Monday, May 17, 2010

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Significant National Weather

Â*A slow moving system will continue producing widespread showers and locally heavy thunderstorms over much of the Southeast before moving eastward over the next couple of days, pushing into the Carolinas tonight and reaching the coast on Tuesday.
SouthÂ*
A few strong storms with small hail and locally gusty winds are possible today in Alabama, Georgia, northeastern Florida, and possibly parts of Virginia and the Carolinas.
MidwestÂ*
Showers and thunderstorms, some accompanied by large hail and locally heavy rainfall, are expected till morning across the Southern and Central Plains from central Oklahoma into Arkansas, lower Missouri, middle Mississippi, and much of the Ohio Valley. Shower and thunderstorms will continue through the day from the Mississippi River eastward, with locally heavy rain possible. Showers and thunderstorms will persist in the Central Plains and near the lower Great Lakes and in the Ohio Valley Tuesday and Wednesday.
NortheastÂ*
Showers and thunderstorms, some accompanied by locally heavy rainfall, are possible in the Mid-Atlantic and Central Appalachians. Chances for rain will continue to slowly spread northward into the southwestern half of New York on Tuesday and continue into Southern New England and parts of the interior and Mid-Atlantic on Wednesday.Â*
WestÂ*
A new, more potent pacific storm will reach the West Coast and move inland this afternoon and evening, with a good chance of rain and high elevation snow along with much cooler temperatures across the Pacific Northwest and much of the Great Basin into Tuesday. Rain and snow will diminish tonight over the northern areas. Showers will linger over the Sierra Tuesday before moving into the Rockies and High Plains on Wednesday. By Wednesday, another system should begin to approach the Pacific Northwest Coast.Â*Â*(NOAAâs National Weather Service, the Hydro-meteorological Prediction Center and media sources)Â*
Severe Weather: Recovery Mississippi Valley/Southeast Update:

Current Situation:
The system that produced rain showers and thunderstorms across the mid-South this weekend will move eastward on Monday with the threat of thunderstorms and rain ending Monday night.
FEMA Actions
The FEMA Region IV Regional Response Coordination Center returned to Watch/Steady State and all Emergency Support Functions are deactivated. Joint Field Offices and Area Field Offices are being established throughout the region and the Preliminary Damage Assessments continue. Disaster Recovery Centers are operational throughout the flood impact area. Numerous Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers are also currently providing assistance with 15 mobile units operational in Tennessee, two in Kentucky, and five in Mississippi.Â*
Â*(FEMA HQ, Region IV)Â*
Mississippi Canyon 252 Update:

FEMA Actions
FEMA is providing the U.S. Coast Guard with radios for communications support for Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Two FEMA Logistics personnel are deployed to the Shell Off-shore Training Area, La. and one person is deployed to the National Integration Center in Washington, D.C. in support of oil spill operations.
Current Situation and Operations
All shipping channels and ports remain open in the Gulf Coast Region. BP was successful at inserting a Riser Insertion Tube Tool (RITT) tube into the damaged riser pipe. While not collecting all of the leaking oil, this tool is important in reducing the amount of oil being released into the water. The oil and gas captured is being siphoned to the drill ship on the surface. Seventeen staging areas are in place to protect sensitive shorelines: three in Alabama, four in Florida, seven in Louisiana and three in Mississippi. Shoreline Cleanup and Assessment Teams (SCAT) are sampling all oil and tar balls washed ashore. To date, more than 1.25 million feet of containment boom and 440,000 feet of sorbent boom have been deployed to contain the spill. Seven Fish and Wildlife Service surveillance and recovery teams were deployed from the Mobile, Ala., Command Center to search for impacted wildlife.
(Region IV, Region VI, Deepwater Horizon JIC Rpt)Â*
Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

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

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Earthquake Activity

Puerto Rico
On Sunday, May 16 at 1:16 a.m. EDT, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake occurred on the island of Puerto Rico approximately 66 miles west of San Juan, PR at a depth of 70.2 miles. Light to moderate shaking was felt over parts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Cracks were reported in the walls of homes in the Municipalities of Moca, Lares, and Vega Alta. No major structural damage was reported. During the earthquake, some areas lost electrical power, but services were restored immediately.
(USGS, FEMA Region II)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Wildfire Update

Â*National Preparedness Level 1Â*
National Fire Activity as of Sunday, May 16, 2010: Initial attack activity was light (30 new fires). Two new large fires were reported and two large fires were contained. There are currently two uncontained large fires affecting California, Florida and Alaska.Â* (NIFC)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)


More...