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National Situation Update: Monday, June 19, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

West: The northern Rocky Mountain States are forecast to get scattered showers and thunderstorms. Severe thunderstorms are expected in Montana, southeastern Idaho and northern Wyoming. However, dry conditions will prevail across most of the West today. Critical wildfire conditions (high temperatures, low humidity, gusty winds and isolated dry lightning) are expected in much of Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Wyoming.

Midwest: The Great Plains will remain dry today but scattered strong thunderstorms will develop tonight as the next disturbance rides eastward along the Canadian border. The cold front sagging into the northern Ohio Valley and an upper-air disturbance will produce widespread precipitation from the Great lakes to Kentucky with isolated thunderstorm activity tonight.

South: An eastward-moving upper-air disturbance will trigger scattered showers and thunderstorms over coastal Texas, Florida, the Deep South and Tennessee.

Northeast: A vigorous upper-air disturbance moving into the area this evening will produce scattered showers and thunderstorms.  Temperatures will be well above average in New England southward through eastern Virginia, and near seasonal averages elsewhere.  (National Weather Service, Media sources)

Wisconsin Tornado

A tornado reportedly touched down Sunday afternoon in the city of Hartford, Wisconsin (population approx. 9000) located thirty miles NW of Milwaukee in Washington County.  The tornado did not stay on the ground for any length of time and caused only spotty damage.  The only town with reported damage was Hartford.  Minor damages have been reported, the most severe being a local elementary school having its roof torn off.  No fatalities and only a few minor injuries have been reported.  One shelter opened in the city to handle any displaced citizens.

The State EOC with one duty officer and PIO opened early in the afternoon in anticipation of the storm and closed around 1830 CDT.  Washington County EMA personnel are assessing damage.  There has been no request for State response

No Federal assistance has been requested. Region V will continue monitoring.  (FEMA Region V)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic: No tropical storm activity.

Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean Sea: No tropical storm activity.

Eastern Pacific: No tropical storm activity

Western Pacific: No tropical storm activity. (USDOC/NOAA/NWS, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

There have been a number of earthquakes in Alaska's Aleutian Island Chain.  The most significant was a moderate earthquake which occurred at 2:37 pm EDT on June 18. The magnitude 5.0 event was located in the Northern Pacific Ocean 678 miles southwest of Anchorage Alaska at a depth of 6.8 miles. No Tsunami was generated.

The "Ring of Fire", also called the Circum-Pacific belt, is the zone of earthquakes surrounding the Pacific Ocean - about 90% of the world's earthquakes occur there. (Source: United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Jun-2009 16:18:40 EDT