Thursday, May 26, 2011

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Midwest Severe Weather Outbreak on May 21 - 25, 2011

Severe Weather â May 25, 2011
Bedford, IN
At 6:17 CDT NWS reported a tornado near Bedford (Lawrence County).Â* An unknown number of homes have been damaged.Â* Open source media reporting 12 injuries. Approx. 55,000 customers are without power.Â*
Sedalia, MO
10:45 CDT tornado activity was spotted one mile southeast of Sedalia, MO.Â* It was approximately 100 yards wide and one and a half miles long.Â* Initial estimates are approximately 200 structures damaged.
There has been major damage to a school bus parking lot, but no reported injuries.
There have been no requests for Federal assistance from these latest outbreaks. Full assessments will be conducted after daybreak today. Although not part of the Midwest outbreak even California had reports of a tornado 5 miles SW of Chico, CA. last night.
Joplin, Missouri (Jasper County)
Â*The tornado that occurred on May 22 in Joplin (population 49,024) in Jasper County has now been upgraded to an EF-5; the most heavily populated areas and the major business and commercial areas were hardest hit; wind speeds reachedÂ* up to 198 mph and cut a path a mile wide for at least six miles. A State of Emergency had already been declared for the recent storms in the State. There are 125 confirmed fatalities and 400 injured.Â* St. Johnâs Hospital was severely damaged.Â* All priority patients are being accepted at Freeman West Hospital.Â* St Johnâs Hospital is planning on building a 60 bed mobile hospital to be operational on Sunday May 29.Â* Freeman East and West hospitals are operational and both are at capacity. US&R teams have conducted multiple sweeps of the affected areas; staffing is being evaluated for further demobilization. 18 Cadaver dogs are conducting searches.Â* Texas TF-1 has received a request for Human Remains (HR) canines to assist in the search and recovery operation 8 personnel and 3 certified canines will deploy to Joplin arriving Thursday morning (May 26).Â* There are four shelters open with 545 occupants (1,000 occupant capacity). As of May 25 12,500 (estimated) customers remain without power.
Amendment No. 2 to FEMA-1980-DR-MO adds Jasper and Newton counties for Individual Assistance, debris removal, and emergency protective measures (Categories A and B), including direct Federal assistance
St. Louis, Missouri
Thunderstorms impacted the city of St. Louis and surrounding counties on May 22.Â* Power has been restored.Â* Numerous reports of roof damages in Franklin County and reports of downed trees and power lines throughout the area
Kansas
. Reports of 14 tornado touchdowns with damaging winds and hail statewide. City of Reading (population 231) in Lyon CountyÂ* was hardest hit by tornado damage. 26 homes destroyed/30 homes with major damage; 10 commercial buildings destroyed/4 buildings with major damage.Â* One confirmed fatality; several injuries. Power has been restored in the City of Reading. Local assessments continue
Oklahoma
The EOC is at Level IV (Normal Operations). Tornadoes, severe storms, straight line winds and flooding began May 22, 2011 and are continuing.Â* The Governor declared a State of Emergency for 14 counties for severe weather that began on TuesdayÂ* May 24, 2011. 4 confirmed fatalities (Canadian County) and 71 injuries 16 homes destroyed in Mclain County 8 shelters are open with 14 occupants
Approximately 24,000 customers are without power.Â* Salvation Army is deploying mobile feeding units to 8 counties in the storm damaged area.
Indiana
The EOC is at Level III (7:00am â 7:00pm). Severe thunderstorms and possibly four tornadoes touched down in Indiana overnight on May 23, 2011. Three counties reported damaged homes, downed trees and minor flood

Mississippi Valley Flooding

USACE is monitoring the situation and continues flood fighting measures throughout the Mississippi River and Tributaries (MR&T) system.
Louisiana
The EOC is at Level III (Partial Activation).Â* 17 of 125 gates are open along the Morganza Floodway.Â* 330 of 350 gates are open along the Bonnet Carre Spillway (100% capacity) is anticipated to remain open another one to two weeks.
Mandatory evacuations are in effect for portions of St Landry and St Martinsâ Parishes. Morgan City Health Care nursing home in St Maryâs Parish is evacuating 18 residents in needing a higher level of careÂ*Â*

Mississippi
3 shelters are open; 28 occupants.Â*
Northeast Flooding

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Vermont
The EOC is at Level I (Steady State).Â* State of Emergency remains in effect.Â* IA teams are on site and in the field.Â*
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New York
The EOC is at Level V (Steady State).Â* Flooding warnings continue along Lake Champlain in New York.Â* States of emergency remain in effect for portions of the following counties: Clinton, Essex, Allegany, Hamilton and Oneida.Â* Cattaraugus County continues under a State of Emergency due to flash flooding that occurred on May 19, 2011.Â* One shelter is open in Clinton County with 22 occupants Significant National Weather

West:
A series of disturbances will move through the Pacific Northwest the next couple of days, producing precipitation from the Pacific Northwest eastward to the Dakotas. The highest elevations will see some snow. Thunderstorms are possible from Colorado to Montana. Many areas from the Sierras to the Rockies will have west to southwest winds sustained at 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 50 mph. The ongoing rain and beginning of the snow pack melt out is producing flooding in Montana, Idaho, Utah and Wyoming. Gusty winds and low relative humidity will result in critical fire weather across the Southwest to western Texas.
Midwest:
Showers and thunderstorms will move out of the Northern and Central Rockies into the Northern and Central Plains. High pressure is ridging down from Canada giving much of the region a break from precipitation. The low pressure system and associated front responsible for the severe weather outbreak in the Midwest is moving through the Mississippi Valley. The system will produce a band of precipitation from the Great Lakes to the Central Gulf Coast. Thunderstorms and heavy showers are expected as this system moves eastward into the Ohio and Tennessee valleys.Â* Severe thunderstorms (hail, gusty winds and tornadoes) are less likely today than the last few days but still possible. Localized flooding is likely in the heaviest downpours.
South:
Record flooding continues along the Lower Mississippi River. The tail end of the frontal system discussed above will produce showers and thunderstorms in the central Gulf Coast and the Southeast.
Northeast:
The system moving out of the Midwest will produce precipitation, including thunderstorms and severe thunderstorms, across the Mid-Atlantic gradually spreading into New England
Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic / Caribbean / Gulf of Mexico:
Hurricane season begins June 1.
Eastern / Central Pacific
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.
Western / South Pacific:Â*
Based on the current warning Typhoon 04W (Songda) poses no threat to U.S. territories.

Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Wildfire Update

Wednesday, May 25, 2011:
National Preparedness Level: 2
Initial attack activity: LIGHT (100 new fires)
New Large Fires: 7
Large Fires Contained: 3
Uncontained Large Fires: 15
Type 1 IMT Committed: 1
Type 2 IMT Committed: 7
States affected: GA, NC, TX, LA, MS, NC, AZ, AK and NMÂ*(NIFC)
Horseshoe Two Fire, AZ (Cochise County)
FMAG -2907 was approved May 9, 2011.
7 miles southwest of Portal, Arizona.
44,650 acres burned / 35 % contained with an estimated containment date of June 22
7 reported injuries
A mandatory evacuation of evacuation for Paradise residences remains in effect; an unknown number of structures are being threatened.Â*
Disaster Declaration Activity

Arkansas
Governors request to amend the incident period for FEMA-1975-DR, which was declared for the State of Arkansas on May 2, 2011.Â* The Governor is specifically requesting to change the incident period from April 23, 2011, and continuing, to April 14, 2011, and continuing.(FEMA HQ)



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