Tuesday, February 22, 2011

[FEMA]

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Significant National Weather

Northeast:
The system that moved out of the Midwest will spread snow across Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia and the National Capital Region.Â*Â* The heaviest snowfall could range from a foot in the Central Appalachians to four inches in Baltimore/Washington Metro Area, ending by midday.Â* South of the cold front, much of the precipitation will be in the form of rain across Southern Virginia and North Carolina.Â*
Midwest:
A mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain will fall across the Southern Great Lakes and the Ohio River Valley today gradually tapering off tonight.Â*Â* The additional precipitation is aggravating the flood outlook in the Middle and Upper Mississippi valleys through the Ohio and Tennessee valleys. Tonight, light snow will move out of the Northern Rockies into the Northern Plains.
South:
A frontal system along the Gulf Coast combined with the moist air off the Gulf of Mexico is producing rain across the Southeast.Â* Rainfall is not expected to be significant and will taper off in the earlyÂ* afternoon. However, the front will produce gusty winds in the Carolinas.
West:
A frontal system moving across the Pacific Northwest will produce coastal rain all day in the lower elevations and up to a foot of new snow in the Cascades and Northern Rockies.Â* California and the Southwest will remain dry.Â*(National Weather Service, Hydrometeorological Prediction Center, and various media sources)Â*
Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment Activity

Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments are underway in the following states: Illinois, Indiana, New Mexico, Missouri and Washington.
Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

A Fire Management Assistance Grant was approved for Virginia on Feb. 20, 2011, for the Smith Fire (Warren County) and the Coffman Fire (Rockingham County).Â*Â*(FEMA HQ)Â*
Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Earthquake Activity

No significant earthquake activity reported in the United States and territories during the last 24 hours.
International
On Feb. 21, 2011, at 6:51 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake occurred near Christchurch, New Zealand, at a depth of 3.1 miles.Â* Media report extensive structural damage and casualties.Â* Two aftershocks measuring 5.6 and 5.5 magnitude were reported.
New Zealand lies on the âRing of Fireâ, also called the Circum-Pacific Belt. It is the zone of earthquakes surrounding the Pacific Ocean where about 90% of the worldâs earthquakes occur.Â* The Feb. 21, 2011 South Island, New Zealand earthquake occurred as part of the aftershock sequence of the 7.0 magnitude quake that occurred on Sept. 3, 2010, near Darfield, New Zealand.
This latest shock is significantly closer to the main population center of Christchurch, New Zealand, than the Sept. 3, 2010, main shock.Â* Since the Sept. 3, 2010, main shock, there have been approximately six magnitude aftershocks greater than 5.0 in the Christchurch region.Â* Yesterdayâs earthquake represents the largest aftershock to date, more than half a magnitude unit larger than the previous largest aftershock.Â*Â*Â*(USGS)Â*
Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)


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