National Situation Update: Thursday, December 18, 2008
Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).
Significant National Weather
West:
A fast moving low pressure system will bring snow and snow showers to much of the Pacific Northwest, even in the lower elevations such as Puget Sound and Willamette Valley. Over a foot of snow is forecast for the Oregon Cascades.
A second system, which brought heavy rain to southern California yesterday, will produce snow in the mountains of the Four Corners states. Rain showers are forecast for the lower elevations of northern California, Arizona and New Mexico.
Midwest:
The next in a series of severe winter storms will develop rapidly over the central Plains and western Midwest this afternoon and move rapidly eastward today. The entire region will receive a wintery mix of precipitation.
Winter Storm Warnings/Advisories and most significantly, Ice Storm Warnings, are in effect for much of the region north of Kansas City, Missouri with rain to the south. The heaviest snow is forecast for northeastern Iowa. A swath of significant icing is forecast from just east of Omaha, Nebraska to Muncie, Indiana and will spread eastward during the day. Total ice accumulation may exceed one half inch in some locations. There is significant potential for damage to power lines and trees.
South:
A frontal system is stretched across the region from Texas to the Carolinas. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are forecast from eastern Texas and Oklahoma across the northern portion of the Gulf Coast states to the Carolinas.
Northeast:
Under high pressure most of the region will be dry today with just a few snow flurries in northern New York State and northern New England.
Tonight the system moving out of the Midwest will bring rain to the mid-Atlantic and snow to Pennsylvania and western New York State. (NOAA, National Weather Service and Various Media Sources)
Winter Storm Update
Power outages continue across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and some parts of New York State. 103 shelters are established with 2,046 occupants. Power restoration efforts continue, and the National Grid Massachusetts reported that restorations would take until December 19 to complete. Other priorities include; sheltering operations, communications restoration, debris removal and damage assessments, process State Emergency requests, and managing ERT-A and PDA teams.
New Hampshire
State EOC activated at Level IV (High Intensity Event); SSA at SEOC
Fatalities: 1
Power Outages: 81,040 (-36,969) (DOE as of Dec. 17 at 12:00 p.m.)
Shelters: 34 / Occupants: 452 (Region I)
Massachusetts
State EOC activated at Level II (Additional Staff and Agencies 24/7); SSA at SEOC
Power Outages: 52,451 (-25,271) (DOE as of Dec. 17 at 12:00 p.m.)
Shelters: 58 / Occupants: 1,584 (Region I)
Maine.
State EOC activated at Level II, (Local Response Overwhelmed) SSA at SEOC
Injuries: 2
Power Outages: 2,600 (-23,262) (DOE as of Dec. 17 at 12:00 p.m.)
Shelters: 6 / Occupants: 0 (Region I)
Vermont
State EOC at Level 1 (Normal Operations)
Power Outages: 1,490 (-1,785) (DOE as of Dec. 17 at 12:00 p.m.)
Shelters closed (Region I)
Vermont Emergency Management coordinating with Governor to request Disaster Declaration
New York
NY SEMO activated at Level I (Not Activated)
Fatalities: 3
The Governor has declared a State of Emergency for 16 counties
The Governor has requested an Emergency Declaration for Public Assistance for the 16 affected counties.
Power Outages: 18,818 (-26,424) (DOE as of Dec. 17 at 12:00 p.m.)
Shelters: 5 / Occupants: 10 (Region II)
Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)
No activity. (FEMA HQ)
Tropical Weather Outlook
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Earthquake Activity
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Preliminary Damage Assessments
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Disaster Declaration Activity
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Last Modified: Thursday, 18-Dec-2008 08:11:06 EST