the far north of The Ice States, has long been the area of the nation most subject to tsunamis, with the most recent major tsunami having been only in July 1407. Today morning, a major flood shattered the north of Ormont, and caused the destruction of a number of houses, but is expected to only grow through the area as the tsunami travels with no end. Deaths are estimated to be around 340. An evacuation of the area is being carried out with aid of military services to an evacuation shelter in the nearby city of Bannfolk. However, the evacuation, which initiated in the morning, is estimated to only complete by the afternoon. When asked for comment, the Duke of Siopia Simon Blotsky said the following on the evacuation _

While we want to complete the evacuation as soon as possible before the flood takes any more lives, the area is sufficiently large that full evacuation is still going to take at least three more hours. We would strongly appreciate any aid from other willing nations to help us complete this process as soon as possible. My condolences goes to all affected by this disaster.

The government's reaction to this disaster has been criticised by some residents, who argue that the nation had the ability to detect the imminence of this disaster earlier. Brian Lawley, an evacuated resident whose family had perished in the tsunami, argues the following _

The government could have detected this disaster and called an evacuation earlier before any lives were cost. The data - the information that this was going to happen was available right there, and while I laud the work of the military to speedily evacuate the area, this should have been done earlier.

Blotsky denounced these statements as "ignorant of reality and ... the circumstances at the time", maintaining that "[the authorities] acted as well as [they] could have".

[Vangaziland]

Mr Wendell Tromburg and other executives with the Order of the Purple Cross had been monitoring events in the Viceroy of Ormont closely. It wasn’t long after the flooding started when volunteers set to monitor news alerted OPC officials. The OPC has a massive inventory of equipment and finances from a lengthy roster of volunteering nations. Much of the organizations funding goes into maintaining all of their equipment and paying salaries to staff.

Yet the Order has sometimes come under attack for not volunteering as often as they could. With Vangaziland also a nation in the deep north, the timing was right for a quick response. The first help was sent on a multitude of aircraft. Doctors, EMTs, construction personnel and general volunteers set to help in rescue efforts boarded planes from South Stead, Vangaziland. The OPC has a staging base here where personnel stage and train.

There were cargo flights stuffed with makeshift tents, food rations, water and comfortable clothing. Mr. Tromburg himself was aboard one such cargo flight, riding in a crew jumpseat, ready to immediately assist the unloading and disbursement of supplies.

Meanwhile a ship carrying more heavy equipment was sailing towards Ormont. It was a converted military helicopter carrier. Now it was staffed with rescue helicopters and a multitude of ambulances. Some were armored, others were typical to city-metro ambulances. The armored ones could likely travel deep into flooded territory.

It took just under an hour for the speeding emergency flights to first touch down overseas. It would still take time to coordinate the massive undertaking. They began by meeting with locals and looking for an open space to set up the thousands of tents arriving on the first cargo flight.

Mr. Tromburg also arrived with the authorization to wire funds to proper government authorities. The amount would be decided after meeting with local officials.

It would take longer for the ship to arrive, but the helicopters were ready to carry non stop rescue operations once on the scene.

[Allanea]

In light of the tragic situation in which your country currently finds itself, the Free Kingdom of Allanea offer you assistance unconditionally. In light of this situation I, as the Minister of War, hereby order the creation of an Ormont Situation Room, which will consist of a small team of engineering, medical, and other professionals, commanded by Colonel Rostislav Orlov who are even now preparing to travel to your country. They are authorized to defer in most things to the relevant rescue agencies in your nation. They would be followed, as soon as rapidly possible (likely within 24 hours) by an emergency response military hospital, followed by further aid airlifts.

To further provide assistance it would be ideal for us to receive weather projections about the disaster-stricken area, seismic records (and particularly evaluating the risk for further tsunamis if any), the location of the nearest airfields or at least a flat area where a sturdy military airplane can be landed.

May the Shadow soon pass from your lands.

