08/30/2011

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Response to Hurricane Irene

Maine
One (1) confirmed fatality. There are 2 shelters open with 2 occupants. 2 bridges closed indefinitely. 149,125 customers are without power.
New Hampshire
There are 20 shelters open with 252 occupants. 82,295 customers are without power.
Vermont
Three (3) confirmed fatalities There are 6 shelters open with 260 occupants. 40,217 customers are without power.
Massachusetts
One (1) confirmed fatality. There are 20 shelters open with 114 occupants. 525,205 customers are without power.
Connecticut
Two (2) confirmed fatalies. There are 43 shelters open with 533 occupants. 580,849 customers are without power.
Rhode Island
There are 7 shelters open with 160 occupants. 276,282 customers are without power.
New York
Six( 6) confirmed fatalities. Search and rescue operations are ongoing in 4 counties; 45 swift water teams available. Three dams are of concern due to flooding in upstate NY: the Gilboa Dam in Schoharie County, the Pennfield Pond Dam in Essex County, and a small (unknown name) dam in the Village of Greenwich â evacuations are in effect.Â* Reservoir levels at all dams are currently receding. Surveillance will resume either in the morning or upon further rainfall.
JFK and LaGuardia Airports have re-opened. New York State Thruway from Exit15A to Exit 17 is closed due to mudslides. All MTA bridges and tunnels are open. NYC Subway service has 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. AMTRAK service between Philadelphia PSA and Boston MA is suspended due to extensive flooding. 6 hospitals remain on generator power. 4 bridges destroyed; undetermined number of bridges compromised. There are 94 shelters open with 8,956 occupants. There are 786,324 customers are without power. New York Harbor and Long Island Sound are open for marine traffic. Republic Airport Incident Support Base (ISB) staging area continues to receive deliveries with additional commodities en route. Two dams located in Columbia and Rockland Counties are being monitored.
New Jersey
Seven (7 ) confirmed fatalities. Newark and Atlantic City Airports have re-opened; Teterboro Airport should reopen later today. 109 road closures due to flooding.
There are 35 shelters open with 1,871 occupants. There are 582,365 customers are without power.
Puerto Rico
One (1) confirmed fatality. There are 5 shelters open with 176 occupants. All power has been restored.
Virginia
Four (4) confirmed fatalities. There are 13 shelters open with 185 occupants. 554,538 customers are without power.
District of Columbia
Tere is 1 shelter open with 0 occupants. 7,652 customers are without power.
Maryland
There are 3 shelters open with 62 occupants. 443,957 customers are without power.
Pennsylvania
Three (3) confirmed fatalities. The Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) servicing the Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey area has resumed service. The Southeast Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) has resumed service on the Market-Frankford Line and Broad Street Line as well as Trolley service. SEPTA Regional Rail service is still suspended. There are 17 shelters open with 285 occupants. 406,966 customers are without power.
Delaware
There is 1 shelter open with 30 occupants. 7,753customers are without power.
North Carolina
Six (6) confirmed fatalities. Hatteras Island is the only area still closed to re-entry. States of Emergency remain in effect for 34 counties. All airports have reopened. All ports have reopened. There are 28 shelters open with 1,824 occupants. 210,568 customers are without power.

Tropical Activity

Atlantic / Caribbean / Gulf of Mexico
Tropical Storm Katia
At 5:00 a.m. EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Katia was about 535 miles west-southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands, and moving toward the west-northwest near 17 mph. This general motion is expected to continue during the next 48 hours with a gradual increase in forward speed. Maximum sustained winds near 40 mph with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Katia is expected to be near hurricane intensity by late Wednesday or early Thursday. Tropical Storm force winds extend outward up to 35 miles.
Eastern PacificÂ*
Showers and a few thunderstorms associated with an area of low pressure centered about 100 miles south-southwest of Acapulco Mexico have changed little in organization during the past several hours. Environmental conditions appear conducive for additional development over the next couple of days. This system has a medium chance (50 percent) of becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours, as it moves slowly west-northwestward at 5 to 10 mph. Regardless of development, locally heavy rains are possible near coastal sections of the Mexican states of Guerrero, Michoacan, and Colima through Wednesday.
Central Pacific
No tropical cyclones are expected through Wednesday evening.
Western Pacific
There are no tropical cyclones threatening U.S. Territories.
Significant National Weather

