Thursday, July 1, 2010

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Hurricane Alex

Hurricane Alex made landfall at 10:00 p.m. EDT, June 30, as a Category II hurricane. Currently, Alex has weakened to a Category I hurricane. On July 1, at 5:00 a.m. EDT, the center of Hurricane Alex was located approximately 20 miles north of Ciudad Victoria, Mexico, and 160 miles southwest of Brownsville, Texas. Alex is moving toward the west near 12 mph, and the motion is expected to continue for the next 24-48 hours. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 80 mph, with higher gusts.Â* Hurricane force winds extend outward 35 miles. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 205 miles. The Tropical Storm Warning for the Coast of Texas from the mouth of the Rio Grande to Port OâConnor has been discontinued. A Hurricane Warning is in effect for the Coast of Mexico from Rio San Fernando to La Cruz. Additional weakening will occur as the tropical cyclone moves over land. Alex is expected to weaken to a tropical storm later today and dissipate over Mexico in the next 24-36 hours.
Alex is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 6 to 12 inches over portions of northeastern Mexico, with isolated amounts of up to 20 inches. Alex is expected to produce rainfall accumulations of 4 to 8 inches over portions of southern Texas, with possible isolated amounts around 10 inches. The storm tide and waves will gradually diminish today. Isolated tornadoes reported in portions of southern Texas.(NOAA, NWS, and National Hurricane Center)
Federal and State Actions:Â*
Federal
The National Response Coordination Center is activated to Level II with Emergency Support Functions # 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, and 15 activated. Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas is serving as a staging area and continues to collect prepositioned assets from FEMA Logistics. The Region VIII MERS team from Denver, Colo. is also deploying to that staging area and will arrive July 1.
On June 29, the President declared an emergency exists in 25 Texas counties and that federal aid is available to supplement state and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Tropical Storm Alex beginning on June 27, 2010, and continuing.
Federal funding is available to coordinate all disaster relief efforts with the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe.
Region VIÂ*
The Region VI Regional Response Coordination Center is activated Level I (24/7 operations) with most ESFs activated. The Region VI IMAT team is deployed to the TSOC, located in Austin, Texas.
Significant National Weather

WestÂ*
Hot temperatures continue from eastern Montana southwest to Utah, Nevada and the southern half of interior California. A few areas could reach 100-degrees. In the deserts, the temperatures should reach 100 to 120 degrees with the hottest readings occurring in Death Valley.
Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are forecast over central and eastern Montana and extreme northern Wyoming. A few of the storms could become severe producing damaging wind gusts and some small hail.
A few thunderstorms are expected at higher elevations in southern Utah, central Colorado and the mountainous areas of central Arizona. More widespread showers and thunderstorms are likely in New Mexico.
SouthÂ*
A cold front from the north will produce showers and thunderstorms from Louisiana to the eastern Carolinas and north Florida. Some heavy rain is possible in these areas.
NortheastÂ*
Some rain is possible from northeastern New York to northern Vermont and New Hampshire.
Midwest
Isolated thunderstorms are forecast to develop later in today in western North Dakota and western South Dakota. Some of those thunderstorms could turn severe, producing damaging wind gusts.(NOAAâs National Weather Service, the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center and media sources)

Mississippi Canyon 252 Update

Federal Response:
FEMA is providing personnel and equipment support
Situational Update:
Mississippi Canyon 252
The estimated oil spill rate is between 35,000 to 60,000 barrels per day. The current amount of landfall impacted is 225.5 miles. The beach cleanup has been suspended in Mississippi, the counties of Mobile and Baldwin, Alabama and parts of Florida due to weather. All shipping channels/ports remain open in the Gulf Coast Region with the exception of three ports (Brownsville, TX; Corpus Christi and Victoria, TX ports) due to Hurricane Alex. (NIC Daily Situation Update, DHS NOC SLB, Deepwater Horizon Response and FL Situation Report)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No activityÂ*(FEMA HQ)Â*
Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of MexicoÂ*
Hurricane Alex as discussed above.
Eastern PacificÂ*
No tropical cyclone activity expected in the next 48 hours.
Central Pacific:
No tropical cyclones are expected through Friday afternoon.
Western Pacific:
No tropical cyclone activity expected in the next 24 hours. (NOAA, NWS, NHC, CPHC 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, June 30, 2010:Â*
Initial attack activity: Light (134 new fires)
New large fires: 3
Large fires contained: 2
Uncontained large fires: 10
States affected: AZ, NM, CO, AK, ID & FL (NIFC)

Disaster Declaration Activity

Montana
On Jun 29, the Governor requested a Major Disaster Declaration as a result of severe storms, ground saturation, and flooding beginning on June 15, 2010, and continuing. (FEMA HQ)



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