National Situation Update: Saturday, February 3, 2007
Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).
National Weather Summary
Midwest
Arctic air in will move into the Plains and Midwest this weekend. Two cold fronts will help bring the coldest outbreak of the season with temperatures 10 to 30 degrees below average.
Today and Sunday there will be highs from zero to minus ten across the eastern Dakotas, Minnesota, northern Iowa, northwest Wisconsin and western Upper Michigan with single digits and teens extending from northeastern Nebraska to Lower Michigan and Ohio. Temperatures will be in the twenties and 30s from Kansas to Kentucky.
Northern North Dakota and the Upper Midwest will have morning lows this weekend as cold as the -20s. Wind chills early this morning will range from between 0 and -10 in the Ohio Valley to between -20 and -40 in the Plains and Upper Midwest.
Lake effect snow is forecast for this weekend bringing two foot accumulations to northwest Upper Michigan and 12-to-18-inch accumulations to western Lower Michigan.
Northeast
Temperatures will be 5 to 20 degrees below average this weekend and through the upcoming week. Lake effect snow off of Erie and Ontario is forecast this weekend. Twelve to 18 inches of snow is probable in Northwest Pennsylvania, westernmost New York and the Tug Hill Plateau. Occasional heavy snow is expected in Buffalo and Watertown due to shifting winds.
South
Showers and thunderstorms continue to shift southward through the lower half of the Florida Peninsula. A few may linger near Miami on Sunday night. No severe thunderstorms are in the forecast for Florida this weekend.
West
High pressure will continue to dominate much of the western states this weekend, resulting in generally dry conditions.
Warmer temperatures are expected to dominate most of the West this weekend and in the upcoming week. (NWS, Media Sources)
FEMA Regional Activity Reports
Region I:
RRCC is activated at Level III with the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Rhode Island: Two levees in Rhode Island are among the 122 levees nationwide at risk of failing. That's according to a list released today by the Army Corps of Engineers. The two (2) levees listed in Rhode Island were in Woonsocket, the Lower Mill River Dike and the Singleton Street Dike. Woonsocket City Engineer says there is no imminent threat to anyone. (WPRI-TV)
Massachusetts/Vermont: The DOD notified Congress today that Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams (WMD-CST) for MA and VT are now certified. There are now 47 teams certified out of a total of 55 authorized by Congress. (HHS/OS)
Region II:
RRCC is activated at Level III with the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
No further significant information to report.
Region III:
RRCC is activated at Level III with the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Region IV:
RRCC is activated at Level II with 24 hour operations over the weekend.
Florida Tornadoes:
Current Situation
Currently, there is no tornado or severe thunderstorm watches or warnings in effect.
Fatalities: 14 confirmed.
Shelter populations are difficult to track but totals could be as high as 400.
Florida State Emergency Operations (SEOC) is at Level One activation with full ESF staffing. Priority focus is Search and Rescue and damage assessment.
The DOE and Florida EOC reported 10,258 customers without power; however, as both assessments and restorations continue, the number of outages may fluctuate.
County Updates
Sumter County
400 to 500 homes and mobile units damaged (Air recon)
Search and Rescue on going
Local State of Emergency declared
ARC has 2 shelters open
400 to 500 homes with major damage or destroyed in the vicinity of The Villages
Lake County
Long term needs will be sheltering.
West side of county, sheltering is unknown at this time.
USAR is green for the county and demobing and going to a recovery mode.
Dusk to dawn curfew in-place
Local State of Emergency declared
Major damage in the Lady Lake and Paisley areas
Power outages
Volusia County
Countywide, as estimate 700 to 800 structures damaged or destroyed.
Local State of Emergency declared
Preliminary Damage Assessments ongoing.
Estimate 5,300 customers without power
Unknown number of homes (mobile or single family) damaged, County damage to the fair ground agriculture center & the local health department, which is a major health care provider; East side of county reporting 69 homes as damaged, no fatalities and only minor injuries reported.
Orange County
Damage assessment ongoing
Supporting impacted counties
Marion County
1 mobile home damaged
County really not impacted
County providing mutual aid to the neighboring counties, Mobile Command Vehicle (MCV) is in Lady Lake, Florida.
Seminole County
Damage assessment ongoing
Supporting impacted counties
Region V:
No significant information to report.
Region VI:
Oklahoma Ice Storm Damage Assessment Line (877) 628-5297 closes Monday, February 5, at 7 p.m.
Region VII:
Joint PDAs (1676-MO) for Individual Assistance for 38 counties and the City of St. Louis resumed today after being suspended for 2 days due to severe winter weather.
Another in a series of arctic air masses moving through the region Friday night will bring much colder temperatures with wind chills from 15-30 below by Saturday morning.
The next surge of arctic air will follow through the region late Sunday evening. The region will remain cold for both Monday and Tuesday. Wind chill values during this time will range from 15-32 degrees below zero. This artic air could be life-threatening for those that are unprepared.
Region VIII:
Region is monitoring the potential hazardous weather conditions that may develop in all Region VIII states, including wind chills of 20 to 40 below zero in portions of MT, ND, and SD; potentially significant snow and wind chills of 20 to 45 degrees below zero in portions of WY; and wind chills of 10 to 25 degrees below zero in portions of CO and eastern UT.
Region IX:
No significant information to report.
Region X:
Gale warnings continue for southern west coast (Bristol Bay).
Twelve (12) Kuskokwim/ Bristol Bay communities report wind damage to power stations/ distribution systems from flying debris. Shelters are still active due to power outage; no life safety concerns.
Flood warning and boil water order continue for W. Kenai Peninsula. Federal action is unlikely for the flood event.
Down-stream communities still at risk as ice jam breaks and moves down river.
Tropical Weather Outlook
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Earthquake Activity
A light earthquake with magnitude 4.6 was recorded at 6:05 pm EST, February 2, in the Aleutian Islands, 48 miles ENE of Adak, Alaska. No reports of damage or injury. (FEMA Region IX, USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program, Alaska Earthquake Information Center, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Centers)
Preliminary Damage Assessments
PDAs ongoing in four Florida counties as a result of tornado damage February 3, 2007 (FEMA HQ)
Disaster Declaration Activity
Florida: The Governor has requested an expedited major disaster declaration for the State of Florida as a result of severe storms and tornadoes during the period of February 1-2, 2007. The request includes Individual Assistance and Public Assistance, including direct Federal assistance, for four counties and Hazard Mitigation statewide.
California: The Governor of California is requesting a major disaster declaration as a result of freeze conditions beginning on January 11, 2007 and continuing. The request includes Disaster Unemployment Assistance, Food Coupons and Distribution, Food Commodities, Crisis Counseling, and Legal Services for 31 counties.
Oregon: The Governor or Oregon is requesting a major disaster declaration as a result of a severe winter storm during the period of December 14-15, 2006. The request includes Public Assistance for eight counties, and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, and Hazard Mitigation statewide.
Amendment # 1: FEMA-1678-DR-OK. Eighteen counties were included for Public Assistance in the State of Oklahoma. (FEMA HQ)
Last Modified: Monday, 05-Feb-2007 08:01:02 EST