Thursday, September 1, 2011

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Response to Hurricane Irene

Current Situation:
Operations remain focused on sustaining response capabilities and robustly building recovery capabilities; specifically performing preliminary damage assessments and establishing disaster recovery centers. Rivers across the Northeast continue to recede. In New Jersey, the Passaic River will fall below Major Flood Stage on Friday night and will be within its banks next week; Flood Warnings remain in effect for 8 rivers across the State. In Vermont, residents of Wardsboro, Vermont (population 854) remain fully isolated and require air operations to deliver supplies. Several other communities across the State are partially isolated and are receiving commodities via four wheel drive vehicles.
Vermont
Approximately 8,765 customers remain without power.There are confirmed fatalities. There are 8 shelters open with 33 occupants.
Maine
Approximately 29,000 customers remain without powerTwo bridges are expected to be closed indefinitely.
New Hampshire
Approximately 6,856 customers remain without power.There is one confirmed fatality. Two shelters are open with 8 occupants.
Massachusetts
There is one confirmed fatality. Twelve long term care facilities, 1 community health center, and the VA hospital in Worcester are operating on generator power. Six shelters are open with 13 occupants. Approximately 113,795 customers remain without power.
Connecticut
There are two confirmed fatalities. Four shelters are open with 38 occupants. Twenty three state roads are closed primarily due to downed trees. Approximately 332,274 customers remain without power.
Rhode Island
One shelter is open with 1 occupant. Approximately 81,051 customers remain without power.
New York
There are 7 confirmed fatalities.Four bridges have been destroyed, and an undetermined number of bridges have been compromised.Approximately 275,576 customers remain without power.
Eleven shelters are open with 284 occupants.
New Jersey
There are seven confirmed fatalities.
Five shelters remain open with 469 occupants. Approximately 178,575 customers remain without power.Ten roads are closed due to flooding. Flood Warnings are in effect for 18 rivers across New Jersey.
Puerto Rico

There is one confirmed fatality. Three shelters are open with 4 occupants. Twenty two roads are impacted by landslides, and 1 bridge is closed.
Virginia
There are 4 confirmed fatalities. One shelter is open with 15 occupants. Approximately 219,024 customers remain without power.
Maryland
There are 3 confirmed fatalities Approximately 130,892 customers remain without power.
Pennsylvania
There are4 confirmed fatalities. Approximately 52,129 customers remain without power.
North Carolina
There are 7 confirmed fatalitiesThere are 8 shelters open with 335 occupants. Approximately 78,295 customers remain without power.There are approximately 2,986 homes damaged and 92 homes destroyed; 91 businesses were damaged and 43 destroyed.

Significant National Weather

NortheastÂ*
Most of the Region will be dry today with light precipitation possible in central New York. Flood Warnings continue in portions of New York, New Jersey and New England. Most rivers across the Region have crested and continue to recede.
Midwest
A cold front moving eastward from the Northern Plains will spread into the Upper Mississippi Valley today. The system will produce showers and thunderstorms in the upper Great Lakes and Central Plains through Friday morning. Some storms may become severe this evening; damaging winds and hail are possible. Hot temperatures combined with gusty winds will increase the risk of fire danger in portions of southwestern Kansas; Red Flag Warnings are in effect in these areas.
West
Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected over parts of the southern/central Rockies through tonight with monsoonal rains continuing in New Mexico. One to three inches of snow is possible in portions higher elevations of northern Montana; Winter Weather Advisories are in effect. Cooler drier air and gusty winds will produce Critical Fire Weather conditions in portions of western Wyoming and northern portions of Utah and Colorado through this evening.
South
Moderate to heavy rain, associated with an area of disturbed weather in the Gulf of Mexico, is expected today across the western and central Gulf Coast and Florida through Friday. Wind and sea levels are expected to rise with the development of the system. (NOAA, NWS)
Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic / Caribbean / Gulf of Mexico
Hurricane Katia (Category One)
At 5:00 a.m. EDT Hurricane Katia is located 1,065 miles east of the Leeward Islands moving west at 20 mph. Maximum sustained winds are 75 MPH. A general motion toward the west-northwest and a decrease in forward speed are expected during the next couple of days. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours. Katia could become a major hurricane by the weekend. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 25 miles and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 125 miles.
Area 1
A large area of disorganized cloudiness and thunderstorms over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico is associated with a trough of low pressure. Upper-level winds are currently unfavorable for development but are forecast to become more conducive on Thursday. This system could become a tropical depression during the next day or so. This system has a High chance (60%) of becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours as it moves slowly northwestward. Interests along the entire northern Gulf of Mexico coast should monitor the progress of this disturbance.

Eastern Pacific
Post-Tropical Cyclone Eight
Satellite and surface observations indicate that the tropical depression has weakened. At 8:00 p.m. EDT, the center of Post-Tropical Cyclone Eight was located inland in southwestern Mexico. Maximum sustained winds are near 25 mph with higher gusts in a few showers. This system is forecast to dissipate tonight. Elsewhere, tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.
Central Pacific
There are no tropical cyclones expected through Friday evening.
Western Pacific
There are no tropical cyclones threatening U.S. Territories.
Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Wildfire Update

FMAG Activity
Oklahoma
Twin Lakes/Bethel Complex Fire (Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma)
An FMAG was approved On August 31, 2011. The fire, located in the city of Shawnee, OK, has consumed over 400 acres with unknown containment. At the time of the FMAG request, approximately 225 homes were threatened and 4 homes have been destroyed in the Twin Lakes Subdivision. Approximately, 35 residents have evacuated.
Westminster Fire (Oklahoma County, Oklahoma)
An FMAG was approved on August 31, 2011. The fire, located in the western portion of Oklahoma City has consumed 200 acres with unknown containment. At the time of the FMAG request, approximately 733 homes were threatened and numerous homes are reported burned. Over 1,721 residents have been evacuated. (FEMA HQ)
National Fire Activity
Wednesday, August 31, 2011:
National Preparedness Level: 3
Initial attack activity: Heavy (336 new fires)
New Large Fires: 19
Large Fires Contained: 5
Uncontained Large Fires: 46
NINOs Committed: 2
Type 1 IMT Committed: 0
Type 2 IMT Committed: 19
States affected: MT, WA, CO, ID, WY, AL, AR, MN, TX, OR, NV, CA, NM, UT, TN, VA, KS and AZ.

Disaster Declaration Activity

New Jersey
Major Disaster Declaration FEMA-4021-DR
The President has signed Major Disaster Declaration FEMA-4021-DR for the State of New Jersey for Hurricane Irene for the incident period August 27, 2011 and continuing. Â*The Declaration provides for Individual Assistance for Bergen, Essex, Morris, Passaic and Somerset Counties; Public Assistance for 5 counties (Direct federal assistance is authorized); and, hazard mitigation statewide.


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