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National Situation Update: Sunday, April 30, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Storms Bring Rain, Hail to Texas

Thunderstorms with powerful winds battered North and Southeast Texas late Friday and early Saturday, pushing small planes into each other at a Gainesville airport and damaging homes in San Jacinto and Liberty counties. Four injuries were reported. (3 in Cooke County and 1 in San Jacinto County)

San Jacinto County officials said two homes in a subdivision in Coldspring were damaged possibly by a tornado; however the weather service has not confirmed that.

The Liberty County Sheriff's Department had various reports of the strong winds knocking down trees and damaging homes. But no injuries were reported.

There was some street flooding in the Houston area but no serious damage was reported. About 4,000 customers in the Houston area lost power during the storm, said officials with CenterPoint Energy.

North Texas was hit by storms Friday with winds up to 100 mph and hail the size of baseballs.

While the damage was still being assessed Saturday afternoon in Gainesville, near the Oklahoma border, a city spokesman said that at least hundreds of homes and businesses were damaged, and some areas were still without power. Many homes had damage from hail, including broken windows and roof damage. No major injuries were reported.

At the Gainesville Municipal Airport, hangers were damaged and planes that had been out on the runway were pushed into each other by the high winds. About 15 planes were damaged at the airport where about 70 aircraft are based.

In far eastern Waco, police said what appeared to be a tornado touched down Saturday, destroying one home and damaged several other structures. No injuries were reported but two horses were killed. Preliminary indications don't point to a tornado, according to the National Weather Service.

The State is monitoring the situation.  Power restoration is ongoing.  FEMA Region 6 has contacted the State of Texas.  Texas SOC is monitoring the situation.  Additionally, FEMA Region 6 has contacted the States of Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma.  There have been no reports of significant damage in those States.  FEMA Region 6 continues to monitor.

County preliminary assessments

• Cooke County reported an estimated 30 homes were destroyed and 50 homes damaged. Wind speeds were estimated between 80-100 mph. This storm also produced golf ball to baseball size hail and heavy rain. Storm damage was also reported in Lindsey consisting of some structural building damage, downed traffic lights, and downed power lines. Damage assessments continue.


• Bell County reported one mobile home blown over and storm induced debris on roadways northwest of Temple.


• McLennan County reported two homes destroyed near Waco.


• Van Zandt County has reported numerous structures damaged with windows blown out throughout the Community of Canton. Damage assessments continue by county officials.


• San Jacinto County reported a tornado was responsible for destroying one home, and nine homes received minor in the Coldspring area. One individual was reported injured and treated at the scene. This area has also experienced power outages due to downed power lines.


• Washington County reported a tornado caused minor damage to 5 homes between the communities of Brenham and Chappell Hill, in the Bluebonnet Hills area.


• Polk County reported 8 homes with major damage and 15 with minor damage at the Taylor Lake Estates, 15 miles south of Livingston.


• Waller County reported 16 structures were damaged, eight of those structures were homes, and one was under construction. Power outages are estimated to affect approximately 100 customers and are in the process of being restored.

(FEMA Region VI, Media sources)

Slow-Moving Storm Dominates the Central U.S.

Midwest:  On Sunday, rain will extend from the Dakotas to the western Great Lakes and Ohio Valley with some showers expected across Kansas and Missouri where additional rain is needed. By Monday a storm will move out of the Pacific Northwest and merge with this storm system keeping cloudy skies and the possibility of showery rain in the forecast from the Great Plains to the Ohio River Valley. 

South:  Rain and thunderstorms will continue from Mississippi and Alabama into Tennessee and Kentucky. A dry air mass (the southern extension of the eastern high pressure area) in place across Georgia and the Southeast will limit the eastward progression of the rain shield on Sunday but some showers are expected across the Peach State. Florida will remain dry on Sunday except for possible rain in the panhandle.  Gusty easterly winds off the Atlantic will keep the fire danger across the state high. Gusty winds will prevail along the Southeastern Seaboard. The winds will help create high waves and strong rip currents from the Virginia coast to the Florida coast. Some minor coastal flooding and beach erosion are also likely around the Outer Banks of North Carolina on Sunday. Minor coastal flooding is also likely along the Gulf Coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama due to persistent southerly winds. 

Northeast:  The Northeast will see sunshine and average high temperatures on Sunday. A frost advisory is in effect across eastern Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey early Sunday. Monday the weather will take a turn for the worse. A storm out in the Atlantic will move into New England on Monday producing rain, wind and much cooler temperatures from Maine to Connecticut. 

West: The western half of the nation started warming on Saturday and this trend will continue through the weekend and into next week. A few showers are in the forecast for the Northwest, from a second Pacific weather system heading inland later Sunday and Monday. Onshore winds in Southern California will cause clouds and lower visibilities into Los Angeles and San Diego for Sunday.  (NWS, Media sources)

Tropical Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)