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National Situation Update: Saturday, February 25, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Snow and Rain Move Eastward

Northeast:  The narrow band of heavy snow will shift from the Upper Midwest into the Northeast today. Snow will spread from Upstate New York in the morning to central and southern New England during the afternoon and evening as the low-pressure area moves from Lake Ontario to east of Long Island and then out to sea. Snow accumulations will be in the 2-to-8-inch range. Even Boston could pick up 2 to 5 inches. With the low center passing just to the north of New York City, only a burst of rain and then snow is expected in the metro area with the cold front this afternoon. Much of the Mid-Atlantic and Maine should escape any precipitation.
 
South:  From out of Texas, a corridor of increasingly heavy rain and a few thunderstorms will shift eastward across the Deep South. Between I-20 and I-10, rainfall will range from .5 to 2.5 inches by tonight. The rain will quickly shift out to sea early tomorrow as showers and a few thunderstorms accompany the cold front southward through the Florida Peninsula.

Midwest:  After yesterday's heavy snow just south of the Canadian border, the Plains and Midwest can look forward to a quiet period until the Western storm comes out of the Rockies Tuesday night and Wednesday.

West:  Across the West, today will be the calm before the storm with only a few snow showers across the northern Rockies. Big changes are on the way by tomorrow as a complex new Pacific storm begins to target areas from California to the Pacific Northwest. Rain will increase from Monterey northward with snow in the Cascades and Siskiyou. Snow will also spread eastward across northern Idaho and western Montana. Winds will be on the increase along the Pacific Northwest coast and in the mountains.  (NOAA/NWS and Various Commercial and Media Sources)

Byron Nuclear Power Plant Unusual Event

This morning at 8:54AM (CST) an unusual event was declared at the Byron Nuclear Power Plant due to a fire in a tunnel caused by a Refueling Water Storage Tank Heater.  Units I and II remain at 100% operating capacity. There has been no evacuation at the site nor is any planned. Site fire barricade along with an off-site fire department have teamed to fight the fire. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has entered a monitoring mode. The Byron Nuclear Power Plant is located near Rockford, Illinois.

At 12:10 PM CST, John Madera of the Nuclear Regulatory reported that the UE was terminated by the Utility at 11:09 AM CST.  He also indicated that the NRC Region III discontinued monitoring the situation at 11:52 AM CST. (FEMA Region V/ Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration)

Radioactive Water Leaks From Tanker

Low-level radioactive water from a California nuclear power plant being shipped to Tooele County for disposal leaked at a Parowan truck stop parking lot.

An area 3 feet by 3 feet at the spill site was roped off pending cleanup. An estimated three gallons of the liquid spilled, there were no injuries, and officials said the low-level radiation presented no threat to the public.

Cedar City Fire Department Hazmat technicians checked the radiation levels around the spill and reported the background radiation was 39 counts per minute and the area just above the spill was 113 counts per minute.  The only instruction was to keep people from walking in the spill.  (Media Sources)

France Confirms Bird Flu Strain

France has confirmed the deadly bird flu virus H5N1 has been found on a turkey farm in the east of the country. It is the first time a European Union farm has been infected. France has already had cases in two wild ducks.  The agriculture ministry said a high death rate among turkeys was discovered at the site which has more than 11,000 birds, in the department of Ain.  France, Europe's largest poultry producer, is to start vaccinating millions of birds against bird flu.

The vaccination programme approved by the EU this week, initially opposed by several countries, will be limited to birds in specific high-risk regions. Ducks and geese will be inoculated in three areas in the west and south-west thought to be at high risk, among them the coastal Landes region.

Poultry sales have plunged in Italy, Greece and France since the confirmation of H5N1 outbreaks. Eight EU countries - Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia and Slovenia - have so far confirmed cases of the lethal H5N1 strain.  H5N1 has killed more than 90 people, mostly in Asia, since late 2003.  It can be caught by humans who handle infected birds, but is not yet known to have passed from one person to another.  Scientists have warned that if the virus mutates, it could create a pandemic that could kill millions of people.  (Media Sources)

Planet's Population to Hit 6.5 Billion Saturday

A population milestone is about to be set on this jam-packed planet.  On Saturday, Feb. 25, at 7:16 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, the population here on this good Earth is projected to hit 6.5 billion people.

Along with this forecast, an analysis by the International Programs Center at the U.S. Census Bureau points to another factoid, Robert Bernstein of the Bureau's Public Information Center advised. Mark this on your calendar: Some six years from now, on Oct. 18, 2012 at 4:36 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, the Earth will be home to 7 billion folks.

These are estimates, of course, but clear trends emerge from the data behind them. (Media Sources)

Volcano Activity

Alaska's Augustine volcano remains at Color Code: ORANGE. Seismicity remains at low levels but is still above background. Small avalanches and rock falls continue to be recorded. (United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program, Alaska Volcano Observatory)

Tropical Activity

There are no active tropical disturbances in the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans. (USDOC/NOAA/NWS, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

A light earthquake occurred at 11:16 am EST on Friday, February 24, 2006. The magnitude 4.2 event has been located 191 miles west of Coos Bay, Oregon at an estimated depth of 6.2 miles.  There was no tsunami warning generated and there were no reports of damage or injuries.
 
A light earthquake occurred at 8:39 pm EST on Friday, February 24, 2006. The magnitude 4.5 event has been located 28 miles northeast of Ottowa, Ontario, Canada at an estimated depth of 9.3 miles.  The quake was felt in parts of northern New York..  There were no reports of damage or injuries.  (USGS, West Coast & Pacific Tsunami Warning Center)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

Initial attack activity was light nationally this week with 436 new fires reported. Seven new large fires were reported, three in the Southern Area, one in the Southwest Area, two in the Eastern Area, and one in the Rocky Mountain Area. Sixteen large fires were contained, 11 in the Southern Area, two each in the Southwest and Eastern Areas, and one in the Rocky Mountain Area. Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in California, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming.

SOUTHERN AREA INCIDENTS/LARGE FIRES:
OKLAHOMA FIRE RESPONSE, Oklahoma State. This incident was formerly named Eastern Oklahoma IA. An Oklahoma State Type 2 Incident Management Team (Couch) is assigned in Shawnee, OK. The Team is assisting local, state, and federal jurisdictions with managing existing fires and initial attack in Oklahoma. Acres, structure losses and costs have been adjusted to represent cumulative fire activity statewide since January 1.

NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS IA, Texas Forest Service. A Texas State Type 2 Incident
Management Team (Hannemann) is in place in Granbury, TX. The Team is assisting local jurisdictions with managing existing fires and initial attack within the 220,000 square mile West Zone fire management response area. Large fires within the management area include the Ransom and Arkansas Road. Acres, structure losses and costs have been adjusted to represent cumulative fire activity from December 1, 2005 to present for the response area.

Outlook: Red Flag Warning for southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri for winds and low relative humidity.  (National Interagency Coordination Center)

Disaster Declaration Activity

FEMA-3265-EM-ME was declared on February 24, 2006 for Category B Public Assistance to Aroostook County, ME for Snow occuring December 25 - 27, 2005.

FEMA-1625-DR-SC has been approved to close on or about March 10, 2006.

FEMA-1626-DR-KS has been approved to close on or about March 10, 2006.

FEMA-1627-DR-NE has been approved to close on or about March 15, 2006. (FEMA HQ)