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National Situation Update: Thursday, November 23, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

National Weather Forecast

Northeast: Rain and wind are expected to buffet the area from Boston to Philadelphia today. Central and southern New England, southeast New York and New Jersey will catch the brunt of the storms due to the northward movement of the same storm that's been plaguing the Eastern Seaboard the past couple of days. Although the system will lose some of its potency, gale warnings remain along the coast northward to Cape Cod .

West: The northern half of the West will remain wet and snowy. Areas west of the Cascades will continue to be gray and damp while snow persists in the Cascades. As much as a foot of additional powder could pile up in the Washington Cascades today and tonight. Snow levels in Washington and Oregon will be quite low, ranging from 1500 to 3000 feet.

Showers and mountain snow will spread as far east as Montana and western Wyoming . Heavy snow is expected for the Bitterroot Range . Farther south, sunshine and unseasonable warmth will grace the Southwest.

Midwest: Dry, mild conditions will blanket the Midwest and Plains today. Southerly winds will drive temperatures well above seasonal levels in the Plains and Upper Midwest .

South: The South will enjoy beautiful Thanksgiving Day weather with sunshine and warmth. (NWS, Media Sources)

Mid-Atlantic Coastal Storm

A strong coastal storm moving up the Mid-Atlantic coast has produced heavy rain, storm force wind and moderate coastal flooding in Virginia and North Carolina . The storm is moving northeast along the coast, and will affect Maryland, New Jersey , and portions of Pennsylvania and New York through Thanksgiving Day.

Three to five inches of rain has fallen in the coastal plain of North and South Carolina during the last few days. Minor to moderate flooding (street and urban) has been reported. Major river flooding is expected elsewhere in the next few days for a few rivers in Eastern North Carolina and Virginia .

A four to six foot storm tidal surge resulted in minor to moderate coastal flooding in portions of southeast Virginia and portions of eastern North Carolina . Large breakers are hitting the shoreline causing significant beach erosion and other coastal impacts, especially at times of high tide. Coastal Flood Warnings are in effect for the New Jersey and Delaware coasts through Thursday. (NOAA, NWS)

Danvers MA - Explosion and Fire

An explosion and fire was reported in Danvers , MA at a chemical manufacturing and storage facility on November 22, 2006. The facility located at 126-8 Water Street , SR-35, houses the CAI Industries and the Arnel Company, Inc. chemical facilities.

The explosion and resulting fires destroyed an estimated 12 commercial and residential buildings and 50 buildings have structural damage. There were no reported fatalities; approximately 12 injuries (non life threatening); and approximately 100 individuals evacuated to the Danvers High School . A local nursing home and the New England Home for the Deaf (approximately 80-90 individuals) were evacuated to the High School. Local streets, businesses and schools were closed.

A 10,000 gallon tank of toluene (flammable liquid) stored at the facility ruptured and due to firefighting efforts has spread to the waterways. The Coast Guard has backed off all small boats on the waterfront and closed the rivers to marine traffic.

EPA, U.S. Coast Guard, and State and local officials are on scene. Urban Search and Rescue (MATF1) has approximately 20 individuals on scene in a state capacity.

All schools in Danvers were closed. Buildings as far as a quarter mile away were damaged and unstable. The fire damaged boats in a nearby marina. Firefighters from several departments in surrounding towns responded to the blaze.

There is no anticipated need for Federal involvement. (FEMA Region I, MA EOC, NICC)

Chemical Plant Explodes Near Boston

A chemical plant outside Boston blew up Wednesday, destroying two dozen homes in the tightly packed neighborhood but causing only minor injuries.  The blast flattened the CAI Inc. factory, a manufacturer of solvents and inks, knocking buildings off their foundations, shredding roofs and shattering windows in neighboring Salem. Nearly 90 homes were damaged, with roughly 25 wrecked beyond repair, but only 10 of the more than 300 people believed to be in the neighborhood were hurt, and their injuries were minor, authorities said. The plant was empty at the time.

"The miracle is you have the equivalent of a 2,000-pound bomb going off in a residential neighborhood at night when everybody is home, and no one's dead and no one is seriously injured," Gov. Mitt Romney said.  Officials said it could take weeks to determine the cause of the explosion.

