Thursday, May 6, 2010

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Significant National Weather:

West
A low pressure system moving into the Northern Intermountain region will produce snow from northeast Oregon to western Wyoming.Â* Snowfall accumulations of 6 to 10 inches of snow are expected at elevations above 3,500 feet. Strong and gusty winds are expected across the Desert Southwest today. Sustained winds of 25 to 40 mph with gusts to around 55 or 60 mph are possible. The strongest gusts are forecast over central New Mexico. Red Flag Warnings are in effect for southwest Colorado and from central Arizona to west Texas through this evening.Â* Low humidity combined with strong winds will result in widespread critical fire weather conditions.
MidwestÂ*
A significant winter storm will affect central Idaho into High Northern Plains today.Â* Snowfall amounts of 5 to 8 inches are forecast from southeast Montana to northwest South Dakota through this afternoon.
Rain showers will move into the Northern Plains by late afternoon and continue through the night into Friday. Isolated thunderstorms will be possible tonight, mainly over parts of northeast Iowa and southwest Wisconsin. Thunderstorms are forecast from western Kansas to western Indiana this evening.Â* A few storms may become severe with damaging winds and large hail.
SouthÂ*
Under the effects of a high pressure system with warm temperatures most of the region will remain dry, with the exception of Florida. Isolated thunderstorms are forecast for this afternoon from the Florida Big Bend to the northeast Florida. These storms may become strong with the potential for frequent lightning and the potential for strong wind gusts.
NortheastÂ*
Scattered showers and thunderstorms will move across the Ohio Valley into the Northeast early this morning. Some of the storms may produce small hail, winds gusting to around 40 mph and brief heavy rain. Isolated thunderstorms are possible from western New York to southern Vermont through this afternoon.Â*(NOAA, National Weather Service, various media sources)Â*
Severe Weather Mississippi Valley & Southeast:

Federal Actions
The FEMA NRCC is at Level III. FEMA Logistics established two Incident Staging Bases; one in Memphis, Tenn. and one in Nashville, TN. There are 250 trailer loads of water and meals (200 trailers of water; 50 trailers of meals) en route to the Memphis staging area for further distribution. An additional 160 trailers of water are Mission Assigned to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Six mobile Disaster Recovery Centers are on currently en route to Nashville.
Region IV
The FEMA Region IV RRCC is at Level II (Partial Activation), with ESFs 1, 3, 6, 7, 10, and 15 activated. The RRCC operating hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Region IV IMAT is deployed to Jackson, Miss. in support of FEMA-1906-MS. FEMA liaisons are deployed to the Tennessee and Kentucky State Emergency Operations Centers.

Oil Spill Response Update:

Unified Command / USCG Response:
The Unified Command confirms shoreline impact of oil on Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana.Â*
On May 5, subsea dispersant operations were stopped pending further approval by the Environmental Protection Agency. The total amount of dispersants applied to date is 190,285 gallons on the surface and 15,364 gallons subsea.Â* So far, 30,418 barrels of oil / water mix are collected, 535,870 feet of boom assigned and 135,680 feet of boom deployed along the Louisiana coastline. Two In Situ burn operations were conducted yesterday. The drill rig conducting operations for the first relief well drilled to a depth of 6,850 feet (1,950 feet below the ocean floor). The second drill rig is expected to commence drilling the 2nd relief well in mid-May. The damaged riser that belonged to the destroyed drill rig is shifting. It is now 1,000 feet from the subsea floor (previously at 1,500 feet). The offshore supply vessel is underway with one of the two pollution domes aboard; the earliest the cofferdam will be operational is May 10. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) flyover confirmed oil is seven miles south of the Southwest Pass, LA; vessels are en route for skimming operations. NOAA forecasts light winds today, seas at two feet or less with no chance of rain through May 7.Â*
Federal Actions:
The FEMA RWC is at Watch/Steady State (Enhanced Watch) and monitoring. No FEMA assistance has been requested.Â* NORTHCOM deployed a Defense Coordinating Element to the Louisiana Emergency Operations Center.
(Region IV, Region VI, Coast Guard Command Center and DHS National Operations Center SLB)Â*
Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG):

No activity(FEMA HQ)Â*
Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Wildfire Update

National Preparedness Level 1
National Fire Activity as of Wednesday, May 5, 2010:Â*
Initial attack activity: Light (64 new fires)
New large fires: 1, Large fires contained: 1, Uncontained large fires: 1
States affected:Â* Hawaii & Michigan(NIFC)Â*
Disaster Declaration Activity

Tennessee
An amendment No. 1 to FEMA-1909-DR-TN was approved to add two counties for Individual Assistance and debris removal and emergency protective measures (Cat A&B), including direct Federal assistance under the PA program. Also, an amendment No. 2 for FEMA-1909-DR-TN was approved to add four counties for Individual Assistance and debris removal and emergency protective measures (Categories A and B), including direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program.
Mississippi
An amendment No. 4 to FEMA-1906-DR-MS was approved to add one county for Public Assistance and including direct Federal assistance and adds Monroe and Warren Counties for Public Assistance, including direct Federal assistance, (already designated for Individual Assistance).
Rhode Island
An amendment No. 3 to FEMA-3311-DR-RI and amendment No. 5 to FEMA-1894-DR-RI was approved to appoint Craig A. Gilbert as Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO).Â*(FEMA HQ)



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