Wednesday, December 14, 2011

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Significant National Weather:

West
An upper-level disturbance along the West Coast will drop south tonight, producing rain and higher elevation snow over parts of the Northwest and Northern California on Thursday morning. The light rain and snow will weaken over the interior Northwest and the northern Rockies by Thursday evening while light snow develops over parts of the Sierras. Rain and snow showers will continue across portions of New Mexico. Strong and potentially damaging offshore winds are possible Thursday night into Friday across portions of southwest California.
There is the potential for damaging wind gusts of 60 mph or greater through favored mountain passes and strong wind gusts to 50 mph across wind favored coastal and valley locations.
Midwest
A storm over the Central Plains will advance northeastward into eastern Canada by Thursday evening, pulling moisture out of the Gulf of Mexico and producing showers and thunderstorms over the Southern and Central Plains extending into parts of the Middle Mississippi Valley and western Ohio Valley by this evening. Light to moderate rain will develop over parts of the Great Lakes and Upper Mississippi Valley today and moving into parts of the Northeast by Thursday evening.Â*
Northeast
High pressure over much of the Northeast will bring dry weather conditions and near seasonable temperatures to the region today. Milder weather will return Thursday along with the possibility of rain showers as a cold front approaches. The front will move through the region on Friday followed by dry and colder weather for the weekend.
South
High pressure over the mid-Atlantic will persist through mid week providing dry weather and warming temperatures to much of the Southeast today. The high will move east Thursday as a cold front approaches from the west late Thursday and Friday. Rain and thunderstorms are likely across much of north Texas this afternoon. A slight risk of severe weather extends from central and northern Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, into far southern Oklahoma. Large hail, damaging winds, and lightning will be the main threats.Â*
100 Year Anniversary of Antarctic Explorations

December 14th marks 100 years since Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen led the first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole in 1911. Amundsen was the first to reach the planetâs southernmost point, having arrived at the South Pole several weeks before British explorer Robert Scott.
Almost one hundred and ninety two years ago, a Russian expedition of seafarers, led by Faddei Bellinsghauzen and Mikhail Lazarev discovered the Antarctic. An extensive exploration of the 6th continent started in the middle of the 20th century and in 1959, an international Convention declaring the Antarctic a "Nature Reserve" was signed. The U.S. scientific presence in Antarctica began in 1830, when James Eights became the first U.S. scientist on the continent. In 1841, a U.S. expedition mapped part of the Antarctic coast, proving that Antarctica was a continent. The largest single expedition to Antarctica took place in 1947 when 13 ships and 4,700 personnel were dispatched to the region for the U.S. Navy's "Operation Highjump."
</p>The National Science Foundation (NSF), an independent federal agency, through the United States Antarctic Program (USAP), manages U.S. scientific research in Antarctica. The USAP is a part of NSF's Office of Polar Programs (OPP). The program's goals are to understand the Antarctic and its associated ecosystems; to understand the region's effects on, and responses to, global processes such as climate; and to use Antarctica's unique features for scientific research that cannot be done as well elsewhere. Some 3,500 Americans are involved each year in the program's research and logistical activities. Women constitute roughly 30 percent of the scientific and support workforce. Every year, more than 800 scientists and their support teams conduct research in Antarctica's unique environment.
For many years, the U.S. Coast Guard provided icebreaking capability in McMurdo Sound to open a channel that annually allows ships to supply and refuel the stations at McMurdo and South Pole, and return materials to the United States. In recent years, a privately operated icebreaker has been chartered to open the channel while a Coast Guard vessel remained on stand-by to assist if necessary. Since 1999, the N.Y. Air National Guard, which flies and maintains a fleet of ski-equipped LC-130 "Hercules" aircraft--the only such aircraft squadron in the world--have provided airlift to the program to transport personnel and materiel, primarily on the Antarctic continent. For more information on the National Science Foundation Polar Programs, go to www.nsf.gov/dir/index.jsp?org=OPP
Space Weather:

No space weather storms were observed during the past 24 hours and no space weather storms are predicted for the next 24 hours.Â*
Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Earthquake Activity

Eastern New Guinea Region, Papua New Guinea
The USGS reports that a magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred at 00:04 a.m. EST December 14, 2011, in the eastern New Guinea region of Papua New Guinea. The earthquake occurred 54 miles south-southwest of Lae, New Guinea, at a depth of 75.3 miles. The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued information statements stating that no tsunami threat existed for Hawaii or along the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington, or British Columbia. There have been no preliminary reports of damage or injury.

Disaster Declaration Activity

Amendment # 6 to FEMA-1999-DR-Texas
Effective December 13, 2011, Amendment #6 to FEMA-1999-DR-TX amends the Major Disaster Declaration dated July 1, 2011, by establishing the incident period for this disaster from April 6, 2011 through and including August 29, 2011.
Amendment # 7 to FEMA-1999-DR-Texas
Effective December 13, 2011, Amendment #7 to FEMA-1999-DR-TX amends the Major Disaster Declaration dated July 1, 2011, by adding two counties for Public Assistance and 65 counties for emergency protective measures (Category B) under the Public Assistance Program.


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