Most of the damaged homes were in view of the plant, and some stood right across the street. The neighborhood is among the oldest in the city, dating to the 1700s, with a mixture of business and homes because it was settled before modern zoning rules.
Firefighters from 30 cities and towns battled the blaze in this community about 20 miles northeast of Boston.  CAI Treasurer Paul Sartorelli said in a statement Wednesday that company officials didn't know what caused the accident, and said the company underwent safety upgrades in 2001.

In one condominium across the nearby Crane River, the blast was so strong it bowed a woman's bedroom windows, sucked her curtains out and then returned the unbroken glass and frames to their original position - with the curtain tops attached to the rod inside but the curtain bottoms fluttering outside in the breeze.

The company was inspected once, in 1990, by federal officials and no violations were found, according to Ted Fitzgerald, a spokesman for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The lack of inspections indicates few complaints were filed with OSHA, he said.   (Media Sources)

North Carolina Floods And Flash Floods

North Carolina will be mostly cloudy with rain statewide today and windy conditions in the East through Thursday (11-23). Wind gusts to 55 mph will be possible on the Outer Banks today and early tomorrow--sustained wind will be in excess of 25 mph in many places along the Coast.  Rain and wind will linger in the East this morning, but there will be improvement statewide by the afternoon.

River Forecast: 

Roanoke River at Williamston is forecast to crest at 10.8 feet Friday November 24, 2006; minor flood stage at 10 ft.; lowland flooding adjacent to the river is expected.

Tar River at Greenville is forecast to crest at 16.9 feet on Friday; at 17.0 feet water will begin to flood some secondary roads near the river.  Flooding will continue for lowlands adjacent to the river.

Contentnea Creek at Hookerton is forecast to crest at 15.9 feet on Sunday, November 26, 2006; at 16.0 ft. minor flooding will occur in Grifton. 

Northeast Cape Fear River at Chinquapin is forecast to crest at 15.7 feet on Saturday, November 25, 2006; at 16.0 ft. many secondary roads are flooded.  Evacuations may be needed for residents who live near the river or adjacent to tributaries.  Water will begin to affect Highway 41 and travel delays are likely.  Muddy Creek and Cypress Creek will begin flood areas in and around Chinquapin.

Northeast Cape Fear River at Burgaw is forecast to crest at 14.4 ft on Saturday, November 25, 2006; at 14.0 ft. floodwaters can cause portions of Shaw Highway to be closed. Flooding worsens on Highways 210 and 53 but roads remain open.

Power outages: 

As of 10:00 am EST, November 22, 2006 reported outages totaled 35,000, and peak outages were 40,000.

State And Local Actions: 

As of 10:00 am EST, November 22, 2006, the State EOC returned to Level 4 activation (Normal); Operations Center and Division Duty Officer will continue to monitor the situation. 

State law enforcement and fire/rescue agencies were notified and placed on Standby - Monitoring the event. 

The North Carolina National Guard was advised to prepare high clearance vehicles for rescue operations if needed.  Four Swift water rescue teams were alerted.

Shelters were identified and crews placed on alert.

The State has not requested any Federal assistance.

FEMA Region IV Actions:

The Regional Duty Officer (RDO) will remain in contact with the State.  Further reports will be accomplished as necessary.  (FEMA Region IV, North Carolina State EOC)

FEMA Region IX Incident Report

A large semi-trailer overturned around 1:00 pm EST on November 22, 2006, closing the entire southbound I-405 Freeway. Traffic was backed up on both sides of the freeway and adjacent surface streets. The truck was carrying barrels of corrosive and flammable liquids.  There were no reports of barrels leaking and a Hazmat team was dispatched to the site.

The California Highway Patrol diverted traffic to the 105 Freeway.  The accident occurred at El Segundo Boulevard, Hawthorne, next to Los Angeles International Airport.  

No Federal or FEMA involvement anticipated at this time.  FEMA Region IX will continue to monitor the situation.   (FEMA Region IX)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean Sea:
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected through Friday.

Central and Eastern Pacific:
No tropical cyclones are expected through Friday afternoon.

Western Pacific:
No new activity to report. (NOAA, National Hurricane Center)

Earthquake Activity

On November 22, 2006 at 9:45 am EST, a 3.1 magnitude earthquake was reported 127 miles southwest from Anchorage, Alaska at a depth of 62.1 miles. No reports of damages or injuries. 

No other significant activity during the previous 24 hours. (USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program, Alaska Earthquake Information Center, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Centers)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

FEMA-DR-1668-LA was amended effective November 21, 2006 changing the closing date of the disaster to November 8, 2006.  (FEMA HQ)