Monday, April 26, 2010

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Significant National Weather

West:Â*
Snow and rain is forecast for Wyoming and Colorado this morning. A Pacific storm will produce rain over western Washington, western Oregon and northwest California. Tomorrow, the rain and mountain snow will spread into the northern Rockies and southward into central California and Nevada.
Midwest:
The circulation on the backside of the low pressure system over the Mid-Atlantic will produce rain over the Ohio and Mid-Mississippi valleys. A frontal system extending from the Dakotas to Texas will produce rain showers and thunderstorms. The heavy cloud cover will result in temperatures 5 to 15 degrees below average. Highs will range from 40s near the Canadian border to the 60s in Nebraska. Tomorrow, showers are forecast for the Mid-Mississippi and Ohio Valleys.
South:
The front extending southward out of the Midwest will produce a few showers and thundershowers in Oklahoma and northern Texas. Tomorrow the front will move through the Southeast with showers and a few thunderstorms. The front which produced severe weather across the South this weekend will continue to produce gusty winds, a few showers and even thunderstorms across south Florida and in the Carolinas.
Northeast:
The low over the Mid-Atlantic will produce heavy showers (an inch or more) and possible severe weather across the Mid-Atlantic. Precipitation in New England will be limited to a few showers. Tomorrow, showers will linger across much of the region.Â*(NOAA, National Weather Service, various media sources)Â*
Tornado and/or Severe Weather Activity:

Mississippi

• Numerous large super cell tornadoes moved through Mississippi producing rain, large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes beginning April 23, 2010.
• The Governor of Mississippi declared a State of Emergency for 16 counties with an activation of National Guard personnel. (MS EMA, and Region IV) Louisiana
• A tornado was reported in Madison Parish yesterday. The Governor declared a State of Emergency due to severe weather conditions. Alabama
• Severe weather with possible tornadoes was reported in Alabama on April 24 affecting 2 counties.

Tennessee

• Three tornadoes were reported in Tennessee on April 24 affecting numerous counties.

South Carolina

• Three tornadoes were reported in Darlington County on April 25.(Region RIV RRCC)

Oil Platform Explosion Update â Gulf of Mexico:

The Deepwater Horizon Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) located in the Gulf of Mexico, 51 miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana sank at 10:20 a.m. EDT, April 22, 2010. The initial explosion occurred on April 21, 2010. The flow is holding steady at 1,000 bbls/day (42,000 gallons). Latest NOAA oil-spill trajectory analyses still show the oil staying offshore for at least the next 3 days.(Coast Guard Command Center and DHS National Operations Center SLB) NASA's New Eye on the Sun Delivers Stunning First Images

Â*
NASA's recently launched Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, is returning early images that confirm an unprecedented new capability for scientists to better understand our sun's dynamic processes. These solar activities affect everything on Earth.
Some of the images from the spacecraft (like the one at right) show never-before-seen detail of material streaming outward and away from sunspots. Others show extreme close-ups of activity on the sun's surface. The spacecraft also has made the first high-resolution measurements of solar flares in a broad range of extreme ultraviolet wavelengths.
Launched on Feb. 11, 2010, SDO is the most advanced spacecraft ever designed to study the sun. During its five-year mission, it will examine the sun's magnetic field and also provide a better understanding of the role the sun plays in Earth's atmospheric chemistry and climate. Since launch, engineers have been conducting testing and verification of the spacecraft's components. Now fully operational, SDO will provide images with clarity 10 times better than high-definition television and will return more comprehensive science data faster than any other solar observing spacecraft.
SDO will determine how the sun's magnetic field is generated, structured and converted into violent solar events such as turbulent solar wind, solar flares and coronal mass ejections. These immense clouds of material, when directed toward Earth, can cause large magnetic storms in our planet's magnetosphere and upper atmosphere. SDO will provide critical data that will improve the ability to predict these space weather events.
Space weather has been recognized as a cause of technological problems since the invention of the telegraph in the 19th century. These events produce disturbances in electromagnetic fields on Earth that can induce extreme currents in wires, disrupting power lines and causing widespread blackouts. These solar storms can interfere with communications between ground controllers, satellites and airplane pilots flying near Earth's poles. Radio noise from the storm also can disrupt cell phone service.
SDO will send 1.5 terabytes of data back to Earth each day, which is equivalent to a daily download of half a million songs onto an MP3 player. The observatory carries three state-of the-art instruments for conducting solar research.
SDO is the first mission of NASA's Living with a Star Program, or LWS, and the crown jewel in a fleet of NASA missions that study our sun and space environment. The goal of LWS is to develop the scientific understanding necessary to address those aspects of the connected sun-Earth system that directly affect our lives and society.
To view the images and learn more about the SDO mission, visit: www.nasa.gov/sdoÂ*(NASA)
Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

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

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Earthquake Activity

No significant activity in the United States or its territories.
International
At 10:59 p.m. EDT, a Magnitude 6.5 earthquake occurred approximately 152 miles SSW of Ishgaki-jima, Ryukyu Islands, Japan, at a depth of 13.7 miles. No reports of injuries or damage in the open press. No tsunami was generated.Â*Â*(USGS)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Wildfire Update

National Preparedness Level 1
National Fire Activity as of Sunday, April 25, 2010:
Initial attack activity: Light (41 new fires)
New large fires:Â* 2
Large fires contained:Â* 0
Uncontained large fires:Â* 6
States affected:Â* North Carolina and Minnesota(NIFC)
Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)


More...