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

National Situation Update: Monday, March 27, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

National Weather Forecast

South:  The morning will start out quite chilly across the Southeast as clear skies, dry air and light winds allow temperatures to dip into the upper 20s and 30s. Freeze warnings are in effect from North Carolina to northern Florida. Warmer air begins to overtake the area later with afternoon readings climbing into the 60s and lower 70s under mostly sunny skies. A new cold front should move into the southern Plains this afternoon triggering a few thunderstorms.

Midwest:  A weakening storm crosses the northern Plains bringing a band of light snow to the north and light rain to the south. Some light snow may greet morning commuters in the Twin Cities before mixing with rain later in the morning. A small band of rain showers is forecast from central Wisconsin southwest to southern Missouri as the system progresses eastward. Temperatures are expected to run 5 to 10 degrees below average due to the clouds and precipitation. Highs today should be mainly in the 30s to the north and in the 40s to very low 50s to the south.

Northeast:  Chilly high pressure should build in to the Northeast clearing the skies from the weekend clouds, rain and snow showers. Temperatures should moderate close to average today with highs in the 30s and 40s north and in the 50s to near 60 over northern Virginia. Clouds and light showers move back into the region tomorrow as a weak storm moves through.

West:  A new storm system will be approaching the West Coast during the day increasing cloudiness and rain chances. The storm moves inland by tomorrow bringing rain along the entire coast from Seattle to San Diego. Temperatures should warm over interior sections ahead of the next storm today, while coastal areas remain cool.  (NWS, Media Sources)

6 Die in Collision During Wyoming Blizzard

At least 20 vehicles crashed on a rural Wyoming interstate in blizzard conditions Sunday, killing at least six people, officials said.  An undetermined number of injured victims were taken to hospitals in Laramie and Rawlins, the Wyoming Highway Patrol said. Troopers didn't know whether there were additional fatalities or injuries because they had not reached all the vehicles late Sunday, Sgt. Stephen Townsend said.

Troopers at the scene reported zero visibility due to strong winds and blowing snow. Interstate 80 was closed for about 100 miles from Cheyenne to Rawlins.  The crash, which involved semitrailers and passenger vehicles, was reported west of Laramie shortly after 4 p.m. Few other details were released. Several smaller crashes also occurred behind the 20-vehicle crash, troopers said.

Part of Interstate 80 was closed because of the blizzard conditions, and about 50 miles from Cheyenne to Laramie was closed at the request of Laramie officials, who said there was no parking left in the town for semitrailers.  The highway patrol also closed U.S. 30 in the Laramie area - which often serves as a detour for I-80 - because of the weather and reports of crashes.  (Media Sources)

Workers Battle Rash Of Fires In Hancock County, MS

Firefighters and rescue crews battled a rash of wildfires, including one which placed more than 250 homes in danger.  Fire crews worked for two hours Saturday to extinguish a wildfire which destroyed nearly 500 acres and forced some residents from their Hancock County homes.  Crews from Kiln, Fenton and Lee Town battled the blaze, which took place about three miles north of Interstate 10.

Firefighters of West Hancock Fire and Rescue battled a blaze near Shoreline Park, and other workers were fighting a tractor-trailer truck which overturned near state Route 607 and U.S. 90 and caught fire.  West Hancock Chief Kim Jones said residents fled their homes near the Jourdan River earlier in the day when another fire burned until about 5 p.m.  (Media Sources)

Wildfires spring up across Oklahoma

Winds of 20 to 30 mph with higher gusts turned a few controlled burns into out-of-control fires on Sunday, but firefighters were able to extinguish them before they reached property.  There were no reports of injuries in the fires, which burned dozens of acres around Blanchard and forced the temporary closure of a highway near Bristow in northeastern Oklahoma.  Grass fires also were reported Ardmore, Beggs, Cogar, Duncan, Oklahoma City, Slaughterville and Stillwater.

Volunteer firefighters in Blanchard responded to at least three fires Sunday afternoon, the biggest of which scorched about 110 acres, said Fire Chief Marc Anderson.
At least two of the fires, including the largest one, were from burning brush piles that were left unattended, Anderson said.

Oklahoma Highway 92 in neighboring Grady County was closed for about an hour between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. because of the fire, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported.
Firefighters had extinguished all the blazes by about 6 p.m., Anderson said. Near Bristow, both directions of Interstate 44 were closed for about 30 minutes because of a fire. The fires came less than a week after Gov. Brad Henry lifted a statewide ban on outdoor burning that was put in place because of several months of wildfires.

Paul Sund, Henry's communications director, said the team that recommended lifting the burn ban will meet with the governor Monday to determine if the ban needs to be restored.  Jack Carson, a spokesman for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Department, said the rain the state received last week, followed by a burst of snow a few days later, helped moisten the ground and probably made Sunday's wildfires more easily controllable.  Still, grasses around the state remain brown from a months-long drought, providing the greatest fuel for the fires, Anderson said.  (Media Sources)

Meteorologists Say New England Could Get A Big One

New England could be in for a big one.

Meteorologists say conditions _ including warmer temperatures in the Atlantic Basin and cooler temperatures in the Pacific Ocean _ are ripe for the Northeast coast to be hit by a whopper of a hurricane this season.
 
A 1938 storm known as the ``The Long Island Express'' remains the region's worst hurricane. Its 121 mph winds gusted to 183 mph and caused massive flooding, power outages and wind damage throughout the region, leaving 600 people dead.

During recent decades, New Englanders mostly have experienced only the remnants of storms that hit other parts of the country, such as Hurricane Gloria in 1985 and Hurricane Bob in 1991, which brought heavy rains, localized flooding and power outages.
If a big storm did hit, the New Hampshire coast might be spared the worst of the damage because it is sheltered compared to areas like Cape Cod, Portland, Maine, and Long Island, N.Y.

Lourdes Aviles, a Plymouth State University assistant meteorology professor, said Reeves' forecast sounds right. That New England hasn't had a strong hurricane in 50 years could signal the region's luck is running out, she said.  John Jensenius, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, said his group has been concerned for years that a strong hurricane could strike New England's coast. Hurricane activity tends to be cyclical, he said. Every 50 years, a pattern develops that increases the potential for a major storm. But that doesn't mean a storm is imminent.  (Media Sources)

Tropical Activity

There are no tropical disturbances in the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans that affect the U.S. or U.S. interests. (National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

There were several light earthquakes in Alaska ranging in magnitude from 3.1 to 4.9 during the past 24 hours.  Most were centered around 150 - 175 miles west-southwest of Adak  and one was located 84 miles east of Fort Yukon.  There were no reports of damage or injuries and no tsunamis were generated.  (Source: United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

CURRENT SITUATION:  Initial attack activity was light nationally with 39 new fires reported. Two new large fires were reported and contained in the Southern Area.
MAFFS Mission Commander, two MAFFS C-130 air tankers and support personnel from the 145th Tactical Airlift Wing have repositioned to Charlotte North Carolina on 48-hour availability.

Outlook:  Red Flag Warnings: Western portions of the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles for strong winds and low humidity.

Fire Weather Watches: Parts of eastern New Mexico for strong winds and low humidity.

Weather Discussion: High pressure over the Southeast will continue to bring dry weather and low humidity to the area. A storm system moving through the Great Basin will bring gusty winds and low humidity to eastern New Mexico and portions of the Southern Plains.  (National Interagency Coordination Center, National Interagency Fire Center)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)