Wednesday, August 31, 2011

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Response to Hurricane Irene

Maine
There are 2 shelters open with 4 occupants. There are 2 bridges closed indefinitely. 68,269 customers are without power.
New Hampshire
There are 8 shelters open with 57 occupants. 25,931 customers are without power.
Vermont
There have been 3 confirmed fatalities. Flooding has isolated 15 communities in VT and provisions are being distributed by air. There are 4 shelters open with 31 occupants. 15,190 customers are without power.
Massachusetts
There has been 1 confirmed fatality. There were 5 dams inspected, but no dam failures reported. There are 24 shelters open with 56 occupants. 203,878 customers are without power.
Connecticut
There have been 2 confirmed fatalities. There are 17 shelters open with 114 occupants. 460,416 customers are without power.
Rhode Island
RI EOC is fully activated. There are 2 shelters open with 119 occupants. 134,085 customers are without power.
New York
There have been 7 confirmed fatalities. Delaware County: The Village of Fleischmanns and the Village of Arkville are under mandatory evacuation due to extreme flooding.
Columbia County: The Village of Philmont is evacuating due to the potential for dam failure.
Schoharie County: Countywide Evacuation due to potential failure of Gilboa Dam.
Greene County: Parts of Windham and residents along Batavia Kill is being evacuated. Residents in the town of Colchester along the East Branch of the Delaware River are being evacuated. Rotterdam Junction in Schenectady County evacuated due to potential flooding issues from the Mohawk River, no bridge access over the Mohawk River, residents are being evacuated by air boat.Â* All major airports have re-opened. Some closures remain on the New York State Thruway. All MTA bridges and tunnels are open. NYC Subways - service resumed across all lines. NYC Metro Buses are operating on normal schedule. Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) service remains suspended on some lines. CSX Freight Rail service is suspended. 1 hospital remains on generator power. There are 19 bridge closures on the Lower Hudson Valley. There are 23 shelters open with 288 occupants. 498,865 customers are without power.
New Jersey
There have been 7 confirmed fatalities. Evacuations are in progress in Fairfield; specific details being developed. Shelter has been established at West Essex H.S. on N. Greenbrook Road, currently housing 20 people.Â* There are 7 shelters open with 852 occupants. There are 294,531 customers without power. All major airports have re-opened.
Puerto Rico
There has been 1 confirmed fatality. There are 4 shelters open with 130 occupants.
Virginia
There have been 4 confirmed fatalities. There are 2 shelters open with 17 occupants. 349,000 customers are without power.
District of Columbia
All ARC shelters have closed. 3,007 customers are without power.
Maryland
There have been 3 confirmed fatalities. EMAC A-Team support scheduled to arrive today at 8:00 a.m. EDT. All ARC shelters have closed. 245,247 customers are without power.
Pennsylvania
There have been 4 confirmed fatalities. There are 3 shelters open with 16 occupants. 132,340 customers are without power.
Delaware
All ARC shelters have closed. 2,450 customers are without power.

Tropical Activity

Atlantic / Caribbean / Gulf of Mexico
Tropical Storm Katia
At 5:00 a.m. EDT August 31, the center of Tropical Storm Katia was located about 985 miles west of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands and moving toward the west-northwest near 21 mph. This general motion is expected to continue with a gradual decrease in forward speed during the next couple of days. Maximum sustained winds have increased to 65 mph with higher gusts. Strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days, and Katia could become a hurricane later today. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 85 miles.Â* There are currently no coastal watches or warnings in effect
Area 1
A large area of disorganized cloudiness and showers over western Cuba and the northwestern Caribbean Sea is associated with a tropical wave.Â* This system is expected to move generally west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph across the northern portion of the Yucatan Peninsula into the southern Gulf of Mexico during the next day or two.Â* There is potential for development over the central or western Gulf of Mexico in a few days. This system has a low chance (10%) of becoming a tropical cyclone during the
next 48 hours.
Eastern Pacific
Area 1
Shower activity has become more concentrated near the center of a low pressure area centered about 60 miles south of Zihuatanejo, Mexico.Â* If current trends continue, a tropical depression could form later today as the system drifts toward the west-northwest hugging the southwest coast of Mexico.Â* This system has a high chance (80%) of becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours.Â* Regardless of development, locally heavy rains are possible over coastal sections of the Mexican states of Guerrero, Michoacan and Colima through Thursday. Interests in these areas should continue to monitor the progress of this disturbance.
Central Pacific
Area 1
A small are of showers and thunderstorms associated with a weak surface low is located about 820 miles southeast of Hilo Hawaii. Environmental conditions appear unfavorable for significant development of this system, as it moves westward near 12 mph. There is a low chance (near 0 percent) of becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours.
Elsewhere, no tropical cyclones are expected through Thursday evening.
Western Pacific
There are no tropical cyclones threatening U.S. Territories.
FMAG Activity

