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National Situation Update: Thursday, December 1, 2005

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Very Cold Weather Forecast for Midwest – Warmer Weather in the South

• Midwest: Very cold air is expected to move south from Canada over Lake Michigan and Lake Superior dropping high temperatures to the teens in the Dakotas and Minnesota. The storm system is expected to drop 1-4 inches of snow in Iowa and Wisconsin on Thursday. By Thursday evening the arctic air will cause additional “lake effect” snowfall in the Great Lakes region. Highs will be in the 40s in the region from southern Kansas to Missouri and the Ohio Valley.
• Northeast: The Northeast will be mostly dry on Thursday. However, the arctic storm in the Midwest will be moving eastward by Friday, bringing much colder weather that is forecast to stay in the Northeast for several days.
• West: A new storm system will hit the West Coast on Thursday bringing heavy rain and high winds (and snow in the higher elevations) to northern California and southwest Oregon. A mixture of snow and rain will continue eastward into the Great Basin and the Rockies. High temperatures will range from the teens in Montana to the 70s in the southwest desert area. The Pacific Northwest will see highs in the 20s-30s.
• South: Most of the South will continue to see dry weather with seasonable temperatures on Thursday. Skies will be sunny and highs will mostly be in the 50s-60s. (NWS, Media Sources)
  

Winter Storm Damage in South Dakota

• A severe winter storm system brought ice and snow and 70-mph winds to several parts of the Midwest on Monday and Tuesday, including Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas.
• In South Dakota, approximately 8,000 power poles and 10,000 miles of electrical transmission line were affected by the storm. Replacement equipment is being provided from Canada, North Dakota, and Minnesota. Utility crews have worked 18-hour shifts to restore electricity in large areas of South Dakota.
• FEMA Region VIII reports that 6,200 customers were without power at 2:30 pm EST Wednesday; down from earlier estimates of 50,000.
• The South Dakota Highway Patrol are monitoring several state highways that remain closed due to heavy snow and icy road conditions. Snowplows have reopened all two-lane and interstate highways in South Dakota. (Region VIII, NOAA NWS)

Tropical Activity

• Tropical Storm Epsilon, the 26th named storm of the Atlantic season, continues to strengthen over the central Atlantic Ocean. At 5:00 pm EST on Wednesday, the storm was located about 650 miles east-southeast of Bermuda and about 1,650 miles west-southwest of the Azores. Epsilon is expected to remain well to the east of Bermuda.
• Maximum sustained winds are near 70 mph with higher gusts. Epsilon could briefly become a hurricane before gradually becoming extratropical by this weekend. The storm is not currently forecast to threaten any U.S. interests.
• Meteorologists and other public and private officials continue to update the hurricane record books as the 2005 Atlantic season comes to a close. This past season has seen some incredible records, including:
  • The costliest hurricane – Katrina with over $100 billion in damages.
  • The deadliest hurricane since 1928 – again Katrina which killed at least 1,332 people.
  • The strongest hurricane in the Atlantic Basin- Wilma with 882 millibars.
  • Most numerous named storms – 26 (previous record was 21 in 1933).
  • Three Category 5 hurricanes – (previous record was 2 in 1960 and 1961).
• There are no tropical storm formations expected in the Pacific Ocean or the Indian Ocean. (National Hurricane Center, Joint Typhoon Warning Center, media sources)

Earthquake Activity

" A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck the Island of Hawaii, approximately 30 miles south of Hilo, Hawaii at 3:26 am EST on Wednesday. There were no reports of injuries or damages. (USGS, NOAA West Coast Tsunami Warning Center)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

• National Preparedness Level remains at 1 - the lowest state of readiness.
• On November 30 at 6:02 pm EST, a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FEMA-2589-FM-OK) was approved for the Antioch Fire in Oklahoma (formerly the Elmore City Fire). FEMA has determined that this fire has met the criteria of enough “threat as would constitute a major disaster”. Another fire grant request was approved by FEMA Hqs. for the Velma Complex fire in Oklahoma. The grant designation number is FEMA-2588-FM-OK. (USFS, NICC, FEMA Hqs)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)