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National Situation Update: Friday, May 25, 2007

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

National Forecast Summary

Storms in the Central U.S. - Dry SE and SW

Midwest:  In an active pattern, cold fronts are moving across the Midwest.

The front that brought flooding rains and severe storms to Iowa and Kansas Wednesday (May 23, 2007) and early Thursday (May 24, 2007) will advance across the Great Lakes and into the Ohio Valley Friday (May 25, 2007), causing scattered thunderstorms.

A new front will push from the Rockies into the northern Plains Friday, May 25, 2007, producing showers in North Dakota and late-day severe thunderstorms in South Dakota and western Nebraska.

South:  Dry high pressure will remain across the Tennessee Valley and Southeast through the holiday weekend, ensuring no relief from the drought. Daytime highs will inch upward into the upper 80s and low-to-mid 90s.

Rip currents will remain a problem along the Georgia and eastern Florida coasts.

A fading frontal boundary and stalling upper-level disturbance over the southern Plains will mean heavy flooding thunderstorms for parts of western and central Texas.

Northeast:  A few strong thunderstorms could pop over Upstate New York and the mountains of Pennsylvania late in the day, Friday, May 25, 2007.

West:  Friday, May 25, 2007, low-pressure and a cold front moving eastward across southern Montana and Wyoming will bring over a foot of snow to elevations over 4500 feet in Glacier National Park and a chilly heavy rain to the upper Missouri Valley.

Isolated thunderstorms will linger over parts of Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico Friday, May 25, 2007.    (NWS, Media Sources)

Kansas Towns Flee As Floodwaters Rise

Torrential rainfall hit parts of the Plains and Midwest, flooding towns in Kansas on Thursday, May 24, 2007, toppling trees and power lines and pelting the countryside with hail.

Some central Kansas towns recorded as much as 7 inches of rain -- in some places up to 2 inches per hour -- starting Wednesday, May 23, 2007.

The deluge closed dozens of roads, some flooded for the second time in three weeks, said the deputy emergency management director for Saline County.

Numerous government facilities, homes and businesses in the Salina area were flooded.
Everyone in the Saline County towns of Bavaria and Hedville -- about 80 people -- evacuated their homes. Fifty homes in Ogden, near Fort Riley, were being voluntarily evacuated as area creeks rose.

In Hutchinson, many motorists had to be helped from their cars as water flooded streets.
"In some places, there are people with water up to their porches," the Hutchinson Fire Chief said. Fire trucks were used to help move people to higher ground or to shelters.

The storms also spawned tornadoes and funnel clouds, but no significant tornado damage was reported. Toppled trees and power lines were reported in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The National Weather Service posted a flood warning for the Big Nemaha River in southeastern Nebraska. It was expected to crest 3 feet over flood stage late Thursday evening or night, and rain was forecast through mid-afternoon.   (Media Sources)

Chlorine Gas Leak, CA

PITTSBURG CA - May 24, 2007, 2:38pm EDT:

Three Calpine employees were transported to Mount Diablo Medical Center after they apparently inhaled some of the chlorine gas and a shelter-in-place alert issued for an industrial area of Pittsburg Thursday after a chlorine gas leak. Pittsburg police Lt. Brian Addington said the release took place at the Los Medanos Energy Center located at 750 E. Third St.

Hazardous materials officials reported that a southern wind was pushing the chlorine cloud released by the leak into an industrial area and no homes were threatened.  The county's hazmat team and Pittsburg police handled the incident..

At 4:15pm EDT, the 'shelter in place' advisory for Pittsburg residents who live near the Calpine power plant to stay indoors was lifted.

Residents in more than 100 homes had been asked to stay inside as a precaution this morning after a chlorine gas leak at the Calpine plant on East Third Street.

The leak happened when workers at the plant accidentally mixed acid with bleach, creating about 600 pounds of chlorine gas. Most of the gas was contained within the building where the accident occurred.

Emergency officials would not clear the plant as safe until they neutralize the gas in the building where the accident occurred.  There is no longer any visual evidence or odors of the chlorine offsite.   (FEMA Region IX)

Hawaii Earthquake and Volcanic Eruption

On May 24, 2007 at 3:13pm EDT, a magnitude-4.7 earthquake was recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on May 24, 2007.  It was located beneath the upper east rift zone of K?lauea volcano, near Puhimau crater, at a depth of 2 km (1 mile).
A magnitude 4.1 aftershock occurred at 3:33pm EDT and was located 1.5 km (1 mile) farther downrift beneath Koko'olau crater.

At 4:41pm EDT a 3.3 aftershock struck near the same area, and a 3.9 event occurred at 4:51pm EDT.

These earthquakes are the largest so far in a flurry of earthquakes in the upper east and southwest rift zones that started May 12, 2007. The earthquake flurry has been accompanied by substantially increased lava flow from the crater.

Since 1998, only a few earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 4.0 have occurred at shallow depths beneath the upper east rift zone.  Today's event was the largest in at least the last 50 years.

Hawaii Civil Defense is monitoring as is the FEMA Region IX duty officer.   (FEMA Region IX, ISGS Hawaii Volcano Observatory)

Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

Other than the reported earthquakes in Hawaii, there was no significant activity during the past 24 hours.  (NOAA, USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program, Alaska Earthquake Information Center, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Centers)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

National Preparedness Level:2

National Fire Activity: Thursday, May 24, 2007

Initial attack activity: 105 (Light)
New large fires: 4
Large fires contained: 2
Uncontained large fires: 18

Fire Weather Discussion:
Gusty winds and low humidity will continue today over southern Georgia and northern Florida. Winds will decrease today across northern California with generally warmer and drier weather across California, Arizona and the Great Basin. Central Alaska will be partly cloudy and not as windy.   (NIFC)

Disaster Declaration Activity

FEMA-1693-DR amendment no. 5 for Maine:  4 counties added for individual assistance.

FEMA-1699-DR amendment no. 4 for Kansas: 9 counties added for public assistance.

FEMA-1702-DR ammendment No. 1 for South Dakota: 22 counties, 2 indian reservations and those portions of the Sisseton Wahpeton Indian Oyate that lie within the designated counties added for public assistance. (FEMA HQ)