Wednesday, October 20, 2010

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Significant National Weather

Northeast
Showers and thunderstorms are expected over the Mid-Atlantic along a frontal boundary moving toward the Southeast. Another cold front over the Great Lakes will bring the chance of showers and gusty winds to portions of New England.
South
Scattered showers and thunderstorms with small hail or gusty winds are possible across Oklahoma, northern Texas, Arkansas, northern Louisiana, and portions of Mississippi and Alabama. Light showers are expected across drought-stricken areas of the Southeast, but not enough to significantly improve drought conditions.
Midwest
A cold front is expected to develop across the Northern Plains by Thursday morning, spreading rain and a few thunderstorms across the northern Great Lakes. Precipitation will develop farther south along this frontal boundary into portions of the Ohio Valley and Northeast. Winds will increase to 15 to 25 mph for much of the Northern Plains, while gusting to near 30 mph near the Great Lakes.
West
Scattered showers and thunderstorms continue over the southern half of California, southern Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico. Thunderstorms are possible along the mountains of southern Utah and southwestern Colorado and flash flooding, small hail, and heavy downpours are possible. Isolated storms may become severe in southeastern New Mexico and could produce 1-inch hail, 70 mph wind gusts, and locally heavy rains.
(NOAA and media sources)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico
Area 1
A low pressure area centered 150 miles southwest of Grand Cayman is drifting eastward. Strong upper-level winds are keeping it from further development but only a small environmental change could allow it to become a tropical depression. An Air Force Reserve Reconnaissance aircraft will investigate today and interests in the northwestern Caribbean Sea should continue to watch the progress of this disturbance. There is a high chance, near 70 percent, of this system becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours.
Central, Eastern, and Western Pacific
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.Â*
Â*(NOAA, JTWC)
Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Wildfire Update

National Preparedness:Â* Level 1
National Fire Activity as of Tuesday, October 19, 2010:
Initial attack activity: light (62 new fires), new large fires: 0, large fires contained: 2
Uncontained large fires: 1, U.S. States affected: LA, MS, AR, & OR.
(NIFC)
Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)Â*
No activity.
(HQ FEMA)

Disaster Declaration Activity

Amendment No. 1 to FEMA-1941-DR-MN closes the incident period for this Minnesota disaster and
Amendment No. 2 to FEMA-1941-DR-MN makes eight counties eligible for the Public Assistance Program.
Amendment No. 1 to FEMA-1942-DR-NC makes four more counties eligible for the Individual Assistance Program at this North Carolina disaster.
(FEMA HQ)Â*
Disaster Field Offices
17 Open Field Offices are supporting 28 Major Disaster Declarations and 4 Emergency Declarations.(HQ FEMA)

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