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National Situation Update: Sunday, January 6, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

West:
The powerful weather system that brought heavy rains, high winds and several feet of snow to the Sierra has moved inland and weakened. However, a series of upper-level disturbances imbedded within a strong southwesterly flow aloft will continue to bring rain, showers and mountain snow to the western United States until early Monday.
Heavy snow, winter storm warnings and avalanche warnings are in effect for portions of the central Rockies. High surf warnings remain in effect for coastal areas from northern California to western Washington. For a detailed graphical depiction of the latest watches and warnings see www.weather.gov.

Heavy snow will continue from the Cascades and the mountains of California to the Rockies. Snow levels will range from 1,000 feet in the Washington Cascades to 6,500 feet in the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California. The Sierra, Wasatch and Colorado Rockies could receive additional large amounts of snow at the highest elevations.  Precipitation will continue up and down the West Coast and across parts of the Desert Southwest. Additional rainfall will be between one to two inches across western sections of Washington, Oregon and California.  By Monday, precipitation will be light across most of the West, although heavier snow may linger over the mountains of the Four Corners' states. The next moderately-strong storm will make land fall by Tuesday near the Pacific Northwest and northern California. This storm will generate a new round of heavy rain, strong winds and heavy mountain snow.

Midwest:
A frontal system moving eastward across the Region will produce extensive cloudiness and scattered rain. A few thunderstorms may begin to develop ahead of the weak cold front in the mid-Mississippi Valley late in the day.  High temperatures Sunday will be 10 to 35 degrees above average, 30s north to 60s in southern Kansas, Missouri and the lower Ohio Valley. This will result in dense fog over the snow cover in the northern Mississippi Valley and around the Great Lakes. Ice jams and rapidly melting snow could begin to cause localized flooding problems early in the week.

South:
There will be showers from northeast Arkansas to North Carolina as a result of high pressure moving out into the Atlantic.  High temperatures will be 10 to 25 degrees above average ranging from the 60s and to a few 80s in south Texas and the Florida Peninsula.

Northeast:
A frontal system moving out of the Midwest will produce clouds and precipitation over the region. The far northern reaches of the region could see a negligible amount snow, sleet and light freezing rain. 
Temperatures over the region will continue to increase. Highs will be 10 to 25 degrees above average, 30s in northern Maine to near 70 in southern Virginia early next week. The warmth will lead to ice jams on rivers and rapid snow melt that will cause localized flooding.(NWS, Media Sources)

West Coast Storms Response

Region IX:
RRCC Status:  Level III, 24/7 Operations, ESF partners contacted.

Current Situation:
Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons has signed an Emergency Declaration for Lyon County in response to the broken levee in Fernley, NV.  Joint PDAs will take place at first light on January 6, 2008.  According to the USCG, the first load will arrive at Sacramento, CA, tonight from Moffett Field, CA, remain overnight due to white out conditions in Reno, NV, and then depart for NAS Fallon the morning of January 6, 2008. 

The second load will also be retrieved from Moffett Field on January 6, 2008.  Eight-person ERT-A has been delayed in Sacramento, CA, due to mechanical problems with the aircraft and white out conditions in Reno, NV.  Alternate transport plans are pending.  Emergency Power Team dispatched from Moffett Field, CA.  Support set up for 10,000 people in Fernley, NV. 

Two truckloads of water will be purchased locally in Reno, NV, and transported to Naval Air Station Fallon, which will then be transported to Fernley, NV, by the Nevada Army National Guard (ARNG).

Nevada Department of Emergency Management (NV DEM):
NV DEM is working with five affected counties.  At 4:00 a.m. MST, January 5, 2008, a 30-foot wide by 15-foot deep canal at the Truckee Levee breached due to excessive rainfall, covering approximately 500 to 600 acres and affecting 300 homes with 3,000 people evacuated.  The US Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation will repair the canal/levee.  According to the Region IX RRCC, 22 people were rescued from their rooftops using helicopters from NAS Fallon and NV ARNG.  It is expected that a large number of homes will be left vacant and/or uninhabitable for several days due to the flooding, and cleanup (water, homes, etc.) will be excessive.

