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National Situation Update: Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant Weather

West:
Most of the region will have pleasant weather today.  An area of low pressure may produce some showers and thunderstorms over Central and Northern California.  Red Flag Warnings due to very low humidity and gusty winds are in effect until midnight PDT tonight for the Tehachapi Mountains and the southern portion of the San Joaquin Valley.
Midwest:
Unseasonably cold weather is forecast across the Upper Midwest with lows in the teens and 20s.
A Freeze Warning has been issued for several areas throughout the region until 9:00 a.m. today. Clearing skies and light winds will allow temperatures to fall, with a hard freeze expected along and south of the Missouri River.  A Hard Freeze Warning remains in effect until 9:00 a.m. CDT today for central Oklahoma and a portion of north Texas.  Flood Warnings continue for rivers in Minnesota and North Dakota.  Rivers over northwestern and west central Minnesota will continue their recent fall for the next several days. However, by this weekend, temperatures will have been above freezing for a long enough amount of time to renew snowmelt and resultant runoff. As a result, river levels will begin rising once again.
South:
Cold weather is forecast for much of the South with the potential for record lows in some areas. 
A Freeze Warning remains in effect until 10:00 a.m. EDT, for several states throughout the region.
Flood Warnings remain in effect for several rivers throughout the region.  A Red Flag Warning is in effect for most of Florida until 8:00 p.m. tonight.
Northeast:
Snow and gusty winds will accompany a low pressure system moving northeastward across the region.  Snow will fall in the higher elevations of the Appalachians and in elevated areas east and southeast of Lakes Erie and Ontario.  Flood Warnings have been issued for several rivers throughout the region. (NWS, and Various Media Sources)

Red River Flood Preparations

Federal Response:
FEMA Headquarters

• FEMA NRCC is at Watch/Steady State; 24/7 (Watch only)
  
• National IMAT West deployed to ND EOC

Region VIII:

• RRCC at Watch/Steady State       
  
• ERT-A is deployed to ND EOC.
  
• Finalizing transition to the JFO in ND

Current Situation:
North Dakota:

• State EOC remains activated at Level 1 (24/7 operations)
  
• IA PDAs are continuing; estimated completion date unknown.
  
• Second Red River crest expected April 15-22; expected to equal or exceed previous river crest in Fargo.
  
• The Grand Forks AFB NLSA will remain open until the second flooding crest transpires.
  
• Once the NLSA is no longer required, the food and water will be offered to Voluntary Agencies.
  
• The Casselton and Cheney shelters have closed.

Region V

• 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. CDT with all ESFs on standby.
  
• IMAT Staging Area Supervisor and three Logistics Specialists at the Grand Forks AFB.
  
• One FEMA LNO deployed in MN SEOC.
  
• JFO scheduled to be operational April 8, in Dilworth, MN

Current Situation:
Minnesota:

• State EOC remains Partially Activated 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CDT; State agencies on standby.
  
• IA PDAs for 7 counties were completed April 4.
  
• Preparing for second river crest April 15-22 
  
• All evacuation orders for Minnesota have been lifted
  
• All shelters are closed.

Flooding and Severe Weather in the South

Heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding over southern Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and northern Florida on March 26 and continuing. Numerous flood warnings exist throughout the Region.

Georgia:

• State EOC remains at Level 2 (Partial Activation)
  
• Governor declared a State of Emergency for 16 counties
  
• Fatality: 1 (Colquitt County) / Injuries: 2
  
• IA and PA PDAs have been requested for 19 counties.
  
• Shelters: 2 / Occupants: 19
  
• Damages: Destroyed: 20; Major: 312; Minor 503
  
• Numerous roads remain closed

Florida:

• State EOC remains at Level 2 (Partial Activation)
  
• Local States of Emergency have been declared in 17 counties.
  
• Two confirmed fatalities (Okaloosa County)
  
• Joint IA PDAs began in six counties today; PA PDAs have been requested for six counties
  
• Shelters: 1 (Hamilton County) / Occupants: 0
  
• Damages: Destroyed: 19; Major 57; Minor: 341
  
• Counties have indicated that their resources are limited
  
• Numerous roads and bridges remain closed.

Alabama:

• State EOC will be at Level 3 (Partial Activation)
  
• On March 30, 2009, the Governor issued an emergency proclamation for 11 counties; 37 counties reported damage.
  
• Fatalities: 2 (Houston County)
  
• PA PDAs are scheduled to begin April 7 in six counties.
  
