National Situation Update: Saturday, April 19, 2008
Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).
Significant National Weather
West:
Much of the Northwest will turn cold April 19 - 20, 2008, as winter weather conditions accompany the passage of a cold front.
On April 20, 2008, snow levels will drop below 500 feet in Washington, to 1,000 feet in Oregon and to 4,000 feet in California.
Midwest:
A Midwest storm system will move from Missouri to Ohio over the next two days, as rain shifts from the Mississippi Valley to the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley and exits into the Mid-Atlantic.
A few thunderstorms may turn severe in the eastern Ohio Valley April 19, 2008.
A cold front from the West will arrive in the high Plains late April 20, 2008. A few showers or thunderstorms will move into the Dakotas.
Portions of North Dakota will turn wintry the night of April 20, 2008 and early April 21, 2008, as the cold front moves eastward.
Northeast:
April 20 - 21, 2008, a heavy band of rain could set up across southern Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. Totals could reach four-to-six-inches.
Showers and thunderstorms will become isolated across the Mid-Atlantic April 22 - 23, 2008.
South:
Showers and thunderstorms will move from the lower Mississippi Valley to the Southeast coast the night of April 19, 2008.
April 20 - 22, 2008, showers and thunderstorms will impact the Carolinas as the Midwest storm slowly moves off the Coast.
A new cold front will approach, extending from Kentucky to Texas by late next week. In the warm air ahead of this cold front, thunderstorms will develop across the Tennessee Valley and south-central states. (NWS, Various Media Sources)
Midwest 5.2 Earthquake Wrap-up:
On Thursday, April 18, 2008 at 5:36 am EDT an earthquake measuring 5.2 struck southern Illinois at a depth of 7.2 miles, 6 miles east of West Salem IL, about 274 miles south of Chicago, 128 miles east of St. Louis, MO and 133 miles west of Louisville, KY . There are reports of minor damage, no injuries reported.
There have been 5 aftershocks associated with this event ranging in magnitudes from 2.2 to 4.6.
State Reports
Illinois:
The SEOC will reopen at 8:30 a.m. CDT until approximately 12:00 p.m. CDT on Saturday, April 19, 2008, with a partial staff.
The FEMA RV Liaison Officer will be in the State EOC performing liaison functions with the FEMA RV Regional Response Coordination Center (RRCC).
The States will conduct damages assessments starting April 19, 2008 in the impacted areas.
The IL Department of Transportation (DOT) has received no reports of damage to highway infrastructure
Preliminary reports of 12 homes with minor damage were made.
An older brick apartment complex suffered a collapsed wall - no indication it was inhabited.
Damage to grain elevator in Bridgeport was reported. Additional information will be provided if damage is significant.
A water pipe broke at St John's Hospital in Springfield and is being repaired; staff operations/patient care unaffected.
No significant issues reported beyond the state capabilities.
Missouri:
The State Emergency Management Agency returned to normal operations at 4:30 p.m. CDT, April 18, 2008.
The Missouri Department of Transportation has completed approximately 2/3 of all bridge inspections for possible earthquake damage in the eastern part of Missouri and found no damages.
The state is coordinating with the State of Illinois on bridges that cross the Mississippi River. No damages were reported.
State energy is coordinating with local officials on minor natural gas outages.
No significant issues reported beyond the states capabilities.
Kentucky:
Louisville Airport reporting cracks in walls of terminal.
Louisville University reports some minor damage to buildings.
One mobile home fell off cinder block foundation.
The state is assessing underground mining operations for any impacts.
No significant issues beyond the state capabilities.
Mississippi Valley Flooding:
CURRENT SITUATION
The storm system will move eastward from Missouri through the Ohio Valley over the next two days as rain shifts from the Mississippi Valley to the Great Lakes. The upper level trough will remain relatively stationary keeping this region unsettled. Additional rainfall will total less than one inch throughout the Midwest and lower Mississippi Valley.
Flood Warnings continue for the Mississippi River in Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana and Kentucky. Moderate Flood Levels will continue for the next 48 hours.
FEDERAL RESPONSE
FEMA Region IV
RRCC not activated and will resume normal operations April 21, 2008.
Mississippi requested 1 PA and 2 IA Joint PDA teams due to damages from the severe weather on April 4 - 5, 2008. IA PDAs in 4 counties scheduled to begin April 21, 2008.
Kentucky Joint PA PDAs in 15 counties are scheduled to begin on April 21, 2008 in response to flooding from March 18, 2008 and continuing.
No outstanding issues and no unmet needs.
FEMA Region V
RRCC activated to Level III Level III 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. CDT April 19, 2008.
PA PDAs began in Indiana on Wednesday April 16, 2008.