West:
Much of the region will be hot and dry. The Desert Southwest will have highs of 100 to 120 this afternoon. Precipitation will be limited to scattered rain showers and thunderstorms in the mountains and a few showers in the Pacific Northwest. Gusty winds from Nevada to Wyoming create a high fire danger.
Midwest:
Hot and humid conditions in the Plains and Mississippi Valley will produce scattered showers and thunderstorms today. Some thunderstorms could become severe producing damaging wind gusts and hail. The Southern Plains will see temperatures in the 90s to near 105.
South:
Most of the region will be dry and hot today with scattered thunderstorms across the Gulf Coast and Florida. As discussed above the Southern Plains (including parts of Texas) will be very hot but other inland areas across the region will see highs reach a 95 to 110.
Northeast:
Under high pressure the Region will be dry except for a few showers and thundershowers along the Canadian border with New York and northern New England from and approaching cold front. The rivers and creeks that flooded with the passage of Irene continue to recede. For the latest information see the Northeast River Forecast Center at www.erh.noaa.gov/nerfc/
FMAG Activity

Montana
On August 29, 2011, the State of Montana submitted a request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) declaration for the Canyon Creek Fire burning in Yellowstone County. The fire started on August 29, 2011 and has burned in excess of 400 acres of state and private land with 0 percent contained. At time of the request, the fire was threatening 256 homes in the vicinity of Laurel, MT (pop. 6,500). The fire is also threatening utilities, railroads, a refinery, and rangeland. Mandatory evacuations are in effect for over 200 people. The Regional Administrator, FEMA Region VIII, has determined that the Canyon Creek Fire presents such a threat that would constitute a major disaster. The request was approved on August 29, 2011 at 10:00 p.m. EDT. The FMAG number will be provided by the FEMA Declarations Unit.

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

Monday, August 29, 2011:
National Preparedness Level:Â* 3
Initial attack activity: Moderate (259 new fires)
New Large Fires: 12
Large Fires Contained: 9
Uncontained Large Fires: 40
Type 1 IMT Committed: 1
Type 2 IMT Committed: 12
States affected: MT, CO, ID, WY, MN, TX, OR, NV, CA, NM, UT, and AZ.
Disaster Declaration Activity

Vermont
On August 29, 2011, the President signed Emergency Declaration, FEMA-3338-EM-VT, for Hurricane Irene. The declaration authorizes FEMA to provide emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct Federal Assistance, under the Public Assistance program at 75 percent Federal funding for all counties in the State of Vermont. The FCO is Craig A. Gilbert.
Pennsylvania
On August 29, 2011, the President signed Emergency Declaration, FEMA-3339-EM-PA, for Hurricane Irene. The declaration authorizes FEMA to provide emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct Federal Assistance, under the Public Assistance program at 75 percent Federal funding for 13 counties in the State of Pennsylvania.
North Carolina
On August 29, 2011, the Governor requested an expedited Major Disaster Declaration for the State of North Carolina as a result of Hurricane Irene beginning on August 24, 2011, and continuing. The Governor is specifically requesting Individual Assistance for 6 counties, and Hazard Mitigation statewide.
Virginia
Amendment No. 1 to FEMA-3329-EM-VA, effective August 29, 2011, adds 9 counties and the Independent City of Richmond for emergency protective measures (Category B), including direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program.
Maryland
Amendment No. 1 to FEMA-3335-EM-MD, effective August 29, 2011, adds 14 counties for emergency protective measures (Category B), including direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program.
â



More...