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National Situation Update: Thursday, February 1, 2007

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Boston Devices A Cartoon Publicity Ploy

Several illuminated electronic devices planted at bridges and other spots in Boston threw a scare into the city Wednesday in what turned out to be a publicity campaign for a late-night cable cartoon. Most if not all of the devices depict a character giving the finger.

Highways, bridges and a section of the Charles River were shut down and bomb squads were sent in before authorities declared the devices were harmless.

Turner Broadcasting, a division of Time Warner Inc. and parent of Cartoon Network, later said the devices were part of a promotion for the TV show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," a surreal series about a talking milkshake, a box of fries and a meatball.

Those conducting the campaign should have known the devices could cause panic because they were placed in sensitive areas. Turner did not notify officials of the publicity campaign until around 5 p.m., nearly four hours after the first calls came in about the devices.

At least 14 of the devices were found, and at least 24 more are still around the city, officials said. "The packages in question are magnetic lights that pose no danger," Turner said in a statement.

It said the devices have been in place for two to three weeks in 10 cities: Boston; New York; Los Angeles; Chicago; Atlanta; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Austin, Texas; San Francisco; and Philadelphia."We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger," the company said. As soon as the company realized the problem, it said, law enforcement officials were told of their locations in all 10 cities.  There were no reports from police Wednesday of residents in the other nine cities spotting similar devices.

A Homeland Security Department spokesman praised Boston authorities for sharing their knowledge quickly with Washington officials and the public.

Authorities said some of the objects looked like circuit boards or had wires hanging from them.
The first device was found at a subway and bus station underneath Interstate 93, forcing the shutdown of the station and the highway.

Later, police said four calls, all around 1 p.m., reported devices at the Boston University Bridge, which spans the Charles River, and at a Boston street corner.

A similar device was found Wednesday evening just north of Fenway Park, a police spokesman said. The scare caused some subway service to be suspended and closed a road.   (Media Sources)

National Weather Summary

South:  Ice, snow and rain will attack the Southeast with freezing rain and ice being the worst of the threats.  The risk of significant icing (a quarter-inch or more of accumulation) appears greatest from extreme northeast Georgia northeastward through the far western Carolinas.

Warmer air is expected to migrate northward changing the precipitation to a cold rain by midday.  Northeast sections of Georgia may experience a longer period of frozen precipitation.

Across Upstate South Carolina and western North Carolina, precipitation will also likely transition as warmer air moves in aloft. The Greenville-Spartanburg area is expected to begin with snow and then see precipitation change to a wintry mix before becoming all rain by evening.

Locally heavy rain is likely from the Florida Panhandle through the eastern Carolinas as a couple of low pressure centers ripple along a stalled front. A severe storm or two is possible in far northern Florida, southeast Alabama, southern Georgia and extreme southern South Carolina.

Midwest:  A fresh batch of arctic air, accompanied by gusty winds and light snow, will blast into the northern Plains and Minnesota today.  Ahead of the frigid air, scattered snow showers and flurries will impair southern Missouri and most of the Midwest east of the Mississippi River.

West:  The combination of a reinforcing push of arctic air into the northern Plains and northern Rockies, and a couple of upper-air disturbances will trigger areas of wind-driven snow over Montana and Wyoming and snow showers over the remainder of the Mountain West.  A few rain showers might pop up in the lower elevations of Arizona and New Mexico.

Northeast:  Scattered snow showers and flurries will dot the Northeast, but shouldn't amount to much at all - with one exception.  Light snow could accumulate across portions of southern Virginia in the morning before changing over to sleet and rain - maybe freezing rain in a few spots - as a weak low pressure center slides eastward off the North Carolina coast.   (NWS, Media Sources)

FEMA Regional Activity Reports

Region I:
Several illuminated electronic devices were planted at bridges and highway overpasses in several locations throughout Boston, MA on January 31, 2007. 

