Wednesday, May 25, 2011

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Midwest Severe Weather Outbreak on May 21 - 25, 2011

The Severe Weather Outbreak continues across the Midwest. A significant late spring severe weather outbreak has been underway across the Southern Plains since yesterday afternoon. Dangerous thunderstorms are expected to continue to impact a large swath of the Southern Plains.(NOAA, NWS)
Joplin, Missouri (Jasper County)
The tornado that occurred on May 22 in Joplin (population 49,024) in Jasper County has now been upgraded to an EF-5. The most heavily populated areas and the major business and commercial areas were hardest hit and the tornado cut a path a mile wide for at least six miles. A State of Emergency had already been declared for the recent storms in the State.
There are currently 123 confirmed fatalities, 200 people are missing (unconfirmed) and over 400 people are injured. St. Johnâs Hospital was severely damaged and has been evacuated. Patients were evacuated to hospitals within the state or to surrounding states. Other hospitals in the area are at maximum patient capacity and operating on emergency power. A nursing home and other healthcare centers have been destroyed. There are three shelters open with 188 occupants (1,000 occupant capacity). A second shelter has been opened for household pets. An estimated 14,000 customers remain without power. Interstate 44 has re-opened.
Urban Search and Rescue Missouri Task Force 1 (state asset) continues search and rescue efforts. Search and Rescue teams from Kansas and Arkansas, along with the Kansas City SAR team are also continuing search and rescue. An IST (Incident Support Team) from Tulsa, Oklahoma is also on scene. The Missouri National Guard has been activated and 400-500 firefighters are also assisting.(Mortuary asset) teams are all continuing response efforts.
Amendment No. 2 to FEMA-1980-DR-MO adds Jasper and Newton counties for Individual Assistance, debris removal, and emergency protective measures (Categories A and B), including direct Federal assistance.
St. Louis, Missouri
Thunderstorms impacted the city of St. Louis and surrounding counties on May 22. At its peak, 65,000 customers were without power in St. Louis, St. Charles, Franklin and Jefferson counties and 48,500 customers remain without power. There are numerous reports of roof damages in Franklin County and reports of downed trees and power lines throughout the area.
Kansas
There were reports of 14 tornado touchdowns with damaging winds and hail statewide. The City of Reading (population 231) in Lyon County was hardest hit by tornado damage. 26 homes have been destroyed and there are 30 homes with major damage. Ten commercial buildings have been destroyed and there are four buildings with major damage. There is one confirmed fatality and several injuries. There is one ARC shelter open with no occupants. The City of Reading remains without power.
Oklahoma
Tornadoes, severe storms, straight line winds and flooding began May 22, 2011 and are continuing. The Governor declared a State of Emergency for 14 counties on May 24, 2011. There are four confirmed fatalities (Canadian County) and 71 injuries. There are seven shelters open with an unknown number of occupants. 57,700 customers remain without power.
Arkansas
Severe weather impacted the State overnight on May 24. There is a report of a possible tornado that impacted the city of Danning (Franklin County) overnight on May 24. There are two unconfirmed fatalities, three injuries, and reports of numerous people trapped in debris. Three homes and two businesses were damaged in Crawford, Franklin, Izard, and Johnson counties. There are two shelters open with six occupants. Johnson County has requested the deployment of Arkansas Task Force 1 for search and rescue operations.
Indiana
Â*Severe thunderstorms and possibly four tornadoes touched down in Indiana overnight on May 23, 2011. Three counties reported damaged homes, downed trees and minor flooding. 13,900 customers remain without power (down from 47,000 at its peak) in the three affected counties. Jennings County also reported 19,600 customers without power.
Ohio
Severe thunderstorms and possibly five tornadoes touched down in Ohio overnight on May 23, 2011. Three counties reported downed trees, power lines and, damaged barns. 8,500 customers were without power. No fatalities or injuries were reported.
MinnesotaÂ*
Severe storms on May 22, impacted the east central portions of Minnesota. The city of Minneapolis (Hennepin County) was hardest hit with reports of a damage path 3.5 miles long and 300 yards wide. Numerous homes were damaged and there are hundreds of downed trees. 50 natural gas lines were uprooted. There are two fatalities and 30 injuries. There is one shelter open with 57 occupants.
WisconsinÂ*
Severe storms and tornadoes moved through central portions of Wisconsin on May 22. There was an EF-1 tornado in Monroe county, an EF-2 tornado near Tomah and other tornadoes in central Wisconsin damaging several homes and barns. The most significant damage was from a tornado that went through the city of La Crosse. No fatalities were reported but there are10 injuries. Downed power lines and damaged homes caused residents to evacuate. Damage assessments are ongoing. There is one shelter open with 8 occupants.
Mississippi Valley Flooding

Moderate to Major flood crests have been reached and will continue on through May 29, 2011, depending on location. USACE continues to monitor the crest and continues flood fighting measures throughout the Mississippi River and Tributaries (MR&T) system. Gages below Morganza have crested and are expected to remain at crest/current levels for another week. The River is forecast to fall below flood stage on May 27.

