Tuesday, August 3, 2010

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Tropical Storm Colin

Â*At 5:00 am EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Colin was located 945 miles east of the Lesser Antilles Islands. Colin is moving toward the west-northwest near 23 mph and this general motion is expected to continue for the next day or two. Colin is forecast to pass well to the northeast and north of the Leeward Islands late Wednesday to early Thursday. Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph with higher gusts and tropical storm force winds extend outward 35 miles from the center. Some additional strengthening is forecast during the next 36 hours or so.
(NOAA)

Significant National Weather

West:Â*
Thunderstorms forecast for the Four Corners area continue to be the type resulting from the meteorological phenomenon known as the North American Monsoon, sometimes called the Arizona Monsoon or the Southwest United States Monsoon. This is when high pressure built up over the dry land is intermittently impacted by moisture, often drawn up from the Gulf of Mexico. The result is sudden bursts of heavy precipitation, often an inch or more. This pattern is known to produce flash flooding when the sudden influx of water hits the compacted desert soil, rolls off and collects in low-lying areas. This pattern is expected to weaken tomorrow. High temperatures will reach the 90s in the Great Basin and between 100 and 119 degrees in the Desert Southwest. Elsewhere in the region, a cold front moving southward will produce showers and thunderstorms from Montana to Washington.
Midwest:Â*
A frontal system will produce showers and thunderstorms from the Central Plains to the Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley. Some thunderstorms will be severe, with gusty winds and flash flooding in some locations. The lower part of the region will be hot and humid from a high pressure ridge to the south. High temperatures will range from the 90s in the Ohio Valley to more than 100 degrees in Missouri and Kansas.
South:
For the next few days, extreme heat and humidity will continue. Numerous heat advisories are in effect from the Central Gulf Coast to the Middle Mississippi Valley and Central Plains. Daytime temperatures will approach 100 degrees with heat indices ranging between 105 and 110 degrees. The region will be dry except for a few thunderstorms in the Southeast.
Northeast:
Showers and thunderstorms are likely across the region. The heaviest activity will be along the Canadian Border where they could see gusty winds and heavy precipitation. Thunderstorms will continue to develop as cold fronts rotate into the Northeast over theÂ*next few days.
(NOAA and media sources)

Oil Spill - Marshall, Michigan

The U.S. Coast Guard continues to monitor the situation. The ruptured pipeline is secured and clean-up and recovery operations are ongoing. There are no requests for FEMA assistance.Â*Â*
(FEMA Region V)

Mississippi Canyon 252 Update

FEMA is providing personnel and equipment support. The static kill operation including cementing the oil well is scheduled to begin today. The second drill rig is holding operations at 10,743 feet below the sea floor awaiting results of the primary relief well effort. Approximately 620 miles of coastline are impacted by the oil spill.
Â*(NIC Daily Situation Update)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

Â*No activity.Â*Â*
(FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico:Â*
In addition to Tropical Storm Colin, mentioned above, a tropical wave is present over the southeastern Caribbean Sea and adjacent land areas. The weather activity in the area is disorganized and there is a low chance, near 20 percent, of the system becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours.
Eastern Pacific
A large area of disturbed weather centered about 600 miles south-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico is moving slowly westward. Development of this system, if any, is expected to be slow due to the influence of strong upper-level winds. There is a low chance, near 10 percent, of this system becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours.
Central and Western Pacific:Â*
No tropical cyclone formation expected during the next 48 hours.Â*
Â*(NOAA, JTWC)
Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Wildfire Update

Â*National Preparedness Level: 2
National Fire Activity as of Monday, August 2, 2010:Â*
Initial attack activity: light (139 new fires), new large fires: 1, large fires contained: 3
Uncontained large fires: 9, U.S. States affected: CA, WA, NV, MT, WY, & ID
(NIFC)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)


More...