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National Situation Update: Monday, January 22, 2007

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Messy Southeast and Southwest Today

South:  Rain and showers in the South are expected from southern Louisiana to the eastern Carolinas. Some locations will pick up over an inch of rain.

Scattered showers may dampen far southern Texas, the lower Rio Grande Valley and the Florida Peninsula. A few light snow showers, or snow showers mixed with rain, are likely in southwestern Texas.

West:  Snow and snow showers, underneath a chilly upper-level low, will prevail in southeastern Arizona and southern New Mexico. The heaviest snow will coat the higher terrain of southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona.

Gusty winds in Southern California, southern Nevada and much of Arizona will gradually weaken later in the day Monday.

Rain will dampen western Washington with snow in the northern Washington Cascades and a few snow showers will reach from northeast Washington into northwest Montana.

Midwest:  With scattered snow showers and flurries threatening much of the Great Lakes and lower Midwest today, no significant accumulations are anticipated.

Northeast:  Other than some early-morning rain and snow along the Mid-Atlantic coast, precipitation in the Northeast will be confined to scattered snow showers and flurries stretching from the mountains of West Virginia into New England (most of Maine excepted).  Accumulations will be light, although a few spots downwind of the Great Lakes could see an inch or two.   (NWS, Media Sources)

Severe Weather in D.C. Metro Area

The Winter Weather Advisory for periods of  snow and freezing rain for the DC Metro Area remains in effect until 4:00 am EST, January 22, 2007.
OPM announced  that the decision was made that all Government Agencies in the Washington DC area will be open with an Unscheduled Leave Policy on Monday, January 22, 2007.  (NWS, FEMA Operations Center)

Midwest Storms Power Restoration Update

The latest Department of Energy (DOE) figures for customers remaining without power in the midwest, as of January 21, 2007 at 5:00 pm EST are:
 Missouri - 48,640
 Oklahoma - 32,227
 Total - 80,867     (National Infrastructure Coordination Center, DOE)

Winter Blasts Colorado Again

The latest in a series of winter storms battered Colorado on Sunday, dumping several inches of snow and whipping up strong wind that created whiteout conditions on the state's eastern plains.

Officials closed a long stretch of Interstate 70, from near Denver International Airport almost to the Kansas state line, because of high winds, blowing snow, poor visibility and ice.  Accidents caused by blowing snow and icy roads closed southbound Interstate 25 near Fort Collins for two hours Sunday morning.

Wind up to 60 mph piled the snow into drifts as high as 3 feet in parts of the state, the National Weather Service said.  A blizzard warning was in effect for much of eastern and northeastern Colorado, and the State Patrol advised against unnecessary travel.

The stormy weather in Colorado followed closely on the heels of a storm that spread heavy snow across parts of the Plains on Saturday, limiting visibility and creating hazardous driving conditions.  That storm was blamed for at least 11 traffic deaths: six in Kansas, four in Nebraska and one in Oklahoma.  In Kansas, accumulation of 8 inches was reported in several communities before the snow stopped falling early Sunday.

Authorities in Oklahoma's Pittsburg and McIntosh counties implemented a nighttime curfew following reports of break-ins and the theft of generators set up to power railroad crossing guards.  (Media Sources)

Thousands Expected To Join March For Life

More than 20,000 people are expected to come to the District to mark the 34th anniversary of the Supreme Court's abortion ruling in the Roe v. Wade case.  Rallies are scheduled to begin at 8:45 a.m., followed by a March for Life procession and a youth Mass at the Verizon Center in Northwest.

The march is expected to begin at 1 p.m. and last more than three hours -- starting on the Mall, between Fourth and Seventh streets Northwest, then moving east across Pennsylvania Avenue, past the U.S. Capitol and ending at East Capitol and Second streets Northeast, outside the Supreme Court.

The Metropolitan Police Department will restrict parking from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and close streets from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. to accommodate the march and the other events. Police have also activated the Joint Operations Command Center and their network of downtown surveillance cameras to monitor the activities.  A police department spokesman, said additional officers have been assigned to duty and they will share crowd control and other assignments with the U.S. Park Police and the U.S. Capitol Police.  (Media Sources)

Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

There was an earthquake of magnitude 7.3 at a depth of 6.2 miles in the Molucca Sea region of Indonesia at 6:27 am EST, January 21, 2007.  Since the 7.3 event, there have been 22 additional earthquakes ranging in magnitude from 4.7 to 6.3.  There were no Tsunamis generated as a result of these events.

There was no significant activity in the United States. (USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program, Alaska Earthquake Information Center, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Centers)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

PDA's for 18 Illinois counties (Bond, Calhoun, Christian, DeWitt, Jersey, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Madison, McLean, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Piatt, Sangamon, Shelby, St. Clair, and Woodford) will begin Monday, January 22, 2007.   ( FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)