Tuesday, September 21, 2010

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Significant National Weather

South
Scattered thunderstorms are possible today across the Southern Plains and the Florida Peninsula. Flood and Flash Flood Watches and Warnings remain in effect across coastal regions of the Texas Deep South. Much of the Southern region will be quite hot, with temperatures ranging from average to 15 degrees above average. Red Flag Warnings are in effect across portions of the Florida Panhandle due to high temperatures and long durations of low humidity.
West
Thunderstorms will begin to move north today from Mexico into Arizona and New Mexico, showers are forecast across northern Idaho and Montana. Temperatures will be 5 to 15 degrees below average along the West Coast and the Canadian border. Over the remainder of the region, temperatures will vary from average to 15 degrees above average. Red Flag Warnings remain in effect across portions of central and southern Nevada, western Utah, and central and southern Wyoming.
Midwest
A cold front will produce scattered severe thunderstorms today from the Great Lakes to the Kansas-Nebraska border and rainfall accumulations may exceed one inch in areas from Michigan to Iowa. Temperatures will be below average in North Dakota but as much as 10 to 20 degrees above average ahead of the front in the Ohio Valley. Highs will range from the 50s along the Canadian border to the 90s from Kansas to the Ohio Valley. By midweek, a new storm developing over the Rockies will begin to increase showers and thunderstorms over the Plains.
Northeast
The Northeast will be rain-free and sunny today. Temperatures will vary from near average to 15 degrees above average with afternoon highs ranging from the 60s in Maine to the low 90s in parts of West Virginia. The Midwest cold front will begin to impact the region by midweek, producing scattered thunderstorms from Maine to Pennsylvania.
(NOAA and media sources)

Utah Wildfire

The Machine Gun Fire located at Camp Williams 2 miles south of Herriman, UT, has burned 4,300 acres and is 25 percent contained. There are 450 homes under evacuation orders. No fatalities have been reported. FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grant (2859-FM) was approved for this fire.
(NIFC)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No activity.Â*(HQ FEMA)Â*
Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of MexicoÂ*
Hurricane Igor remains a weak Category 1 hurricane and is located 35 miles south-southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland, Canada, racing northeast at 46 mph. A hurricane watch and tropical storm warnings are in effect for areas of Canada. Maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph, with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast and Igor is likely to become an intense extratropical cyclone later today. Risks to the U.S. East Coast will continue to be strong swells and dangerous rip currents for the next few days.
Tropical Storm Lisa was located about 530 miles west-northwest of the Cape Verde Islands. Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph, with higher gusts. Some additional strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days.
Another area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms over much of the Windward Islands and Southeastern Caribbean Sea are associated with a tropical wave. There is a low chance, near 20 percent, of this system becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours.
Eastern PacificÂ*
Tropical Storm Georgette is located 30 miles south of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico moving north northwest at nine mph. It is expected to move over the southern portion of Baja California today and tonight then move over the Gulf of California on Wednesday. Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph but should weaken as the storm moves inland tonight. It is expected to become a low and dissipate by Wednesday night or early Thursday.
Central and Western Pacific
No tropical cyclones are expected during the next 48 hours.
(NOAA, JTWC)Â*

Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Wildfire Update

National Preparedness Level: 2
National Fire Activity as of Monday, September 20, 2010:Â*
Initial attack activity: light (88 new fires), new large fires: 5, large fires contained: 1
Uncontained large fires: 7, U.S. States affected:Â* CA, AZ, UT, ID, OR, WY, FL and AR
(NIFC)

Disaster Declaration Activity

FEMA-1934-DR-MO Amendment #2 was approved on Sep 20 and makes one additional Missouri County eligible for the Public Assistance Program.
(HQ FEMA)



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