Local authorities and the FBI investigated the devices that turned out to be part of an advertising campaign for a new program on a cable television network.  The network told authorities that the devices had been placed in ten major U.S. cities.

Parts of major transportation infrastructure (local arterial highways, public transportation, and navigable waterways) were closed until authorities determined there were no explosives in the devices.  (FEMA Region I, NICC, Media Sources)

Region II:
Caribe Public Health Preparedness, Veterans Hospital will be conducting a Full Scale Exercise Mass Casualty/Fatality Event on February 1, 2007 at the PRNG Hangar 21 Isla Grande, San Juan , Puerto Rico.

During this exercise, state and federal agencies including PREMA Emergency First Responders will be participating to validate their Emergency Plans.  Selected personnel from PRNG and ANG are scheduled to support the exercise. The Adjutant General approved the event.  (FEMA Region II)

Region IV:
South Carolina:  The SC Emergency Preparedness Division increased their operating condition to OPCON 4 as of 4:00 pm EST, January 31, 2007 for a Winter Storm Watch for the upstate area and portions of the Midlands.  This level is currently for State EOC staff  however, a decision will be made whether other state agencies/ESFs will be called into the EOC this morning.

Tennessee and Georgia do not plan increased activation levels at this time.  Kentucky does not plan to activate and has not had conference calls with their area offices. The State Department of Transportation will be prepared for snow removal.

North Carolina:  The State EOC will go to Level III activation at 8:00 am EST on, February 1, for State EM staff only.  NC has had conference calls with their central, eastern, and western branches to coordinate any potential response issues.

Special Event: Super Bowl XLI in Miami, FL on February 4.

• The Florida State EOC will be at normal levels with the Duty Officer in the State Warning Point monitoring the event.
• The State Emergency Management has personnel in the JOC and at the Miami-Dade EOC.
• The FBI JOC/Incident Operating Center will be located at the Broward County EOC in Plantation, FL; 24 hour operations from January 27 through February 5, 1600 hours.
• A FEMA Region IV representative will be located at the Miami-Dade EOC the morning of February 1 and will remain on-site until February 5. 
• The FEMA Representative will transmit Situation Reports from the EOC beginning February 1, 2007.  The Region IV Regional Support Team and Emergency Response Teams are on alert.    (FEMA Region IV)

Region IX:
A Wildfire on Hawaii's Big Island has burned hundreds of acres since igniting on January 31, 2007.  Strong, gusty winds were pushing the fire north toward Waimea along both sides of Mamalahoa Highway.  Area residents were advised of the smoke and fire hazard although no evacuations were in effect.  Several roads remained closed between Waimea, Waikoloa and Kona.  (FEMA Region IX, Bothell MERS)

Wildfire Activity

No significant activity.(National Interagency Fire Center)

Earthquake/Tsunami Activity:

A moderate (5.8 magnitude) earthquake struck 60 miles south-southwest of Bandung, Java, Indonesia at a depth of  about 3 miles on Wednesday, January 31, 2007 at 3:31pm EST.  There was no tsunami generated from this earthquake and there were no reports of damage or injuries.

There were two light (magnitude 4.4, and 4.1) quakes off the coast of Oregon (between 260 and 300 miles southwest of Portland) at a depth of 6 miles on January 31, 2007.  The quakes occurred at 10:24 and 10:38 am EST.  No tsunamis were generated and no damage or injuries were reported.    (FEMA Region IX, USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program, Alaska Earthquake Information Center, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Centers)

Volcanic Activity:

No significant activity. (USGS Vancouver, Washington; University of Washington, Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, Seattle, Washington; NOAA)

Tropical Weather Outlook

No significant activity. (NOAA, National Hurricane Center, Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No significant activity.  (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

FEMA-1674-DR-NE was amended effective January 31, 2007 adding Butler county for Public Assistance.

FEMA-3270-EM-CO was amended effective January 31, 2007 adding Teller county for emergency protective measures.   (FEMA HQ)