California Office of Emergency Services (CA OES):
CA Army National Guard (CA ARNG) is available for SAR missions.  The forecast calls for a second weather front to impact northern CA, then moving into southern CA, bringing approximately one-half to one-inch of rain.  Several counties have declared local emergencies, including King's County, CA.
A request for Emergency Assistance is expected from the Governor's office tonight, January 5, 2008.

CA PGE reports 280,000 power outages at this time; Sacramento Municipal Utilities District (MUD) reports 23,000 power outages; Northern CA reports 2,000 power outages; Los Angeles reports 14,000 power outages; and San Diego reports 980 power outages.  A request has come in to the state from PGE and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to replace utility poles due to a lack of them on-hand.

Two CA ARNG helicopters are on standby, along with 13 Swiftwater Rescue Teams until Sunday, January 6, 2008.  A levee breach also occurred at Wheeler Island, CA. No critical infrastructure/key readiness (CI/KR) assets affected.  CHP will be conducting patrols of the levee began at 1:00 p.m. PST, January 5, 2008.  The California Department of Water Resources will conduct an overall flyover inspection of the Delta levees, scheduled for January 6, 2008.  A natural levee breach in the Carmel Lagoon, Monterey County has led to partial flooding of 20-30 homes.  I-80 is now open with periodic closures.  I-50 is open with isolated impacts.

FEMA Region X:
RRCC is not activated. The Duty Officer is maintaining liaison with the WA Emergency Ops Center.  Oregon Emergency Operations Center (OR EOC) not activated at this time.  I-84 is open at this time.  Washington EOC (WSEOC) is open and operating at an Enhanced Phase II level.  Walla Walla County, WA, has had high winds and multiple power outages; the High Wind Warning expired for the County at 4:00 p.m. PST, January 5, 2008.  No requests for Federal assistance are anticipated at this time.

American Red Cross (ARC):
Shelter at Fernley, NV, High School has reported 20 persons sheltered.  Three shelters are open in CA with 18 people persons sheltered and two shelters on standby.  ARC is prepared to liaise with deployed ERT-A team and Regions IX and X.

Department of Transportation (DOT):
Crossing the Sierras into NV is proving challenging, as I-5, US 50 and Highway 70 all have weight restrictions and mandatory chain use.  Vehicles heading eastbound on Highway 70 at Applegate, NV, are being metered at this time.  Moderate delays have been reported at airports in Los Angeles, CA; Portland, OR, San Francisco, CA; Denver, CO; and Reno, NV.  It has been reported that public transportation has been returned to normal operations in affected areas.

US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE):
Prime Power Team is with ERT-A in NV at this time.

USCG HQ/USCG District 11 (D11):
San Francisco has one UH-60 and four UH-65s on standby.  A C-130 to transport ERT-A from Oakland, CA, to Reno, NV, is down due to mechanical problems.  Alternate transportation plans are pending.  Two C-130s to transport meals-ready-to-eat (MREs) from Moffett Field to NAS Fallon.

Health and Human Services (HHS):
Two hospitals on generator power, with no requests for Federal assistance.

National Guard Bureau Joint Operations Center (NGB JOC):
One OH-58 and one UH-60 conducting SAR at this time.  Two CH-47s are on standby at Stead Army Aviation Support Facility.  One OH-58 providing streaming video of affected areas.

National Infrastructure Coordinating Center (NICC):
As of 1:30 p.m., PST, January 5, 2008, combined power outages by the Department of Energy (DOE) in CA, WA and OR number at 802,000.  This is down from over 1,000,000 yesterday, January 4, 2008.

Several oil refineries in CA are offline at this time. 

Logistics:
Support for 10,000 people with 21,000 plus MREs and local water being trucked in from Reno, NV, from commercial vendors.

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No new activity to report.  (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

Following yesterday's earthquake in the Pacific off Canada's Queen Charlotte Islands, located 275 miles south of Metlakatla, AK, there have been a series of aftershocks ranging from 5.0 to 6.5 magnitude.  No tsunami was generated.  (USGS/NEIC, West Coast & Alaska Tsunami Warning Center)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)