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

National Situation Update: Thursday, March 29, 2007

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Blizzards in the West –Tornadoes Causing Damages and Fatalities in the Midwest

West:
In the interior West, heavy wind-driven snow is affecting a large portion of the Rocky Mountain region.

Blizzard conditions are expected to continue across portions of southeast Montana and northeast Wyoming.

Heavy snow and winter storm warnings are posted for much of southern Montana, most of Wyoming, and a large portion of Utah and the mountains of western Colorado.

Midwest:
Severe thunderstorms, including several that spawned tornadoes, developed over the western High Plains last night. More than 45 tornadoes were reported during the evening hours on Wednesday night.

Today, the threat of severe thunderstorms will extend from south-central Nebraska southward into West Texas.

A few severe thunderstorms may occur over eastern Nebraska and eastern Kansas during the late afternoon or evening.

Thunderstorms are forecast for Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, and parts of Illinois.

State EOCs in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas have reported tornado damage in their States with loss of life in Oklahoma and Texas. Oklahoma has reported 2 fatalities; Texas has reported one death.

Northeast:
Temperatures will turn much cooler across the Northeast today. Gusty northerly winds will gradually diminish from west to east.

High temperatures are expected to range from the 30s in northern Maine to the 60s in portions of eastern Virginia.

South:
Isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected across the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee with cooler temperatures.

Isolated severe thunderstorms may develop along a cold front in North Carolina, southwest Virginia and northeast Tennessee this afternoon and evening.

Heavy rainfall is forecast for the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles and the northern portions of West Texas. (NWS, Media Sources)

Spring Flooding

Recent heavy rains and ice melting is causing spring flooding along rivers in the Midwest from North Dakota to Texas, and including rivers in Illinois, Indiana and New York. The impact of flooding may include: roads adversely impacted, residential, commercial, industrial, and/or agricultural areas affected, and could possibly require evacuation of people. (NWS)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No new activity.(FEMA HQ)

Earthquake/Tsunami Activity

No significant earthquake or tsunami activity. (USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program, Alaska Earthquake Information Center, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Centers)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean/Eastern Pacific: No significant activity to report.

Western Pacific: No significant activity to report. (NOAA, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

In Maine, Public Assistance PDAs are scheduled to begin on March 30, 2007 in four counties as a result of severe storms and flooding that occurred on March 17, 2007 (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

Wildfire activity for the week ending March 28, 2007 was moderate with 1,079 new fires reported; of which 1,022 occurred in the Southern Area. Thirty-five of the new fires were large fires. On Wednesday, March 28, there were 4 uncontained large fires in the U.S. (National Interagency Fire Center)

Disaster Declaration Activity

 No new activity. (FEMA Operations Center)