[The Ice States]

Jeramy Vliet, the Duke of Magecastle, opens his email and types the following to Emperor Sotolo, Viceroy Dane Angland, and General Lionel Burkes _

Dear Emperor, Viceroy and General:

The Empire of Vangaziland is working to provide aid to our nation in the tragic situation in Ormont. They have brought rescue helicopters, ambulances, and various cargo. They also offered to provide funding to help us through the vacuation process. I ask if you could help coordinate the management of aid? I have written the following communication which I intend to send to Mr Wendell Tromborg of Vangaziland, should you agree to it _

Dear Mr Tromborg:

I, on behalf of The Ice States, would like to thank Vangaziland for the aid it is providing in the delicate situation in Ormont. After internal discussion, we have decided that the best way to coordinate aid would be for deployed military divisions and evacuation and rescue personnel to act under the orders of General Lionel Burkes, and that aid at evacuation shelters is worked on at Bannfolk along with currently deployed Ice construction personnel. Does your nation agree to this offer?

We also have received, and appreciate, your offer to provide funding. If possible, we would like this funding to be decided after the evacuation process, so that we can use it to focus on restoring damage caused by the tsunami, if that would be possible.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to receiving your nation's response.

~ Duke Vliet

The Minister of War of The Free Kingdom of Allanea, Baroness Priscilla Stossel-Conde, also offered aid to the nation, and created "a small team of engineering, medical, and other professionals, commanded by Colonel Rostislav Orlov who are even now preparing to travel to your country", the Ormont Situation Room. The Minister of War also stated that this team would be followed by "an emergency response military hospital, followed by further air lifts". I believe it would also be best for the Ormont Situation Room to act under General Burkes? I have prepared this email to send back if that is acceptable _

Dear Baroness Stossel-Conde:

I, on behalf of The Ice States, would like to thank Allanea for the aid it is providing in the delicate situation in Ormont. After internal discussion, we have decided that the best way to coordinate aid and air lifts would be for deployed military divisions and evacuation and rescue personnel to act under the orders of General Lionel Burkes. Does your nation agree to this offer?

We also appreciate your offer to provide an emergency response hospital. An emergency response military hospital would likely work best at Bannfolk, to which we are evacuating residents of Ormont.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to receiving your nation's response.

~ Duke Vliet

~ Jeramy Vliet

A few minutes later, after going to get a drink, he receives a brief reply from the Emperor _

Thank you for your email. I have checked with the General, Viceroy of Ormont, and Klyprer, and all three approve. Please send both emails to Mr Tromborg and Baroness Stossel-Conde.

Vliet promptly does so.

Meanwhile, at the evacuation site, the tsunami proceeds to ravage the area. One town failed to be evacuated and perished in the disaster, but so far, the evacuation is proceeding as it should be, with all areas nearer than 12 km to the tsunami having already been cleared.

[Vangaziland]

Greetings Your Grace Duke Vliet,

The Order of the Purple Cross will gladly work under the instruction of General Lionel Burkes. Our first construction units have made landfall and have begun building operations at Bannfolk. As you know we arrived with about 900 six-person tents. We also have the capacity to help build more permanent structures. Our engineers are also coordinating with Colonel Orlov of Allanea to help build hospital facilities.

The OPC ship VMS-‘Safeguard’ will be arriving later today. The former marine helicopter carrier will bring seven rescue helicopters, three search drones and 9 armored ambulances to the scene. The latter will have the capacity to drive deep into flooded waters as amphibious vehicles. Their large size and capacity means they can round up survivors 6-9 at a time, even if not injured.

Many of our doctors and EMTs have already flown in and are tending to survivors at Bannfolk. Food, water, clothing and other supplies will be available at the hospital and the refugee housing areas. Toys are on the next flight in. There is even talk of setting up video game tents for teenagers and other bored individuals.

We will continue to monitor rebuilding efforts and will stand by ready to use finances to rebuild affected areas.

I am personally on site and will help coordinate the efforts on foot.

