Thursday, May 19, 2011

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Mississippi Valley Flooding

Â*The Mississippi River crest is slowly working south. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continues to monitor the crest southward down the Mississippi River and continues flood fighting measures throughout the Mississippi River and Tributaries (MR&T) system with increased focus on conditions in southern Louisiana.Â* New Orleans is expected to remain at near the current level for the next two weeks. The River is forecast to fall below flood stage on May 27.
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Louisiana
Â*There are 16 (+1) of 125 gates currently open along the Morganza Floodway.Â*Â* The release of water from the Morganza Spillway is moving slower than anticipated through the Atchafalaya River Basin.Â*Â* Three hundred and thirty-three of 350 gates are open on the Bonnet Carre Spillway that empties the Mississippi River into Lake Pontchartrain and is anticipated to remain open for 2 to 4 weeks.Â* Approximately 3,900 residents may require sheltering.Â* Twenty-two shelters are on standby with the capacity to house over 8,200 occupants.Â* The majority of residents are expected to stay with friends and family.Â* Thirty-four parishes have declared a Parish State of Emergency.
The Port Allen- Morgan City port is closed and the Port of Baton Rouge is open with restrictions.Â* Planning and preparations are underway for evacuations downstream from the Morganza Spillway.Â* Mandatory evacuations are in place for Krotz Springs and Melville communities outside of the ring levee in St. Landry Parish.Â* Voluntary evacuations are in place for the remainder of the low lying areas in St. Landry Parish. Mandatory evacuations will be issued for St. Martin Parish beginning May 21, 2011.
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Mississippi
Â* Seven shelters are open with 75 occupants. USACE will continue to monitor the entire MR&T system with a focus on monitoring backwater flooding levee conditions near Yazoo Basin in the vicinity of the Vicksburg Port at Natchez.Â* Requested commodities are en route to the staging area in Verona, Mississippi.Â* The Port of Natchez remains is closed.Â* Twenty-three out of the remaining 24 ports of the Lower Mississippi River region are open with restrictions.Â* The Vicksburg Airport was scheduled to reopen May 18, 2011.Â* The Yazoo County airport remains closed.Â*

Northeast Flooding

Vermont
The State of Emergency remains in effect.Â* Record flooding is forecast to continue.Â* Flood Warnings continue for Lake Champlain at Rouses Point.

New York
Â*Flood Warnings continue for Lake Champlain at Rouses Point.
Major Flooding is ongoing.Â* States of Emergency remains in effect in various towns and villages in Hamilton, Warren, Oneida and Essex counties due to major flooding from storms that occurred on April 26, 2011.Â* One shelter is open with 38 occupants.Â*Â*

Flooding- Alaska and Washington

Alaska
On May 9, 2011, the village of Crooked Creek was inundated with flood waters and ice flow breakup.Â* Evacuations and sheltering are ongoing (peak 54 occupants).Â* The Governor signed a state Disaster Declaration.Â* Joint PDAs were requested.
Washington
Flood warnings continue in the Yakima Valley. The Yakima River has crested and is expected to fall below flood stage on May 20, 2011.Â* Flooding of farmlands, roads and scattered residential areas are expected to continue, especially in the Richland area.Â* Four counties (including Yakima County) have issued emergency declarations.Â*

Significant National Weather

West:
A low pressure system centered over the Great Basin will produce widespread precipitation including a few thunderstorms, only the coastal states will remain dry.Â* The central Rockies will get a few inches of snow.
Midwest:
The system moving out of the Rockies will produce precipitation including severe thunderstorms in the Northern and Central Plains.Â* Expect localized flooding from the heaviest downpours.Â* Showers and thunderstorms will be scattered across the Great Lakes from the low over the Mid-Atlantic.
South:
Much of the South will be dry, however, record flooding continues along the Mississippi River.Â* A few showers and thunderstorms are possible across the Southern Appalachians and the Carolinas.Â* Oklahoma and Central Texas will get some much needed precipitation with a few showers, thunderstorms and severe thunderstorms from a cold front interacting with moisture off the Gulf of Mexico.
Northeast:
The low pressure over the Mid-Atlantic is moving slowly northward, producing showers and isolated thunderstorms across the region. Localized flooding is expected.
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Tropical Weather Outlook


Atlantic / Caribbean:
Hurricane season in the Atlantic begins June 1.
Eastern / Central Pacific
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.
Western / South Pacific:Â*
There are no active tropical warnings.

Wildfire Update

Tuesday, May 18, 2011:
National Preparedness Level: 2
Initial attack activity: LIGHT (89 new fires)
New Large Fires: 1
Large Fires Contained: 1
Uncontained Large Fires: 9
Type 1 IMT Committed: 1
Type 2 IMT Committed: 6
States affected: NC, GA, TX, FL, AZ, NM, & CA (NIFC)
Horseshoe Two Fire, AZ (Cochise County)
FMAG -2907 was approved May 9, 2011.
50 miles northeast of Bisbee, Arizona.
32,892 acres burned / 25 % contained with an estimated containment date of June 22
228 structures threatened.Â*Â*(NIFC)
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Disaster Declaration Activity

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Oklahoma
Amendment No. 2 to FEMA-1970-DR-OK adds Pushmataha County for Public Assistance.
Connecticut
Amendment No. 1 to FEMA-1958-DR-CT
Mississippi
Amendment No. 3 to FEMA-1972-DR-MS adds 14 counties for Public assistance (already designated for Individual Assistance), adds an additional 11 counties for Public Assistance, and an additional 11 counties for Public Assistance [Categories C-G], (already designated for Individual Assistance and assistance for debris removal and emergency protective measures [Categories A and B], including direct Federal assistance).Â*Â* (FEMA HQ)



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