Thursday, October 21, 2010

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Significant National Weather

Northeast
A strong cold front will bring significantly below average temperatures to New England tonight. A mix of rain and snow is possible tonight across upstate New York but will change to snow across interior portions of New England by Friday.
South
The Southern Plains will see showers and thunderstorms this afternoon into Friday and some may be severe with hail and winds up to 60 mph. Portions of Georgia and northern Florida are at an increased risk for fire through Friday as low relative humidity combines with brisk northwest winds.
Midwest
Showers across the Great Lakes are expected to continue during the day. Gusty winds and dry conditions continue to increase the fire danger to critical levels this afternoon across southern portions of Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky.
West
Showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop over portions of the Great Basin and southern Rockies before moving into the Plains later this afternoon and into Friday. Snow is possible in the highest elevations of the central and southern Rockies. A strong Pacific storm system will begin to bring showers into the Pacific Northwest tonight and become more widespread on Friday.
(NOAA and media sources)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico
Tropical Depression Nineteen
At 5:00 a.m. EDT Tropical Depression Nineteen was located 160 miles south-southeast of Grand Cayman Island and about 215 miles northeast of Cabo Gracias a Dios on Nicaragua/Honduras border moving SE at 3 mph.Â* Maximum sustained winds are 35 mph with higher gusts. Little motion is forecast today, but a turn toward the west is expected on Friday. Some strengthening is forecast and the Depression is expected to become a Tropical Storm later today.Â* Five to ten inches of rain is expected over Jamaica with isolated amounts of 15 inches at higher terrain; 2-4 inches are expected over the Cayman Islands.Â*
Central, Eastern, and Western Pacific
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours
(NOAA, JTWC)Â*
Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Wildfire Update

Wildfire Preparedness: Level 1
National Fire Activity as of Wednesday, October 20, 2010:
Initial attack activity: moderate (204 new fires), new large fires: 3, large fires contained: 2
Uncontained large fires: 2, U.S. States affected: LA, KS, FL & GA
(NIFC)
Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)Â*
No activity.(HQ FEMA)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Disaster Field Offices
17 Open Field Offices are supporting 28 Major Disaster Declarations and 4 Emergency Declarations. (HQ FEMA)

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