To better times,
Mr. Wendell Tromburg

[The Ice States]

The Ice Herald Update - Evacuation At Ormont Continues
5 February, 1413 - by reporter Vernon Deere

While the evacuation at Ormont continues, aid has been received from several other nations, with Vangaziland deploying personnel on site and working alongside Ice authorities to help the evacuated at Bannfolk. Tents are still being built in Bannfolk, and medical professionals are currently working to help the evacuated, including those from Vangaziland and Allanea.

Currently, the majority of the area has been evacuated, and deaths are currently estimated to be around 820, with 1600 total casualties. Emergency vehicles are currently working to clear the area of civilians, and military personnel are currently working to inspect homes for residents in need of evacuation. Authorities are currently focusing on evacuating the town of Logow in the south-east of Ormont.

According to meteorologists, the tsunami has ceased producing new waves, but the current waves are still expected to continue until reaching the town of Khesey in the south-west of the viceroyalty. Further updates will be provided as the situation continues to develop.

[The Ice States]

The Ice Herald Update - Evacuation At Ormont Complete
5 February, 1413 - by reporter Vernon Deere

The viceroyalty of Ormont has now been completely evacuated at 17:32, with aid from the nations of Vangaziland and Allanea. While the evacuation took about an hour longer than expected, no civilians are still present in the site. When requested for comment, Simon Blotsky, Duke of Siopia, said the following when asked for comment _

I am glad to see that the millions of Ormontian civilians are now in safe hands at Bannfolk. Medics are currently working on tending to the evacuated at Bannfolk, and only 906 deaths have occured in total during the evacuation. I thank Ormontian civilians for their cooperation with authorities to evacuate the area, as well as Allanea and Vangaziland for helping us deal with this dire situation. Ormontian civilians are expected to be able to return to the area in around 24 hours.

The evacuation was completed through military personnel working to clear homes and public spaces and search-and-rescue operations, as well as publicly available military-ran transporation to Bannfolk, such as large helicopters and planes, and ground train and buses.

Further updates will be provided as the situation develops.

[Allanea]

Camp Pelican, Ormont

The Allanean camp had become, over the past few days, a demonstration of military-precision. Light-green tents, inflated by warm air, had risen where days ago there had been only dark soil and snow. Green metal containers housed operating rooms and screening stations for the injured, the hum of air conditioners warming the air – and the generators that ran them – a constant background to the hubbub of the camp. Cargo aircraft came and went, medications, space-blankets, rapid shelter kits pouring in, refugees and wounded pouring out – some to hospitals in Allanea, others to facilities within the Ice States themselves, wherever the government had the facilities.

Rescue teams, with jeeps, inflatable boats, and drones, were already venturing out into the ruined areas, seeking out those unfortunates that had somehow been left behind or perhaps had refused to evacuate for some reason.

And, in his Situation Room, Rostislav Olov kept watch on the situation. Reports from local medical personnel and his own men were flowing in constantly, allowing for a detailed feedback to be sent, both home and to General Burkes. There would not be need to any omissions and deceptions here – such were sometimes the nature of work with hostile governments, but this was a humanitarian mission. Therefore, nothing was omitted – what was being done, where more equipment was needed, what areas needed to be improved upon, all of this was honestly reported and sent out.

[The Ice States]

The Ice Herald Update - Evacuated Ready To Return
6 February, 1413 - by reporter Vernon Deere

The tsunami has now left the area in Ormont it was previously ravaging. Thus, it has now been deemed to be safe for the evacuated, currently at evacuation shelters in Bannfolk, to return to Ormont. However, specialised return transport is still being prepared for the evacuated to be able to quickly return. The announcement by the Duke of Siopia said the following in a public statement _

As the tsunami previously in Ormont has now left the area, I am proud to announce that it is now safe to return to Ormont. However, we are still working on preparing public transport to take the evacuated over to Ormont. We urge all at Bannfolk to wait until this is complete, which will be so later this morning. Those currently in Bannfolk hospitals also are to remain there until any medical care is complete. We remain thankful for some nations' aid in this difficult situation.

Despite the statement, many eager evacuated are already returning to the area, with Blotsky wishing early returnees good luck and safety.