Tuesday, May 4, 2010

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Significant National Weather

South:
Much of the South will be rain free and sunny today.Â* Locally heavy rains and severe thunderstorms will linger across the eastern Carolinas, southern Georgia and northern Florida. Some locations could pick up 1 to 3 inches of precipitation.Â* Major flooding will continue in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Along the northern Gulf Coast, light northerly winds will turn more easterly today. The onshore southerly flow will return mid to late week.Â* Flood and Flash Flood Watches and Warnings remain in effect across most of Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia, as well as the Florida Panhandle.
Midwest:
An upper-level disturbance and secondary cold front will trigger scattered thunderstorms (possibly severe) today across the Northeast, from Pennsylvania and New Jersey northward. Rainfall totals locally could exceed a half inch.Â* Temperatures will be 5 to 15 degrees above average. Highs will range from the 60s along the Canadian border to the middle 80s in Virginia.Â* The region will be dry midweek but thunderstorms could arrive in the eastern Great Lakes late evening.Â* On Thursday, showers and scattered thunderstorms will move through the northern part of the region ahead of a cold front.Â*Â* A stronger cold front will arrive later Friday into Saturday, triggering more thunderstorms.Â* Flood and Flash Flood Watches and Warnings will remain in effect across portions of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia.
Northeast:
The Midwest will be dry and sunny. Showers will exit the eastern Ohio Valley early in the day.
A cold front will move across the north-central states, producing the possibility of wind gusts to 60 mph across the Dakotas.Â* Showery rain will fall in North Dakota, and ahead of the front, scattered thunderstorms are forecast for Minnesota and Iowa. The track of the front will flow into the western Great Lakes overnight.Â* Temperatures across the region will be 5 to 15 degrees above average, but below average in the Dakotas.Â*Â* Highs will range from the 40s in western North Dakota to the 80s across the central Plains, mid-Mississippi Valley and lower Ohio Valley.
West:
Rain and snow showers are forecast across the Northwest today, along with possible afternoon thunderstorms.Â* Temperatures will be 5 to 20 degrees below average, with highs in the 30s across western Montana and northwest Wyoming.Â* Snow levels in Washington will be between 2000 and 3500 feet.Â* Southwest temperatures will be 5 to 10 degrees above average. Highs will range from the 60s in central Nevada and central Utah to the 80s in eastern Colorado and the 90s in southeast California, southern Nevada and southern Arizona.Â* High Wind Warnings will remain in effect through this morning across the mountains of Washington and Oregon, as well as most of Montana, and the Central and Northern Plains.Â* Sustained winds of 35-45 mph are expected, with gusts to 65 mph.Â* A Winter Storm Warning is in effect through this morning for the northern and central Washington Cascades; snow accumulations of 6-12 inches are possible.Â* Red Flag Warnings are in effect through this evening for east-central and northeast New Mexico and south-central Colorado due to strong winds and relative humidity at or below 15 percent.Â*(NOAA, National Weather Service, various media sources)
Severe Weather Mississippi Valley & Southeast:

The FEMA RWC is at Watch/Steady State and monitoring.Â* FEMA Region IV is at Level II (Partial Activation), and Regions V, VI and VII are at Watch/Steady State.Â* All Regions are monitoring and maintaining communications with affected states.Â* The Region IV IMAT is deployed to Mississippi.
Massachusetts â Water Main Break:

The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) experienced a âcatastrophicâ failure in the water system on Saturday May, 1 2010.Â*Â* The State EOC is activated to Level I (Full Activation).Â* MEMA reports the pipe is repaired; Boil Water Advisories remain in effect until system flushing is complete.Â* Twenty seven (27) communities were affected (up to 1.6 million people). Water is being distributed in 19 communities from point of distribution (POD) sites.Â* Emergency Declaration FEMA 3312-EM-MA was approved for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on May 3. Oil Spill Response Update:

Unified Command / USCG Response:
The Department of Homeland Security reports this incident was declared a âSpill of National Significanceâ (SONS). Surface cleanups continue; oil skimming operations continue. To date, the oil spill response team has recovered 23,968 barrels (853,146 gallons) of an oil-water mix.
Approximately 243,200 feet of boom (barrier) has been deployed to contain the spill. To date, 5,900 gallons of subsea dispersants and 156,012 gallons of surface dispersants have been applied.Â* Aerial dispersants cannot be applied until subsea dispersant operations are complete. The Drilling Rig has been secured to the sea floor.
Federal Actions:
The FEMA NRCC/RWC is at Watch/Steady State and monitoring.Â* FEMA Region IV RRCC is at Level II (Partial activation for Southeast severe weather & flooding).Â* There have been no requests for FEMA assistance.Â* NORTHCOM has deployed a Defense Coordinating Element to the Louisiana state EOC.
(Region IV, Region VI, Coast Guard Command Center and DHS National Operations Center SLB)Â*
Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No activity.Â*(FEMA HQ) 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 Monday, May 3, 2010:Â*
Initial attack activity: Light (77 new fires), New large fires:Â* 1, Large fires contained:Â* 0
Uncontained large fires: 1, State affected:Â* Michigan(NIFC)

Disaster Declaration Activity

Alabama
The President signed Major Disaster Declaration FEMA-1908-DR for Alabama on May 3, 2010 as a result of severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding occurring April 24-25, 2010.Â* The Declaration provides Individual Assistance and Public Assistance for 2 Counties and Hazard Mitigation statewide.
Massachusetts
The President signed Emergency Declaration FEMA 3312-EM-MA for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on May 3, 2010 as a result of a water main break that occurred on May 1, 2010, and continuing.Â* The Declaration provides emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program at 75 percent Federal funding. The FCO is James N. RussoÂ*
Â*(FEMA HQ)Â*


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