• IA PDAs are scheduled to begin April 7 for three counties.

Kentucky:

• State EOC remains at Level 1 (Normal Operations)
  
• Kentucky Emergency Management confirms trees and utility lines are down
  
• Damages: Several mobile homes (Lincoln County); an unknown number of residences with structural damage (Casey County); a church and two storage buildings received roof damage (McCracken County)

Mississippi:

• MS EOC returned to Level 4 (Normal Operations)
  
• Injuries: 29; Damage: 808 structures reported damaged or destroyed in 38 counties.

North Carolina:

• State EOC is at Level 4 (Normal Operations)
  
• A tornado touched down Apr 6,  in Clarkton, NC (Bladen County)
  
• One home shifted off of its foundation; multiple damages to other homes
  
• Flooding was widespread over Halifax County with utility lines down in the town of Enfield 
  
• No other damages and no injuries were reported
  

Potential Flooding – Maine

• The NWS reported that 1 ¼ inches of rain with thunderstorms are expected. However, they felt that it would take 2 ½ in of rain in a 6 hour period to be a problem.
  
• Maine currently has a higher level of risk due to complicating factors of floating ice on rivers, ice jams, high snowpack and high winds forecast for the next 24 - 48 hours.
  
• There are four areas for concern:
  
  • Rain of up to 1.5" is expected in the state.
    
  • Ice in the Aroostook, Penobscot and Piscataquis rivers with potential to accumulate; ice jam at the Aroostook River at Fort Fairfield.
    
  • Snowpack of 6 -14"
    
  • Due to the potential of 55 mph winds on the south-east coast and up to 50 mph inland, power outages due to wind and tree damage is possible. 
    
• The most significant cause of concern at this present time is the ice jam at Fort Fairfield. 
  
• Current Preparation:
  
  • NWS/NERFC has 24 hr coverage and monitoring of the situation
    
  • DOT on standby in the region
    
  • A dam engineer is on call
    
  • No State EOC activation at this time.
    
• FEMA Region 1 continues to monitor and will participate in conference calls with states and NWS

Mt Redoubt

Redoubt volcano has been downgraded to Aviation Color Code ORANGE and Alert Level WATCH.
There have been no large eruptions since Saturday.  Small earthquakes and intermittent tremors continue.  The two active tanks at Drift River have been emptied of crude to the extent possible (60,397 bbls of crude remain), and backfilled with approximately 20,000 bbls of seawater.  This decreases tank buoyancy in the event of flooding and helps maintain the tank's structural integrity.  Some oil remains in the pipeline to prevent corrosion from the seawater pumped upstream by the T/V Seabulk Arctic.  The terminal owned by Chevron and Pacific Energy and operated by Cook Inlet Pipe Line Co. states that after the transfer is completed it will not accept any new oil until Redoubt activity ceases.
AVO continues to be staffed 24 hours per day.

Powerful Earthquake Strikes Italy

A 6.3 earthquake struck on April 5th at 9:32 p.m. EDT about 60 miles north-east of Rome, at a depth of six miles.  Prime Minister Berlusconi declared a State of Emergency.  According to CNN, more than 179 people are dead and more than 1,500 have been injured.  More than 4,000 rescue workers were trying to reach those trapped in collapsed buildings.  Up to 50,000 may have been left homeless by the earthquake; population is around 70,000.  Altogether, 26 cities and towns have reported damages. (Media Sources)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No activity.(FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Western Pacific:
No tropical cyclone activity affecting U.S territories in the Western Pacific.(NOAA, HPC, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

USGS reports that a 7.0 earthquake occurred in the Kuril Islands on 6 Apr at 11:23 p.m. EDT at a depth of 24.3 miles.  The quake's location was 940 miles NE of Tokyo and 380 miles SW of Severo-Kuril'sk, Kuril Islands, Russia.  No reports of damages or injuries have been received, and no tsunami is expected along the California/Oregon/Washington/British Columbia/Alaska coasts.  (USGS)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

Initial attack activity: Light (58 new fires)
New large fires: 13
Large fires contained: 7
Uncontained large fires: 16

Disaster Declaration Activity

Amendment #1 for Major Disaster Declaration FEMA-1828-DR-IN was approved on April 6, 2009.  It adds PA for the counties of Jennings, Lawrence, Ohio, Ripley, Scott and Posey (Cat A-G). (FEMA HQ)