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Keck Recovery Summary


Excerpts from the web-page the head of the Observing Support Staff is working on, though he informed me in a phone call today that it might not be kept up, and emails might be the way more information is shared. His call was to check on members of the OS staff, including us widely-spread OAs. He said that the currently on-summit OAs were told they could go home if they wish, due to the current situation.

HQ remains closed to all nonessential personnel this Monday. Do not come in to HQ on Monday unless you are requested to. Unless notified otherwise, employees are asked to report to work tomorrow morning at 8 am.

The summit has sustained significant damage, and the day crew continues assess the situation. Observing has been cancelled for at least two nights; night support personnel (OAs and NAs) can go home if they wish. Please keep in contact for future instructions.

Please do not burden the summit with unnecessary phone calls.

Summit
There has been significant damage to the PRM system, among other things. This implies significant motion of the telescopes on their mounts. The day crew is assessing the situation, and will be concentrating on bringing the facility into a safe state, and returning the telescope and instruments to full functionality. It currently looks like it will take two days or more to return one or both telescopes to working order. Again, the investigation and the plan is very preliminary.

Instruments
... reported from the summit Sunday night that it looks like most of the instruments are working OK, with coolant, computers up and working, etc.

Expected time will be at least 4 days of work for K1, possibly more for K2 (which seems to be worse hit). This estimate does not take into account possibly double-shifts for the crews. It is also an initial estimate, it could be as they fix and bring systems back online they find other problems, or that systems dependant on these turn out to be better off.

As of right now, my Thursday shift begin may or may not happen. Watching emails to see.

There are many buildings in Waimea/Kamuela with damage. Broken windows and cracks in walls seem to be the most issues. One house caught on fire. So far, injuries are still on the side of scrapes, a few broken bones, at large. There's no report of any in company.

This is just general data, I don't know full details and am unsure of what I would be able to give when I do find more out. Suffice to say, the Kecks are down for at least 2-4 days.


UPDATE

Official Public Website announcment:
http://www.keckobservatory.org/article.php?id=95