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National Situation Update: Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

National Weather Summary

West: A Pacific storm system will produce significant rain across parts of northern California, Oregon and Washington. The northern Rockies will have some light snow. The Southwest should remain dry and mild with high temperatures to the low 80s.

Midwest: A fast-moving area of low pressure will produce from one to three inches of snow from the northern Plains through the Ohio Valley. Areas from Indiana to West Virginia may pick up from three to six inches of snow. Highs should range from the single digits and teens over the northern Plains, Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley to the 40s south of the storm.

South: The fast-moving storm will produce light rain or snow showers for northeastern Tennessee and the mountains of North Carolina this morning. A freeze warning is in effect for several counties in northern Florida, including the Gainesville, Jacksonville, and Lake City areas. High temperatures will range from the 40s across much of Tennessee and the Carolinas to the 70s across extreme southern Florida and Texas.

Northeast: Lake-effect snow will continue with snow extending eastward from Lakes Erie and Ontario. Areas south of Buffalo may see from eight to twelve inches of snow overnight. East of Lake Ontario, the heaviest snow will fall north of Syracuse and south of Watertown. High temperatures across the region should range from the teens to the north and into the upper to the lower 30s. The fast-moving storm will move through the mid-Atlantic tonight and Wednesday producing one to four inches of snow along and north of its path.(NWS, Media Sources)

Experts Hunt for Bird Flu Source

Britain is combating Europe's biggest outbreak of bird flu with a massive slaughter of turkeys. Experts are still trying to determine the source of an outbreak of bird flu at a Suffolk farm as nearly 160,000 turkeys are culled. The government says the priority is to contain and eradicate the disease at the Bernard Matthews (Europe's biggest turkey producer) site near Lowestoft. Strict controls are in place around the site, where turkeys are being gassed. Officials say the risk posed to humans is "negligible", but there are concerns poultry sales will be hit. Experts are trying to find the source of the outbreak of the disease, identified as the "highly pathogenic" Asian strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus. Tests could take weeks and it is possible the exact cause will never be known.

Carcasses are being incinerated at a rendering plant in Cheddleton, Staffordshire. A biosecurity zone has been set up around the farm at Holton, south-west of Lowestoft. A 2 mile protection zone and a 6 mile surveillance zone are in place. Poultry owners in a wider restricted zone have been told to keep their flocks isolated from wild birds Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) or trading standards and officials would be scouring the area to make sure biosecurity was being adhered to.

The avian flu virus has killed 164 people worldwide - mainly in south-east Asia - since 2003. All those who contracted the virus had come into close contact with infected birds. The virus has so far been detected in only one shed out of 22 at the site. About 100 of the 2,000 staff at the Holton farm have been given the Tamiflu anti-viral drug. A spokesman for Bernard Matthews said: "None of the affected birds entered the food chain and there is no risk to consumers. (Media Sources)

FEMA Regional Activity Reports

Region I:

• Update- Twelve levees in New England have been sited by the Army Corps of Engineers as structurally deficient.  Those listed are among 146 levees nationwide considered unsuitable for a flood.

Massachusetts

• Danvers: (Update) -According to a preliminary conclusion by federal investigators, a build-up of chemical vapor was the fuel for the Nov 22, 2006 explosion at a paint and ink factory (CAI Inc. and Arnel Co.) that leveled the building and forced a neighborhood evacuation.  The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board's lead investigator states that they are also investigating the possibility that natural gas collected inside the building.  He did state that solvent fumes were the most likely cause of the blast.

Connecticut

• Meriden: (Update)--State officials have determined the identity of the unknown powder found alongside I-91 on Feb. 2, as a canister of tear gas.  Connecticut DOT officials and State Police reported that container was found on the northbound side of I-91 between exits 17 and 18.

Region II:

• No significant information to report.

Region III:

• West Virginia: Water Main Break in the western portion of state has been repaired. A" Boil Water Advisory" remains in effect until today for affected areas.

Region IV:
Florida

• Severe Storms swept across central Florida early Friday (February 2, 2007) morning, damaging homes, toppling trees and overturning trucks on Interstate 4 (I-4). Several reported tornado touchdowns in Lake, Sumter, Volusia and Indian River has caused devastating damages to citizens, homes, businesses and the environment.  Additional impacted counties include Seminole and Marion counties.
  
• The Florida Emergency Operations Center is at Full activation but hours of operation are from 7:00 AM until 7:00 PM.
  
• Twenty known fatalities have been reported; numerous serious and minor injuries were also reported, with the exact number unknown at this time.
  
• Four Florida counties (Lake, Sumter, Seminole, and Volusia) have been declared disaster areas. About 1,300 homes and buildings were damaged or destroyed in Lake, Sumter and Volusia counties; early estimates are of at least $68 million in property losses.
  
• Region IV RRCC is at Level II (7:00 am to 7:00 pm EST) continues to coordinate Federal resources. Total FEMA personnel deployed - 106.  
  
• Federal Incident Response Support Team (FIRST): FIRST Atlanta. The Team will close out its base of operation at COB today and is scheduled to return to Region IV HQ on Wednesday 7 February 2007

Region V:

• Bitter cold (single digit and below zero temperatures) and dangerously low wind chills (minus 5 to minus 35) continue for the Region.
  
• The river flooding situation across the Region has greatly improved; only a handful of locations are at Near Flood Stage. All rivers are now below flood stage and forecast to be down to normal levels by this week.

Region VI:

• Eighteen additional counties in Oklahoma were approved for Public Assistance on Feb. 2.

Region VII:
Region VII current disaster operations declared due to major winter storms:
DR-1673-MO - JFO Rocheport, MO
DR-1674-NE  - JFO Grand Island, NE
DR-1675-KS  - JFO Topeka, KS
DR-1676-MO - JFO Rocheport, MO - combined with DR-1673

• Region VII continues to provide assistance to the costliest disasters (listed above) in Region VII's history.  These disasters cover one-third of Region VII's area of responsibility.
  
• Joint PDAs (1676-MO) for Individual Assistance will continue this week.

Region VIII:

• No significant information to report.

Region IX:

• Heavy rain is expected for northern California from Feb. 9-11.

Region X:
Oregon:

• Oregon requests Major Disaster Declaration for Dec. windstorm.

Alaska:

• Gale warnings continue for southern west coast (Bristol Bay). 
  
• Power and phones restored to several Bristol Bay villages: few shelters still active due to power outage; no life safety concerns. 
  
• Kenai River flood danger past.  Boil water order continues for W. Kenai Peninsula. (FEMA Regions I-X, FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

The most significant activity in the last 24 hours was a Light (4.0) earthquake on Monday February 5, 2007 at 7:23 pm EST.  The epicenter was located at 51.431°N, 176.778°W  south of Andreanof Islands in the Aleutian Island chain 1222 miles west-southwest of Anchorage, AK at a depth of  11.7 miles. No tsunami was generated.(USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program, Alaska Earthquake Information Center, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Centers)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

Florida: Three (3) Public Assistance (PA) teams are performing damage assessments in Lake County and 2 PA teams are performing assessments in Volusia County and Seminole Counties. Two (2) Individual Assistance (IA) teams are performing assessments in Lake County, 1 IA team in Volusia County, and one (1) IA team in Sumter County. (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)