Louisiana
17 of 125 gates are open along the Morganza Floodway.
330 of 350 gates are open along the Bonnet Carre Spillway (100% capacity) and they are anticipated to remain open for another one to two weeks. Mandatory evacuations were reinstated for Butte La Rose, Happy Town and LA 975 (Sherburne Wildlife area) of St. Martin Parish on May 24, 2011. 90% of the population has already evacuated. Mandatory evacuations remain in effect for St. Landry Parish for residents living on the east side of the levee. Mandatory evacuations have been lifted for residents in areas south of Highway 190, the Three Mile Lake area, and the North Wilderness Road area but these areas will remain under voluntary evacuation until further notice. No shelters are open but ARC has shelters on standby if requested. The State has identified sufficient shelter capacity to meet anticipated needs.
The Port Allen Lock, Old River Lock, Port Allen and Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) alternate route, and Bayou Chene from Bayou Penchant to the GIWW, are closed. Amtrak service between New Orleans and Chicago resumed on May 20, 2011. The route between Cairo, Illinois and Memphis, Tennessee has been closed since April 26, 2011.
Mississippi
Four shelters are open with 31 occupants. There is one confirmed fatality. 4,523 power outages were reported statewide. Five DRCs are open in Tunica, Desoto, Bolivar, Yazoo, and Wilkinson counties. Four water treatment plants remain non operational until water levels drop. The Yazoo County airport has re-opened.
Northeast Flood

Â*Vermont
Â*AÂ* State of Emergency remains in effect. IA teams are on site and in the field.Â* Record flooding is forecast to continue and Flood Warnings continue for Lake Champlain. The Vermont National Guard has ceased flood support operations in the communities of Alburgh and Isle of La Motte due to declining water levels.
New York
Â*Major Flooding is ongoing and Flood Warnings continue for Lake Champlain at Rouses Point.Â*
Significant National Weather

West:Â*
A frontal system is moving ashore and producingÂ* precipitation from Northern California to the Pacific Northwest. The storm will produce gusty winds in the Sierras and western Nevada.Â* Winds will be southwesterly 30 to 45 mph with gusts to 70 mph. Local gusts to 90 mph are possible in winds prone areas and ridge gusts in the Sierra will be over 100 mph. The recent rain and beginning of the snow pack melt out is producing flooding in Montana, Idaho, Utah and Wyoming.Â* Gusty winds and low relative humidity will result in critical fire weather across the Southwest to western Texas.
Midwest:
A low pressure area over the Central Plains and the associated frontal system will produce extensive precipitation across Midwest, Central Gulf Coast and the Ohio Valley.Â* Thunderstorms and heavy showers are expected as this system interacts with Gulf Coast moisture. Severe thunderstorms (hail, gusty winds and tornadoes) are possible, especially along a line from Northern Louisiana to Indiana. Parts of the Central Plains will receive several inches of precipitation and the Middle Mississippi Valley will get a half inch.Â* Localized flooding is likely in the heaviest downpours.
South:
Record flooding continues along the lower Mississippi River. The frontal system discussed above will produce showers and thunderstorms in Eastern Texas and the Central Gulf Coast but the rest of Texas and the Southeast will remain dry.
Northeast:
A front will produce precipitation, including thunderstorms, across the Mid-Atlantic. New York and New England will be generally dry.Â*Â*
Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

On May 24, 2011, a FMAG was approved for the Ceed Fire in the city of Midland (population 108,700) in Midland County, Texas. At the time of the FMAG request, 3,000 acres had been burned and the fire was zero percent contained. The fire has now burned 2,500 and is now 90 percent contained. 300 homes, 22 businesses, the Texas Department of Public Safety Office, a sports complex, a business park, two hospitals and oil infrastructure are threatened. No structures have been destroyed.Â* Mandatory and voluntary evacuations were place for 150 people but residents were allowed to return home in the evening.Â*
Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic / Caribbean / Gulf of Mexico:
Shower and thunderstorm activity has diminished in association with the surface low located about 650 miles east-southeast of Bermuda. There is a low chance (near 0 percent) of this system becoming a subtropical cyclone during the next 48 hours.
Eastern / Central Pacific
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.
Western / South Pacific:Â*
Based on the current warning Typhoon 04W (Songda) poses no threat to U.S. territories or interests.
Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Wildfire Update

Tuesday, May 24, 2011:
National Preparedness Level: 2
Initial attack activity: LIGHT (114 new fires)
New Large Fires: 3
Large Fires Contained: 4
Uncontained Large Fires: 11
Type 1 IMT Committed: 1
Type 2 IMT Committed: 7
States affected: GA, NC, LA, MS, FL, AZ and NM
Horseshoe Two Fire, AZ (Cochise County)
FMAG -2907 was approved May 9, 2011. The fire is located 7 miles southwest of Portal, Arizona.
Currently 44,650 acres have burned and the fire is 35 percent contained with an estimated containment date of June 22. There are seven injuries reported.Â* A mandatory evacuation of Cave Creek and a voluntary evacuation for Paradise as a safety precaution due to burnout operations; 228 structures are being threatened.Â* (NIFC)

Disaster Declaration Activity

Illinois
On May 24, 2011, a Governorâs Request was received for a Major Disaster Declaration for the State of Illinois as a result of a series of severe storms and flooding beginning on April 19, 2011 and continuing. Individual Assistance for 14 counties and Hazard Mitigation statewide are being requested.
Minnesota
Amendment No. 1 to FEMA-1982-DR-MN adds 13 counties and the Red Lake Reservation for Public Assistance.Â*(FEMA HQ)
Disaster Field Offices
22 Open Field Offices are supporting 32 Major Disaster Declarations and 6 Emergency Declarations.



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