No outstanding issues and no unmet needs.
FEMA Region VI
RRCC not activated and will resume normal operations April 21, 2008.
Five Disaster Recovery Centers opened in Arkansas.
ERT-A has been identified to support Louisiana (Oklahoma, and Texas), if required.
S1 to visit Louisiana on April 21-22, 2008. Talking points and background information provided.
Arkansas PA PDAs requested for 56 counties, up from 45. PA PDAs completed: 52 counties, up from 43. IA PDAs completed: 44 of 48.
Oklahoma PA PDAs ongoing; currently there are 21 scheduled for April 17 - 25, 2008.
No outstanding issues and no unmet needs.
FEMA Region VII
RRCC not activated and will resume normal operations April 21, 2008.
No requests for federal assistance.
No outstanding issues and no unmet needs.
Other Government Agencies
US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
193 personnel currently engaged in floodfighting activities. (USACE)
Levee seepages and boil activities are increasing in MS, AR, LA. Technical assistance, levee patrols and inspections are ongoing in all affected States. (USACE)
Continues to support FEMA Region VI in Denton, TX with 1 Team Leader and 1 USACE LNO for floodfighting activities. (USACE)
(Denton MOC, Region V, Region VI, Region VII, USACE, USCG, FEMA HQ)
STATE and LOCAL RESPONSE
Arkansas
6 fatalities
Counties: 58 counties with declared States of Emergency
Homes destroyed/damaged: 206 homes destroyed and 414 major, 1,317 minor damage. (Region VI, AR JFO)
5Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) open
USACE will continue to monitor the Prairie County levee. (Region VI)
Major/Moderate Flooding Update:
White River:
Georgetown is at Major Flood Stage and receding. The river is expected to fall below Major Flood Stage the morningof April 19, 2008.
Flooding inundates State Highway 36 and homes between West Point and Georgetown.
Georgetown has been cut off from land access since about March 21, 2008. (NWS Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service).
Des Arc crested at Major Flood Stage, is receding and will drop below Major Flood Stage April 23, 2008.
State Highway 38 flooded. (NWS Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service).
Clarendon is at 33.70 feet, Major Flood Stage, and rising. The river is forecast to crest near 34 feet by April 20, 2008 but remain at Major Flood Stage throughout the forecast period.
Roads nears Clarendon remain flooded, and downstream conditions are predicted to worsen. (NWS Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service).
Mississippi River:
Arkansas City is at 45.07 feet, Major Flood Stage, with no significant change throughout the forecast period.
At 44 feet, all land inside levee protection is inundated. (NWS Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service).
Illinois
Illinois EOC fully activated with necessary State agencies and ESFs.
FEMA State Liaison deployed to IL EOC.
2 fatalities
1 shelter, 8 occupants
Major/Moderate River Flooding:
Rock River
Moline is at 13.81 feet, Moderate Flood Stage, and gradually falling. The river is forecast to recede to 12.9 feet, Flood Stage, on April 21, 2008. (NWS Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service, USACE, Region V)
Louisiana
Louisiana GOHSEP - Normal Operations
The Governor of Louisiana issued a State of Emergency for possible flooding.
Major/Moderate River Flooding:
Mississippi River:
Baton Rougeis at 42.63 feet, Major Flood Stage, and forecast to steadily rise; reaching 43 feet by April 22, 2008then remain steady throughout the forecast period.The base-line height of the levee is 48 feet, according to USACE. The sand boil reported as "Big Mamou" is showing no change in activity as only clear water is flowing from the side of the bank wall. No flooding issues at this time effecting the citizens or property. (GOHSEP Sit Rep)
Red River Landing is at 60.14 feet, Moderate Flood Stage, and rising. The river is forecast to reach 60.5 feet by Tuesday, April 22, 2008and remain steady for the remainder of the forecast period.
At 59.0 feet, Angola Landing will be under water, closing the ferry there. (NWS Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service, GOHSEP Sit Rep)
Per USACE, the threat assessment of the mainline levees on the Mississippi River from Northern Louisiana to the Gulf of Mexico, and the mainline levees in the Atchafalaya River, there is no overtopping expected based on the current river crest forecast by the NWS at this time. (USACE Level 2 Activation)
Mississippi
2 fatalities (Tunica County)
EOC at Level III (Partially Activated w/MEMA)
1 shelter, 1 occupant
Counties affected: 16
382 people displaced.
Homes: Destroyed - 37, Major Damage - 185, Minimum Damage - 561
Business: Destroyed - 0, Major Damage - 4, Minimum Damage - 7
Infrastructure Damaged: 4 public roads and 3 bridges
Major/Moderate Flooding:
Mississippi River: The Mississippi River crests have been raised from Arkansas City to Natchez.
