• Emergency Managers and Personnel
• Situation Reports
• National Incident Management System
• Grants & Assistance Programs
• Training
• Contacts
• Planning
• Best Practices

National Situation Update: Thursday, February 15, 2007

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

National Weather Summary

West: A frontal system moving ashore will produce precipitation for Washington and Oregon with heavy snow above 5,000 feet in the Cascades. Showers are forecast for the Great Basin eastward to the Rockies. In the mountains, moderate snows are likely from Idaho and western Montana southward into Utah and northwest Colorado. High temperatures are expected to range from the 20s in Colorado to the 70s in Southern California.

Midwest: A large surface high pressure area is building over the Midwest. However, an upper-air disturbance over Kansas may produce snow showers or flurries over parts of eastern Kansas, southeastern Nebraska and western Missouri. Northwest winds blowing over the Lake Superior and Lake Michigan will produce lake-effect snows over northern Indiana and Ohio. Temperatures will be below late winter averages with highs ranging from the single digits in the Dakotas to the 30s in Nebraska.

South:
Dry and cold with temperatures well below mid-February averages for most of the region (20's in the Carolinas to 70's in Florida). A trough of low pressure will produce a few showers across Florida.

Northeast: With yesterdays storm moving offshore only a few snow showers are forecast from West Virginia to New England. Lake-effect snows are forecast southeast of Lakes Erie and Ontario. Northwesterly winds will result in high temperatures substantially below mid-February averages with readings ranging from the teens in New Hampshire to near 40 in southeastern Virginia.(National Weather Service, various media reports)

Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

At 5:12 PM EST February 14, 2007, there was a moderate (magnitude 5.3) earthquake in the Pacific Ocean about 155 miles west-northwest of Bandon, Oregon at a depth of 6.2 miles. No tsunami was generated and no damage was reported. (USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program, Alaska Earthquake Information Center, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Centers)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

In Louisiana PDAs for IA and PA are being conducted in St. Martin, Jefferson, and Orleans Parishes. (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

No significant activity. National preparedness level is 1 (lowest on a 1-5 scale). (National Interagency Fire Center)

Disaster Declaration Activity

A major disaster declaration FEMA-1682-DR was approved on February 14, 2007, for the State of Washington due to severe winter storm, landslides, and mudslides.  The incident period was December 14-15, 2006. 
The disaster declaration designates Chelan, Clark, Clallam, Grant, Grays Harbor, Island, King, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Thurston, and Wahkiakum counties for Public Assistance.
All counties in the State of Washington are eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Program.
Additional designations may be made at a later date after further evaluation.
Elizabeth Turner has been designated as the Federal Coordinating Officer. (FEMA HQ)