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National Situation Update: Saturday, June 3, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Northeast and Northwest Storms

Northeast:  Heavy rain will steadily shift from the Hudson and Delaware Valleys, through central and southern New England, to Nova Scotia as a wave of low pressure along the cold front eases off the Northeast Coast. Additional rainfall may reach 2 to 4 inches. Some rain could linger over eastern and northern New England even tomorrow. A cool unsettled upper-level system will be left behind over the region during the weekend and beyond. Showers and briefly strong thunderstorms will pop over the eastern Great Lakes, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia today; Upstate New York and the Mid-Atlantic tomorrow; and over the Mid-Atlantic again on Monday.

South:  The cold front will move to the northern Gulf, northern Florida and the Southeast Coast this weekend before gradually fizzling out. Scattered thunderstorms will be confined Saturday to Tidewater Virginia, the eastern Carolinas, southern Georgia and Florida. A few of these may turn severe during the afternoon and evening hours from Norfolk to Valdosta. Also the beginning of the weekend should bring an end to the heavy rain that has plagued the Texas Gulf Coast. The cool upper-level system stalling in the East will generate thunderstorms in the Carolinas tomorrow and Monday. A few thunderstorms will pop over the Florida Peninsula each day as well. In the lower Mississippi Valley, afternoon thunderstorms will be on the increase tomorrow and Monday.

Midwest:  While, at any moment, most of the Plains and Midwest will be rain-free this weekend, a few mainly p.m. thunderstorms will be rumbling. The unsettled upper-level system over the East will trigger a few thunderstorms each of the 3 days in the eastern Ohio Valley. Over the central states, weak disturbances coming out of the northern Rockies will spark a few strong thunderstorms from the northern and central Plains into the Mississippi Valley.

West:  A new Pacific storm will hit Washington and Oregon late today and early tomorrow with more light to moderate rain. As the system heads inland tomorrow, scattered showers and thunderstorms will blossom during the second half of the day across the Northwest from the Cascades to Montana.   (NWS, Media Sources)

Maryland Beltway Closures Beginning This Weekend for Wilson Bridge Project

FHWA reported on June 2, 2006 at 8:00 am EDT that major night-time traffic impacts will occur during four upcoming weekends as steel for the new Maryland 210 interchange is erected over both directions of I-95.

Starting this weekend (June 2-4) and scheduled to continue during all remaining weekends in June, all lanes on north- and southbound I-95/I-495 (Outer and Inner Loops of the Capital Beltway), at the Maryland 210 interchange, will be closed DURING OVERNIGHT HOURS.

The Maryland 210 steel-setting work and related Beltway closures are scheduled to be in effect on all  June weekends during overnight hours on Friday and Saturday nights (from 10:00 pm EDT until as late as 8:00 am EDT) and on Sunday nights (from 10:00 pm EDT until as late as 5:00 am EDT).
Next weekend (June 9-12), this effort will be limited to Saturday and Sunday nights.   (HSOC)

Rockslide and Highway Closure

Tourist traffic into and out of Yosemite National Park was disrupted beginning yesterday by a massive rockslide closing both directions of Highway 140 twelve miles west of the park in Mariposa County.  Hwy 140 is the main access route to the park.  No injuries or fatalities were initially reported.  Low level rock fall was first observed in the area on April 29 and subsequent rock fall resulted in sporadic closures of the highway throughout May. 

Yesterday's slide dropped an estimated 250-300 tons of rock and earthen debris  producing a pile reported to be 600 feet long, 600 feet wide and 300 feet high.
Continued rock fall is observed, preventing access for work crews and heavy equipment.  Closure of the highway is deemed indefinite due to the high volume of debris and significant resources and time necessary to clear the slide.  The slide threatens to topple two towers providing electrical power distribution to El Portal and the park.  Fire officials are preparing for a potential fire threat should the towers collapse.

The California Highway Patrol closed Hwy 140.  Work crews and equipment are standing by to clear the slide.  No local proclamations of emergency are issued at this time.

The National Park Service is reallocating resources to manage traffic into and within Yosemite NP.  No other federal response is anticipated.  (FEMA Region IX)

Heavy Rains/Thunderstorms Forecast

Heavy rains (1" -5") could cause minor to moderate flooding in Northeastern MA and Southeastern NH.

MA and NH standing up EOC through tonight.

No requests for Federal assistance at this time.  FEMA Region I is monitoring event with existing MA and NH JFO staffs.  (FEMA Region I)

Explosion And Fire At Pandora Manufacturing Facility, Pandora, OH

At approximately 7:25 am EDT, an explosion occurred at the Pandora Manufacturing plant located at 501 South Bassinger Road, Pandora, Ohio. 

An evacuation order for a one block radius includes 200 people and 50 facility employees.  The Akron-Canton and Youngstown Railroad line is located near the plant and is in the evacuation zone.  Local roads within the evacuation zone are closed.  The fire originated from machinery in the work area and is it reported there are kerosene products along the production line.

The Putnam County Fire department, Hazmat crews, and four other county fire departments are assisting in fighting the fire.   The Putnam and Lima police departments and Ohio EPA are on scene.

Pandora Manufacturing is a 120,000 square foot facility, located on a 12 acre site, and has over half million gallons of various chemical products stored on the property.   (NICC)

Ft Myer Building Implosion

At 6:30 am EDT, Sunday, June 4, 2006,  a building at Ft Myer, VA will be imploded in a scheduled demolition.  Expect to hear sirens and an explosion.  Local police will handle any road closures.  There is No FEMA involvement.  (WAWAS)

Tropical Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

There were no significant earthquakes during the past 24 hours affecting the U.S. or U.S. territories. 

There were, however five earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater occuring in unpopulated areas of Alaska.  There were no injuries or damage reported from these earthquakes, and no tsunamis were generated as a result of the seismic activity.  (USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, NOAA  West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

Current Situation:  (Data reported as of 7:30 am EDT.)  Initial Attack activity was light nationally with 95 new fires reported. Three new large fires were reported, two in the Southern Area and one in the Southwest Area. Three large fires were contained in the Southern Area. Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

Red Flag Warning: For strong winds in the northern and central interior of Alaska.

National Preparedness Level is 2 (On a scale of 1 to 5).

Wildfire Forecast:  A large ridge of high pressure will persist with above normal temperatures for much of the West. Dry thunderstorms are expected to develop mainly over western New Mexico and eastern Arizona. Winds will increase today across portions of the Great Basin, Montana and Wyoming ahead of a weather disturbance. In Alaska, a storm system will move in from the northwest creating showers and cooler temperatures.    (National Interagency Fire Center, NWS, Storm Prediction Center)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)