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

National Situation Update: Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

West: The storm system that hit California yesterday will move across the Intermountain West today. Rain is in the forecast for much of the West Coast including Southern California. Moderate amounts of snow are forecast for the higher elevations of California, Nevada and Utah.

Midwest: A low pressure system moving across the Ohio River Valley will produce snow from the Plains through the lower Midwest. Areas around the Great Lakes will be dry but windy and lake-effect snow will develop over parts of Michigan and northern Ohio by tonight. High temperatures will be well below late March averages with highs ranging from the 20s in the Upper Midwest to the low 40s in extreme southern Missouri and Kentucky.

South: A cold front extending southward from a low in the the Ohio River Valley will produce widespread precipitation. Heavy rain may produce some scattered flooding over parts of northern Alabama and northern Georgia. Isolated thunderstorms are possible across southern Alabama, Georgia and northern Florida in association with the front. A wintry mix of rain and snow should fall over parts of southern Virginia. High temperatures should range from the upper 30s in the Oklahoma Panhandle to the 80s in the lower Rio Grande Valley, far south Georgia and Florida.

Northeast: New York and New England will remain cold and dry. Wet snow and sleet will fall over southwestern Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, Maryland, northern Virginia and the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia (Delmarva) Peninsula. Higher elevations may see 4 inches or more but east of the mountains, only an inch or two on grassy surfaces can be expected. Temperatures will be well below average for early spring with highs in the 30s and low 40s.

Hawaii:  There are no watches, warnings, or advisories in effect at this time. This follows one month of excessive rains for much of Hawaii.  (National Weather Service (NWS) media sources)

Winter Storm Hits Central U.S.

A major storm system dropped heavy snow over parts of the Rockies and Plains Sunday and Monday.  The Colorado Division of Emergency Management activated their EOC on Sunday, but there is no request for Federal assistance at this time.  Snowfalls of up to 24 inches were reported in Colorado, and drifts as high as five feet were reported in South Dakota.  Snowfalls of varying depths were also reported in Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota, Iowa, and Missouri.  The snow is expected to spread into Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky today, continuing into the central Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic region as it weakens. (NWS, FEMA Region VIII)

Geographical Distribution of Tornado Activity

Tornado Alley is a nickname in the popular media for a broad swath of relatively high tornado occurrence in the central U.S.

Various Tornado Alley maps which you may see can look different because tornado occurrence can be measured many ways -- by all tornadoes, tornado county-segments, strong and violent tornadoes only, and databases with different time periods.

Most recently, Concannon, et al., have prepared a "Tornado Alley" map using significant tornado data (Figure 1). Remember, this is only a map of greatest incidence.

Violent or killer tornadoes do happen outside this Tornado Alley every year. Tornadoes can occur almost anywhere in the U.S., including west of the Rockies and east of the Appalachians (Figure 2).

(Excerpt from the Online Tornado FAQ page, http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/, NOAA's Storm Prediction Center)

National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) Grants

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) announced Monday that it will award up to $5.5 million in NEHRP grants for earthquake research in 2007. Researchers interested can review the grant announcement and apply online at www.grants.gov. Applications are due May 2, 2006.

Earthquakes are one of the most costly natural hazards nationwide - 75 million Americans in 39 states face significant risk from earthquakes. Worldwide, more than 500,000 earthquakes occur annually. As part of the multi-agency NEHRP program, USGS has the lead federal responsibility to provide notification of earthquakes.

"Science research is critical to helping build safer communities nationwide," said Elizabeth Lemersal, NEHRP grants manager for USGS. "The risks that earthquakes pose to society, including death, injury and economic loss, can be greatly reduced by better planning, construction and mitigation practices before earthquakes happen and providing critical and timely information to improve response after they occur. Through our external research efforts, we hope to achieve these goals."

In 2006, USGS received 272 proposals and awarded $5.5 million in NEHRP grants that resulted in 96 research grants. Funding was awarded to universities, state geological surveys and private institutions. Key projects include cataloging earthquakes in southern California to better prepare emergency services, the public, and the media about earthquakes; providing seismic hazard estimations so communities and critical institutions can engineer their buildings and roads to be structurally sound; and providing data on ground shaking to help minimize damage.

The USGS serves the nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life. (USGS news release)

Tropical Activity

There are no tropical disturbances in the Atlantic or North Pacific Oceans.

In the South Pacific Tropical Cyclone 18P (Wati) is about 605 miles east of Cairns, Queensland, Australia. The system is moving southwest toward land but based on the current warning will begin turning to the southeast and not make landfall. 18P is not a threat to U.S. territories. (National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

No significant earthquake activity during the past 24 hours in the United States or its Territories. (Source: United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

President Bush signed a major disaster declaration, FEMA-1632-DR, on March 20, 2006 for the state of Oregon due to severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides. The incident period is December 18, 2005, through and including January 21, 2006

The disaster declaration designates the counties of Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Crook, Curry, Douglas, Gilliam, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Lincoln, Linn, Polk, Sherman, Tillamook, and Wheeler Counties and the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation.

Additional designations may be made at a later date after further evaluation. Lee Champagne has been designated the Federal Coordinating Officer. (FEMA HQ)