Friday, October 1, 2010

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Significant National Weather

Northeast:
An early fall storm continues to spread heavy rain and wind north across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states. Additional rainfall amounts of two to five inches with isolated severe weather and high winds are possible across much of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast through this evening. Flood and Flash Flood Watches, Warnings, and Advisories remain in effect from North Carolina north into New England. High Wind Warnings have been issued for portions of the Northeast from the New York City metro region north to Southern Vermont as well as portions of east central Maine. Rainfall should gradually begin to taper off in the Mid-Atlantic this afternoon and across the Northeast Saturday morning. See www.weather.gov/largemap.php for the latest information.
South:
Most of the region will be dry except North Carolina which will continue to experience rain showers and gusty winds from the system that is moving over the Mid-Atlantic.
Midwest:
A cold front will produce a few showers from the Upper Mississippi Valley to the Great Lakes and behind this system temperatures are forecast to drop. This weekend, high temperatures will only reach the 50s from the Dakotas to northern Michigan and nighttime lows will drop to near freezing.
West:
The region will be generally dry with some showers and thunderstorms across higher elevations of the Southwest through Saturday. High temperatures across much of Idaho, Nevada and Utah will reach into the 90s.
(NOAA and media sources)

East Coast Flooding - FEMA Preparedness/Response

The National Watch Center at FEMA HQ continues to monitor the situation. The Governors of Maryland and North Carolina declared States of Emergency. FEMA Liaison Officers are deployed to State Emergency Operations Centers in Vermont, Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. The FEMA Regional Offices are in regular contact with both the National Weather Service and State officials.
(FEMA HQ, FEMA Regions I, II, III, IV)Â*

Historical Atlantic Hurricane Tracks

An updated NOAA website lets everyone from reporters to city planners track local historical storm activity, review specific storm tracks, and obtain information about a particular storm’s landfall. NOAA’s Historical Hurricane Tracks website (http://csc-s-maps-q.csc.noaa.gov/hurricanes/) and mapping application generates customized, downloadable maps based on more than 150 years of Atlantic hurricane data.
The Historical Hurricane Tracks tool, developed by NOAA’s Coastal Services Center in partnership with the National Hurricane Center, allows users to search by U.S. zip code, State, county, storm name, year, or latitude and longitude points. With the search results, users can generate a map showing the storm track accompanied by a table of related information. The site includes tropical cyclone data and information on coastal county hurricane strikes through 2009. It also features a searchable database of population changes versus hurricane strikes for U.S. coastal counties from 1900 to 2000 and includes detailed reports on the life history and effects of U.S. tropical cyclones since 1958.
(NOAA)Â*
Flooding in Minnesota and Wisconsin - Final

The Region V Regional Response Coordination Center is at Watch/Steady State. A FEMA Liaison Officer remains at the MN Emergency Operations Center and Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments are ongoing. All residents in Wisconsin and Minnesota who evacuated due to flooding have been allowed to return to their homes and there are no shelters open.
(Region V)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No activity.(HQ FEMA)
Disaster Field Offices

There are 18 Open Field Offices supporting 30 Major Disaster Declarations and 5 Emergency Declarations. (HQ FEMA)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of MexicoÂ*
A large area of disturbed weather located about 900 miles east of the Lesser Antilles is in an area that may become more conducive for development. There is a medium chance, near 40 percent, of this system becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours.
Low pressure over the northern Caribbean Sea continues to produce disorganized shower and thunderstorm activity and there is a low chance, near 10 percent, of this system becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours. Regardless of development, locally heavy rains are possible during the next day or two across northern Central America, the Cayman Islands, Eastern Cuba, Jamaica and Hispaniola.
Central, Eastern, and Western PacificÂ*
No tropical cyclone formation is expected during the next 48 hours.
(NOAA, JTWS)
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 Thursday, September 30, 2010:Â*
Initial attack activity: light (53 new fires), new large fires: 2, large fires contained: 0
Uncontained large fires: 0, U.S. States affected:Â* UT, ID, CO, FL, WY
(NIFC)

Disaster Declaration Activity

Amendment #3 to FEMA-1935-DR was approved on Sep 30 and makes Moultrie County, IL eligible for the Public Assistance Program.
(HQ FEMA)Â*



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