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National Situation Update: Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Midwest Ice Storm

Icing is coming to an end across the plains and Midwest the main focus shifting to eastern Great Lakes and northeast. Ice storm warnings and freezing rain advisories continue to be in effect from northeastern Missouri to near southwestern Lake Michigan. Winter weather advisories are in effect across portions of the central plains and Midwest as well as the upper Great Lakes region and the Northeast.
Region V is at Level III activation, 7:00 a.m. - Midnight CST (M-F).

• Illinois is reporting 2 storm related fatalities
  Region VI at level III activation, Normal Operations (7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m CST (M-F)).
  
• Oklahoma is reporting 29 shelters open with a population of 1,342 and 12 fatalities.
  Region VII at level II activation (6:00 am - Midnight CST)
  
• Iowa Unknown, Shelters opened 12-11-07 (Shelter Counts are 1200 and 2400)
  
• Kansas 133 individuals reported in shelters
  
• Missouri 650 individuals reported in shelters and 2 fatalities.
  As of last evening over 942,000 customers remain without power in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and Illinois. This figure represents 12 percent of customers in the affected utility service areas in the States represented. (NWS, Regions V, VI, VII, NICC)

Tropical Storm Olga

At 400 am EST the center of Tropical Storm Olga was located about 130 miles east-southeast of the eastern tip of Cuba and 670 miles southeast of Miami, FL.

Olga is moving toward the west near 18 mph and this motion is expected to continue for the next 24 hours.  This motion should bring the center of Olga over the Caribbean Sea between Haiti and Cuba this morning and near the southern coast of eastern Cuba later today.

Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph with higher gusts.  Weakening is forecast during the next 24 hours and Olga could weaken to a tropical depression later today or tonight.

Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 260 miles over water to the north and east of the center.

Olga is expected to produce additional rain accumulations of 1 to 2 inches over Puerto Rico with isolated maximum storm total amounts of 12 inches these rains are expected to produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides. (NWS TPC/National Hurricane Center)

Significant National Weather

West:
Under high pressure centered in Northern Utah most of the Region will be dry. A frontal system moving extending southward from a low in Canada will produce showers along the coast and snow showers spreading eastward to the Dakotas. A cold front along the Mexico - Texas border a mix of rain with snow in higher elevations of southern Colorado and New Mexico. High temperatures are forecast to range from the upper teens in Wyoming to the 60s in Southern California.

Midwest:
Conditions in the Midwest are improving as high pressure ridges in behind the front. Expect scattered rain showers from Oklahoma to southern Illinois with some steadier rain across parts of southern Indiana and southern Ohio. High temperatures will range from the teens in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin to around 50 in the Ohio Valley.

South:
The tail end of the cold front extending from the low off the coast of Maine will produce rain showers across much of Texas, eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi and northern Alabama. This cold front will move slowly through the region on tomorrow. Drought areas may see some precipitation on Thursday and more significant rain on Saturday. High temperatures will range from the 30s in Oklahoma and northwest Texas to the 70s and 80s across the Southeast.

Northeast:
The front extending from a low off the coast of Maine will bring cooler temperatures and precipitation to the Region. A wintry mix of rain and snow showers across Upstate new York and New England. Rain showers are forecast for Pennsylvania and New Jersey with snow showers in the northern parts of these states. High temperatures will range from the 20s in the far northern portions of New York and New England to the 70s in Virginia. A more significant storm system will spread snow across parts of southern New York and northern Pennsylvania by Thursday afternoon. (National Weather Service, Media Sources)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No new activity to report.  (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico:
No activity except Tropical Storm Olga as discussed above.

Eastern Pacific and Central Pacific:
No activity.

Western Pacific:
No current tropical cyclone warnings. ( NOAA, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

There was a magnitude 4.8 earthquake off the coast of Northern California 276 miles Northwest of San Francisco, CA at a depth of 6.2 miles on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 at 02:17:21 pm (EST). No tsunami was generated and there were no reports of damage or injures along the West Coast (USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

Joint PDAs will be conducted on the island of Maui, Hawaii beginning today, December 12, 2007.

PDAs in Oregon and Washington continue. (HI Civil Defense, Region IX, Region X, Washington, Oregon)

Disaster Declaration Activity

Missouri: Govenor Blunt is requesting an emergency declaration as a result of a severe winter storm system producing heavy rain, ice, sleet, snow, and frigid temperatures beginning on December 8, 2007, and continuing.  The Governor is specifically requesting Public Assistance (Categories A and B) and direct Federal assistance, for all 114 counties and the Independent City of St. Louis.   (FEMA HQ)