• Emergency Managers and Personnel
• Situation Reports
• National Incident Management System
• Grants & Assistance Programs
• Training
• Contacts
• Planning
• Best Practices

National Situation Update: Saturday, May 31, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

Northeast
The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic will be wet and stormy over the weekend.  Heavy rain is forecast through Upstate New York and northern New England.  Along the I-95 corridor from New England to Virginia damaging straight-line wind gusts, large hail, flash flooding and frequent lightning are possible.  Tornado Watches are in effect until 11:00 a.m. EDT for parts of Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and one county in Maryland.
Midwest
The cold front that brought destructive storms and tornadoes to the central Plains Thursday and Friday will move west-to-east from Kansas to the Ohio Valley.  This will push another round of strong, locally severe thunderstorms westward into the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, and to eastern Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas.  The northern Plains from the eastern part of the Dakotas to southwestern Minnesota and northern Iowa may experience scattered storms consisting of damaging wind gusts, hail and blinding downpours.  Isolated, short-lived tornadoes could form.
South
Scattered severe thunderstorms could form from North Carolina to northern Oklahoma.  Tornadoes may form from super cells in the warmest air south of the Mason-Dixon Line.  Temperatures in the south-central states reach the 90s this weekend. West Texas will climb into the 100s.  El Paso could tie a record high both Saturday and Sunday.
West
Isolated, scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected along the Washington and Oregon coasts.  Storms may briefly turn severe with rainfall.  The Southwest will be rain free.  High temperatures will be near or below average along the West Coast but above average inland.  Afternoon temperatures will range from the 70s in Montana to between 100 and 110 degrees in the Desert Southwest.  A Red Flag Warning is in effect for south central Utah every afternoon and evening through Monday for gusty winds and low relative humidity. (NWS, Media Sources)

Final Update - Severe Thunderstorm and Tornadoes May 29, 2008

On Thursday evening through early Friday morning, May 29-30, 2008, an outbreak of strong supercell thunderstorms resulted in over 226 reports of severe weather and 55 tornado reports, occurring mainly across northern Kansas, Nebraska, southeastern South Dakota and Iowa.
FEMA Region VII Response
Region VII RRCC is activated over the weekend at Level III, 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. CDT.  The Region deployed a FEMA liaison to the Nebraska Emergency Operations Center.  Region II deployed an Emergency Response Team (ERT) to the Nebraska EOC in Lincoln on May 30, 2008.
Iowa
There are no fatalities or injuries reported, and no reports of significant damage.  An Initial Operating Facility was established at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa.  The State EOC is partially activated at Level IV, 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. CDT through the weekend.  There are no requests for State or Federal assistance.  Heavy rainfall since Thursday afternoon will lead to significant rises throughout the State river systems.  Moderate to Major Flood Stage levels are expected through early in the week. (Incident Report RVII - IA - #01NWS)
Nebraska
There are no fatalities or injuries.  Reports indicate damage to 60 homes, a building at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, and the Exposition Center in Kearney.  The Governor issued a State of Emergency on Thursday.  Public Assistance PDAs will begin on Monday, June 2, 2008 and will be conducted in at least 28 counties including Buffalo County.  A state Mobile Operations Center is deployed at Kearney.  The State EOC is activated at Level III, 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. CDT through the weekend.  The Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) reported 1,717 customers remain affected (as of 3:00 a.m. CDT, May 31).  Thirty miles of I-80 that was closed due to downed high power transmission lines has now reopened.  There are no requests for State assistance. (Region VII, Incident Report RVI- NE-#02; NICC)
Kansas
There are no fatalities or injuries.  Six homes were reported destroyed or having sustained major damage.  Kansas has requested PDAs to begin in June for approximately 30 counties for storms that occurred May 22-27, 2008.  The State EOC is at normal operating hours.  There are no requests for State or Federal assistance. (Incident Report RVII - KS - #02).

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean:
An area of low pressure associated with the remnants of former Eastern Pacific tropical storm Alma is centered over the Gulf of Honduras near the coast of northern Belize.  The low is moving
slowly westward .and the center is expected to move inland over the Yucatan peninsula during the next few hours. 
Satellite imagery and surface observations indicate this system is becoming better organized and a tropical depression could form if the center remains offshore this morning.  Even if no development occurs localized heavy rains and floods are possible during the next couple of days over portions of Honduras, El Salvador, Guatelamala, Belize, and southeastern Mexico. 

Eastern Pacific:
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.

Western Pacific:
There is no activity affecting U.S. Territories. (NOAA, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

Missouri
An additional PDA for Newton County was requested for DR-1760-MO, to begin early next week.  The JFO will coordinate this PDA.

Wildfire Update

National Preparedness Level: 2
National Fire Activity as of Friday, May 30, 2008:

• Initial attack activity: Light (151 new fires)
• New large fires: 0
• Large fires contained: 1
• Uncontained large fires: 4

Weather Discussion:  The Southwest will be hot and dry with less wind the next couple of days. In Florida, generally dry weather will continue through Saturday.  Warmer and a little drier weather is forecast for California. (National Interagency Fire Center, National Incident Information Center, NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center, NGB)

Disaster Declaration Activity

Nebraska
On May 30, 2008, the President signed Major Disaster Declaration FEMA-1765-DR for the State of Nebraska for severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding that occurred on April 23 - 26, 2008.  The declaration designates Public Assistance for Gage, Johnson, Morrill, Nemaha, and Pawnee Counties.  All counties in the State of Nebraska are eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. 
Iowa
Major Disaster Declaration FEMA-1763-IA was amended to include Black Hawk and Buchanan Counties for Public and Individual Assistance, and Butler and Delaware Counties for Public Assistance effective May 30, 2008. (FEMA HQ)