Friday, April 30, 2010

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Significant National Weather

West:
An upper level trough will continue to move slowly eastward across the Intermountain WestÂ* producing rain and snow in the higher elevations from the Pacific Northwest to the Central Great Basin. This system will begin to diminish as it shifts eastward later tonight.Â* High winds are forecast across the Desert Southwest with gusts of up to 60 mph. Critical fire weather conditions are forecast for southeast New Mexico and eastern Texas.Â*Â*Â*Â*
Midwest:
This afternoon, a strong cold front will move slowly eastward bringing the potential of severe thunderstorms from the eastern portion of the Central Plains to the Great Lakes region. The possibility of severe thunderstorms will continue through the weekend for the central portion of the country.Â*Â*
South:
Showers and thunderstorms are forecast this afternoon across portions of the lower Mississippi Valley into the Tennessee Valley. This system may generate large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes.
Northeast:
Today, most of the Northeast will see warm temperatures that will continue through the weekend.Â*Â*(NOAA, National Weather Service, various media sources)Â*
Southeast Tornado Recovery

Numerous tornadoes moved across the Southeast from April 23-25, producing rain, large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes.Â* Most states have transition from the response phase to recovery.
Oil Platform Explosion Update â Gulf of Mexico:

Background - 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.
Update â On April 29, 2010 the Deepwater Horizon incident was declared a Spill of National Significance (SONS).Â* A SONS is defined as, "a spill that, due to its severity, size, location, actual or potential impact on the public health and welfare or the environment, or the necessary response effort, is so complex that it requires extraordinary coordination of Federal, state, local, and responsible party resources to contain and clean up the discharge" and allows greater Federal involvement.Â* The estimated release rate has increased to 5000 barrels (210,000 gallons) per day based on surface observations and reports of a newly discovered leak in the damaged piping on the sea floor.
NOAA is assisting the Unified Command in evaluating a new technique to apply dispersants to oil at the source - 5000â below the surface, if successful this would keep plumes and sheens from forming.Â* Work continues on a piping system designed to take oil from a collection dome at the sea floor to tankers on the surface; this technique has never been tried at 5000â.Â* Drilling of a relief or cut-off well is still planned, but will not be complete for several months.
Dispersants are still being aggressively applied.Â* Over 100,000 gallons have been applied.Â* The test burn late yesterday was successful and approximately 100 barrels of oil were burned in about 45 minutes.Â* Additional efforts are planned, contingent on good weather.
With shore impacts looming, sensitive shorelines are being pre-boomed.Â* Over 180,000 feet of boom have been deployed, and another 300,000 feet are forward staged.Â* Forecasts indicate persistent winds from the southeast through the weekend which will push surface oil towards shore.Â*(Coast Guard Command Center and NOAA Press Release)Â*
Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No activity.Â*(FEMA HQ)Â*
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

National Preparedness Level 1
National Fire Activity as of Thursday, April 29, 2010:Â*
Initial attack activity: Light (107 new fires)
New large fires:Â* 2
Large fires contained:Â* 2
Uncontained large fires:Â* 1
State affected:Â* Minnesota, Louisiana and AlaskaÂ*(NIFC)
Disaster Declaration Activity

Mississippi
On April 29, 2010, The President approved a major disaster declaration for the State of Mississippi.
Alabama
On April 29, 2010, the Governor requested a major disaster declaration for the State of Alabama as a result of severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds, and tornadoes during the period of April 24-25, 2010.Â*
South Dakota
On April 27, 2010, the Governor requested a major disaster declaration as a result of the spring flood event beginning on March 1, 2010, and continuing.



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