101 Ranch Fire
On August 30, 2011, the FEMA Region VI Regional Administrator approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) request from the State of Texas for the 101 Ranch Fire burning in Palo Pinto County, TX.Â* At the time of the request the fire had burned 3000 acres and threatened 125 homes; 420 residents were evacuated.
63rd and Sooner Road Fire
On August 30, 2011, the FEMA Region VI Regional Administrator approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) request from the State of Oklahoma for the 63rd and Sooner Road Fire burning in Oklahoma City, OK. At the time of the request, the fire was burning 400 acres and threatened 196 homes; 500 people were evacuated and at least 2 homes were destroyed.
Significant National Weather

Northeast:
Thunderstorms from out of the Midwest will move across New York, western New England and the Mid-Atlantic on Thursday. Showers could develop near Lakes Erie and Ontario. Temperatures are forecast to be slightly above average.
South:
Thunderstorms may develop across South Georgia and from Arkansas into western Tennessee. Florida will experience scattered thunderstorms with some locally heavy downpours.
Midwest:
A storm approaching out of the Northwest could create severe thunderstorms in North Dakota. Temperatures 15 degrees above average are expected in the Plains.
West:
A storm and strong cold front target the Northwest today. Scattered thunderstorms will develop across Idaho, Montana and Wyoming and some, especially in central and eastern Montana, could turn severe. Thunderstorms will occur in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. Strong gusty winds from Nevada and northern Arizona to Wyoming will heighten the fire danger.
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

Tuesday, August 30, 2011:
National Preparedness Level: 3
Initial attack activity: Heavy (446 new fires)
New Large Fires: 13
Large Fires Contained: 11
Uncontained Large Fires: 42
Type 1 IMT Committed: 1
Type 2 IMT Committed: 17
States affected: MT, WA, CO, ID, WY, AL, AR, MN, TX, OR, NV, CA, NM, UT, and AZ.
Disaster Declaration Activity

North Carolina
On August 31, 2011, the President signed a Major Disaster Declaration, FEMA-4019-DR, for the State of North Carolina as a result of Hurricane Irene that occurred August 25, 2011 and continuing.Â*Â* The Declaration provides Individual Assistance for Beaufort, Carteret, Craven, Dare, Hyde, Pamlico, and Tyrrell Counties.Â* All counties and in the State of North Carolina are eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
New York
On August 31, 2011, the President signed a Major Disaster Declaration, FEMA-4020-DR, for the State of New York as a result Hurricane Irene that occurred August 26, 2011 and continuing.Â*Â* The Declaration provides Individual Assistance for Albany, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Greene, Schenectady, Schoharie, and Ulster Counties and Public Assistance for Albany, Bronx, Clinton, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Greene, Montgomery, Nassau, New York, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Schoharie, Suffolk, Ulster, Warren, and Westchester Counties.Â* Direct federal assistance is authorized.Â* All counties in the State of State of New York are eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
Iowa
On August 30, 2011, the President signed Major Disaster Declaration FEMA-4018-DR for the State of Iowa for Severe Storms and Flooding that occurred July 27-29. The declaration approves Public Assistance for Dubuque and Jackson Counties, and Hazard Mitigation statewide.Â*
New York
On August 30, 2011, the Governor requested an expedited Major Disaster Declaration for the State of New York as a result of Hurricane Irene beginning on August 27, 2011, and continuing. The Governor is specifically requesting Individual Assistance and Public Assistance, including direct Federal assistance, for 26 counties, and Hazard Mitigation statewide.
Connecticut
On August 30, 2011, the Governor requested an expedited Major Disaster Declaration for the State of Connecticut as a result of Hurricane Irene beginning on August 27, 2011, and continuing. The Governor is specifically requesting Individual Assistance and Public Assistance, including direct Federal assistance, and Hazard Mitigation for the entire State of Connecticut.
Pennsylvania
Amendment No. 1 to FEMA-3339-EM-PA, effective August 30, 2011, adds 13 counties for emergency protective measures (Category B), including direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program (already designated for emergency protective measures [Category B], limited to direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program.



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