Greenville is at 57.22 feet, Major Flood Stage, with no significant change throughout the forecast period.
At 57.0 feet, Harbor Front road is under water.
Natchez is at 56.68 feet, Moderate Flood Stage,and is forecast to reach 57.0 feet, Major Flood Stage, by April 21, 2008.
Impact at 57 feet includes flooding of Bourke Road and homes south of Natchez, in the township of Fort Adams.
Wisconsin
No request for Federal Assistance.
Major/Moderate Flooding:
Rock River:
Newvilleis at 11.57 feet, Major Flood Stage, and slowly receding through April 20, 2008.The river will drop incrementally throughout the forecast period reaching Flood Stage by Friday, April 25, 2008.
Wisconsin Emergency Management reports the situation in Rock County has stabilized.
Some sandbagging has been conducted but there have been no evacuations or rescues in the area. (Region IV RRCC, Region V RRCC, Region VI RRCC, Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) Emergency Operations Center, Louisiana Governor's Office of State Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOSHEP), Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, Texas Division of Emergency Management State Operations Center, National Weather Service, National Guard Bureau, USACE.)
Severe Weather Update:
Tennessee
The state was impacted by severe weather on April 11, 2008 and requested Joint PDAs to determine the extent of damage.
Joint FEMA/State IA PDA's for Lawrence, Giles and Warren counties were completed on April 18, 2008.
The EOC initially reported damage from unconfirmed tornadoes with eight (8) counties affected; approximately 50 homes reporting minor damage. Several minor injuries reported.
Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)
Nothing significant to report. (FEMA HQ)
Critical Fire Weather
Utah: A Red Flag Warning is in effect from 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. MDT, April 19, 2008 for elevations below 5,500 feet in the eastern Uinta Basin of northeast Utah.
Colorado: A Red Flag Warning is in effect from 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. MDT, April 19, 2008 for elevations below 6,500 feet in the areas around Craig, Meeker, Rangely, along the Interstate 70, the Grand Valley, the Uncompahgre River Valley, western Montrose County and the Four Corners area.
Arizona: A Red Flag Warning will be in effect April 19, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. PDT for the northwest deserts of Arizona, including Lake Mead, lower Colorado River Valley and Mohave County.
California: A Red Flag Warning will be in effect April 19, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. PDT for much of southeast California including the Mojave Desert, lower Colorado River Valley and Death Valley National Park.
Nevada: A Red Flag Warning will be in effect April 19, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. PDT for southern Nevada including Lake Mead, the Lower Colorado River Valley and Esmeralda, Nye, Lincoln and Clark Counties.
New Mexico: A Red Flag Warning will be in effect April 19, 2008 from 12:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. CDT for southeast New Mexico.
Texas: A Red Flag Warning will be in effect April 19, 2008 from 12:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. CDT for the Rio Grande Plains, Guadalupe Mountains and the Van Horn/Highway 54 corridor.
Tropical Weather Outlook
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Earthquake Activity
On Thursday, April 18, 2008, at 5:36 am EDT, an earthquake measuring Magnitude 5.2 struck southern Illinois at a depth of 7.2 miles, 6 miles east of West Salem IL, about 274 miles south of Chicago, 128 miles east of St. Louis, MO and 133 miles west of Louisville, KY. There were reports of minor damage, no injuries reported. There have been 5 aftershocks associated with this event ranging in magnitudes from 2.2 to 4.6.
On Friday, April 18, 2008, at 4:51 p.m. EDT, an earthquake measuring Magnitude 4.9 struck Adak, Alaska at a depth of 6.2 miles, 137 miles west of Adak, AK, 242 miles west of Ataka, AK and 1,306 miles west-southwest of Anchorage, AK. No reports of damage, no injuries reported and no tsunami was generated. (USGS, NOAA, 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
California Emergency Disaster Declaration Request
A request was received form Governor Schwarzenegger April 18, 2008 for an emergency declaration for the State of California as a result of the extended emergency closure of the Martins Ferry Bridge. The Governor is requesting Public Assistance Category B (emergency protective measures), including direct Federal assistance, for Humboldt County and the Yurok Tribe.
Arkansas Emergency Disaster Declaration Appeal Request
The Governor of Arkansas is appealing the denial of an Emergency Declaration as a result of severe fires and wind damage on January 29, 2008. The Governor requested Public Assistance and direct Federal assistance for Sebastian County.
Wisconsin-3285-EM Amendment
Amendment number 1 was approved for FEMA-3285-EM-WI (Snow). The amendment adds Public Assistance for three (3) counties. (FEMA HQ)
Last Modified: Monday, 21-Apr-2008 08:13:13 EDT