Thursday, September 2, 2010

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Significant National Weather

West
The region will be generally cool and dry under a ridge of high pressure. A strong upper level high pressure system developing over Southern California will bring a prolonged period of hot weather to the inland areas of southwestern California. The warmest temperatures of this heat wave are generally expected on Thursday and Friday, when triple digit heat will be common across inland areas. Warmer than normal weather conditions are expected to linger into weekend.
Midwest
A cold front extends from the Great Lakes to the Texas Panhandle and will produce showers, thunderstorms, and severe thunderstorms (hail, gusty winds, localized flooding and possible tornados) across the Upper Plains, Great Lakes, and Mississippi and Ohio Valleys.
Northeast
The system moving out of the Midwest will bring precipitation to western Pennsylvania, New York, and New England later today but most of the region will be precipitation free. Some areas of the Mid-Atlantic coast will begin to feel the effects of Hurricane Earl.Â*
South
Under high pressure, the region will be partly cloudy except for showers in Texas and Oklahoma.(NOAA and media sources)Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*
Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No activity.Â*Â*(HQ FEMA)Â*
Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico:
Hurricane Earl is a large, intense Category 4 storm located 355 miles south of Cape Hatteras, NC moving northwest at 18 mph. It has maximum sustained winds of 135 mph with hurricane force winds extending out 90 miles from the center and tropical storm winds extending 230 miles from the center.
Earl will pass near the Outer Banks of North Carolina tonight as a major hurricane, with winds of 111 mph or above. Tropical storm force winds, winds of 39 mph and above, are forecast to begin to reach from Virginia to New Jersey by late Thursday night and early Friday morning.
Storm surge levels of three to five feet above ground level are expected within the hurricane warning area and lower Chesapeake Bay. In the tropical storm warning areas, storm surges will be one to three feet above ground level and the coastal areas will also see large and battering waves.
The eastern part of North Carolina including the Outer Banks will also see two to four inches of rain with up to six inches possible. One to two inches of rain, large swells and dangerous surf are also possible along the immediate Mid-Atlantic coast.
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Bogue Inlet, NC northeastward to the North Carolina/Virginia border including the Pamlico and Albemarle sounds.
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for north of the North Carolina/Virginia border to Cape Henlopen, DE. In Massachusetts, the Watches include Westport to Plymouth, MA as well as Marthaâs Vineyard and Nantucket.
Tropical Storm Warnings in North Carolina and the Mid-Atlantic states include; Cape Fear, NC to west of Bogue Inlet, NC; north of the North Carolina/Virginia border to Sandy Hook, NJ; and the Delaware Bay south of Slaughter Beach and the Chesapeake Bay south ofÂ* New Point Comfort. In New York, there is a Tropical Storm Warning for the coast of Long Island including Suffolk County and coastal waters surrounding Long Island including Fire Island Inlet northward and eastward to Port Jefferson Harbor.
Tropical Storm watches are in effect from Sandy Hook, NJ up the Atlantic coast to Woods Hole, MA. Included in these watches is Long Island Sound, Block Island and the coast of Long Island from west of Fire Island Inlet around to Port Jefferson Harbor. The watches also extend north of Plymouth, MA to Eastport, ME. SeeÂ*www.nhc.noaa.gov/Â*Â*for the latest advisories.Â*
(NOAA)Â*
FEMA Preparations for Hurricane Earl
The National Response Coordination Center is operating 24/7 including the Emergency Support Functions. FEMA Logistics is finalizing pre-staging of commodities and equipment including meals, water, generators, and communications teams, to Incident Support Bases in North Carolina and Massachusetts.
FEMA Region I Regional Response Coordination Center and the MERS Operations Center in Maynard, MA are operating 24/7. Numerous Incident Management Assistance Teams (IMATs) from around the country are deployed throughout the region. A FEMA Urban Search and Rescue team was activated in Region I and three additional teams are on alert.
FEMA Region II Regional Response Coordination Center is operating from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Emergency Support Functions and the Defense Coordinating Element is activated until further notice. Incident Management Assistance Teams (IMATs), Defense Coordinating Officers and Federal Coordinating Officer are deployed to the U.S. Virgin Islands. Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments were completed in Puerto Rico and no federal aid was requested. Personnel deployed to Puerto Rico will support operations in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
FEMA Region III Regional Response Coordination Center is operating from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Region has identified three IMAT teams to deploy as needed.
FEMA Region IV Regional Response Coordination Center is operating 24/7 including the Emergency Support Functions and Defense Coordinating Element. Incident Management Assistance Teams (IMATs) are deployed to North Carolina and the Incident Support Base in North Carolina is finalizing pre-landfall commodity placement. A Federal Coordinating Officer and a State Liaison Officer are assigned to the North Carolina State Emergency Operations Center.
The Governors of Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina have declared states of emergency.
North Carolina issued mandatory evacuation orders for Dare County, Hyde County and Pine Knoll Shores, Emerald Isle, Bogue Banks, Atlantic Beach and Indian Beach in Carteret County.
(FEMA HQ, Regions I, II, III, IV)Â*
Additional Tropical Activity in the Atlantic:
Tropical Storm Fiona is located 295 miles north of San Juan, Puerto Rico moving northwest near 17 mph.Â* The storm is expected to move northward and is expected pass near Bermuda Saturday morning.
Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph and extend out 115 miles from the center but it is expected to maintain the same level of strength during the next 48 hours.Â*
Tropical Storm Gaston is located 1, 550 miles east of the Lesser Antilles moving west near 9 mph with maximum sustained near 40 mph. The system is anticipated to slow its forward movement but gradually strengthen during the next 48 hours.Â*
A new tropical wave recently emerged off the west coast of Africa and has a low chance, near 10 percent, of becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours.
Eastern PacificÂ*
A low pressure system located 210 miles west-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico is moving west-northwest at 5 mph. This system has a high chance, near 80 percent, of becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours.
Central and Western Pacific:
No tropical cyclones are expected during the next 48 hours.
(NOAA, JTWC)
Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Wildfire Update

National Preparedness Level: 2
National Fire Activity as of Wednesday, September 1, 2010:Â*
Initial attack activity: light (85 new fires), new large fires: 3, large fires contained: 5
Uncontained large fires: 15, U.S. States affected: ID, OR, WA, MT, HI, CA, WY, OK, & ARÂ*
(NIFC)

Disaster Declaration Activity

Texas
FEMA-1931-DR-TX is amended effective September 1, 2010.Â* Amendment No 4 adds Calhoun County for Public Assistance.
North Carolina
On September 1, 2010, the President signed Emergency Declaration EM-3314 for the State of North Carolina due to the potential impact of Hurricane Earl beginning September 1, 2010 and continuing.Â* The declaration approves Public Assistance for eighteen counties, and Hazard Mitigation statewide.Â* The FCO is Michael Bolch of the National FCO Program.
Illinois
Governor of Illinois requests to amend the incident period for FEMA-1935-DR-IL to include eligible damages events beginning on July 19, 2010, and ending August 7, 2010.Â* The incident period for this declaration is currently July 22 to August 7, 2010.Â* Additionally, the Governor is requesting the Public Assistance program be authorized under FEMA-1935-DR.Â* (HQ FEMA)



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