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National Situation Update: Saturday, March 31, 2007

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

National Weather Update

West: A cold front moving over the Pacific Northwest will produce showers and mountain snow from Washington, Oregon and northern California eastward to Montana and Wyoming. The remainder of the region will be dry under high pressure.

Midwest: A low pressure system centered over the Midwest and the associated cold front extending to south-central Texas will produce extensive precipitation from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast. Heavy rain will spread northward from Oklahoma to Minnesota, the Great Lakes and the Ohio River Valley. Flood Warnings and Watches are in effect from Texas up to Minnesota. Many rivers may move past flood stage over the weekend as over six inches of rain may fall in some locations.

South: The cold front extending from the low in the Midwest will produce heavy rain in the southern Mississippi Valley. Severe thunderstorms are forecast along the front from Missouri to Louisiana and will slowly move eastward throughout the day.

Northeast: The Northeast will see a chilly but dry day. Temperatures will range from the 30s over northern New York and northern New England to the low 70s over the Virginia. By tomorrow, the storm in the Midwest will move eastward and begin to affect the region. Showers and thunderstorms will move into western New York, western Pennsylvania and the middle Atlantic. (NWS, Media Sources)

Colorado Tornado Update

At 10:12 pm EDT, March 28, 2007, a tornado touched down in the town of Holly in Prowers County, CO. The damage area is approximately 2.2 miles long and 3 to 4 blocks wide with widespread devastation. 

Adjusted reports indicate one fatality and nine injured.  One person remains in critical condition and the remainder are in stable condition. 

The water supply is compromised with residents and responders advised to use bottled water.  Water samples were sent to labs for testing with results expected back today. 

Joint FEMA, State of Colorado and Small Business Administration Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDA's) for both IA and PA are underway and will confirm the number of homes damaged and destroyed. 

Restoration of electric power, water and gas infrastructure continues.  US Highway 50 is still closed for an unknown period of time.  Recovery operations continue throughout Holly through the use of mutual aid agreements.  Local hospitals were able to handle the surge of injuries.  A local mental health team has been providing counseling to residents. 

Salvation Army sent its mobile command post, a mobile kitchen from Denver, and a refrigerated trailer with food supplies, and teams from Colorado Springs and Baca County.  The Red Cross has established a shelter in a local middle school. 

The CO Division of Emergency Management (DEM) Regional Field Manager is at the scene.  The Region VIII State Support Team is on site in Holly with the Region VIII Logistics van which has full satellite and internet connectivity. The Region VIII State Liaison has been deployed to the CO EOC. 
The Region VIII RRCC has been activated at Level 3 with operating hours of 07:00 AM MDT to 07:00 PM MDT. (FEMA Region VIII)

Strong Storms Cause Flooding In Texas

Storms battered Texas on Friday, March 30, 2007 bringing heavy rain and 40 mph winds to San Angelo and flooding southeast of Dallas.  Snow fell in Friona in the western portion of the southern Panhandle early Friday, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Lubbock said.

The San Angelo area got as much as 3.5 inches of rain, weather officials said. Meanwhile, up to 4 inches fell southeast of Abilene in Runnels County.  As much as 8 inches of rain fell in Ellis County, southeast of Dallas, leading to several flood-related rescues, and more rain was expected. Conditions prompted the Texas Department of Public Safety to reiterate warnings to motorists about crossing. (Media Sources)

Many Roads In Wyo. Remain Closed From Snowstorm

Interstate 80 across southern Wyoming reopened Friday, March 30, 2007 after a powerful spring snowstorm closed much of the highway for more than 24 hours.  The state Department of Transportation was still advising caution, however, because of slick spots and blowing snow.

Most of the 290-mile length of I-25 between Cheyenne and Buffalo remained closed, and about 150 miles of I-90 between Gillette and Lodge Grass, Mont., also were shut down.  The Department of Transportation warned travelers to avoid all travel if possible on most other state highways even if the roads were technically open. A Wyoming Highway Patrol spokesman reported about 270 accidents since the storm began Wednesday. 

The eastern slopes of the Wind River Range had as much as 70 inches of snow, while parts of the Big Horn Mountains registered 40 inches. The National Weather Service's Riverton office reported 27 inches of snow at the Lander airport, a foot in Casper, 11 inches in Gillette, 8 inches in Riverton and Buffalo, and 3 inches in Cheyenne.

A water supply specialist for the National Resources Conservation Service of Wyoming, said the storm had significantly bolstered low mountain snowpack.  Snowpack above the Powder and Tongue rivers was 70% of normal on Monday, March 26, 2007 and 96% of normal on Friday, March 30, 2007. Snowpack had increased in the Wind River Range from 59% to 70%, in the Big Horn Basin from 66% to 75%, in the lower North Platte drainage from 75% to 82%, and in the Lower Green River drainage from 63% to 71%.  But the mountains were still drier than normal after a mostly dry winter. (Media Sources)

Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

The most significant earthquake during the last 24 hours was a magnitude 4.6 quake on March 30, 2007 at 5:53 am EDT off the coast of the Alaska Peninsula (about 541 miles west-southwest from Anchorage, AK).  There was no tsunami generated, and there were no reports of damage or injuries. (USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program, Alaska Earthquake Information Center, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Centers)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

The State of Colorado requested Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDAs), which began on March 30, 2007. (Region VIII, CO DEM)

Wildfire Update

National Preparedness Level 1 (lowest on a scale of 1 to 5)

National Fire Activity

  • Initial attack activity: Light (109 new fires)
  • New large fires: 1
  • Large fires contained: 2
  • Uncontained large fires: 1  (NIFC)

Disaster Declaration Activity

Iowa: FEMA-3275-EM for Snow during the period February 28 to March 2, 2007 was declared March 30, 2007  FEMA intends to provide assistance for emergency protective measures (Category B), including snow removal assistance, under the Public Assistance program for 23 counties in the State of Iowa. This emergency assistance will be provided for any continuous 48-hour period during or proximate to the incident period for Adair, Audubon, Buena Vista, Carroll, Cass, Clay, Crawford, Emmet, Greene, Guthrie, Hancock, Harrison, Humboldt, Kossuth, Monona, O'Brien, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Pottawattamie, Sac, Shelby, Winnebago, and Wright.  Additional designations may be made at a later date after further evaluation.

Indiana: FEMA-3274-EM-IN is amended effective March 30, 2007 to include Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Hancock, Hendricks, Howard Huntington, LaGrange, LaPorte, Stark, St. Joseph, and Whitley Counties for emergency protective measures (Category B), including snow removal, under the Public Assistance program.

Georgia: FEMA-1686-DR-GA is amended March 30, 2007 to authorize Federal funds for debris removal and emergency protective measures (Categories A and B), including direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program at 100 percent of total eligible costs, for a period of up to 48 hours.  This adjustment to State and local cost sharing applies only to Public Assistance costs and direct Federal assistance eligible for such adjustments under applicable law.

Alabama: FEMA-1687-DR-AL is amended effective March 30, 2007 to authorize Federal funds for debris removal and emergency protective measures (Categories A and B), including direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program at 100 percent of total eligible costs, for a period of up to 48 hours.  This adjustment to State and local cost sharing applies only to Public Assistance costs and direct Federal assistance eligible for such adjustments under applicable law. (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Jun-2009 16:50:16 EDT