National Situation Update: Friday, December 14, 2007

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

West:  A low pressure system centered over Colorado will produce two to six inches of snow in southeastern Wyoming and much of Colorado with higher amounts in the mountains. A Pacific cold front moving ashore tomorrow morning will produce showers from western Washington to northwest California and light snow from the Cascades to the northern Rockies.

Midwest:  Cold high pressure will dominate the northern portion of the Region but the low moving out of the Rockies will develop over the southern Plains. Snow will fall across Nebraska, Kansas and the Texas/Oklahoma panhandles. A narrow zone of sleet and freezing rain may develop over the southern Texas panhandle and northwest Oklahoma but a repeat of this week's ice storm is unlikely as temperatures stay near or above freezing. Rain will increase over southeast Oklahoma and Texas and thunderstorms are possible. Tomorrow the storm, dropping up to up to six inches of snow, will move  northeastward across Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. South of the Ohio River, heavy rain with accumulations of up to four inches will fall across Kentucky, localized flooding is possible.

South:  Under a ridge of high pressure weather over most of the Region will be quiet today.  However, by tomorrow the storm moving out of the Midwest will reach Louisiana. Then the storm will lift northeastward into the Ohio Valley and into the Northeast by Sunday.

Northeast:  A cold front stretching southward from a Canadian low will produce snow from western Pennsylvania across western New York and northern New England. Tomorrow the storm moving out of the south will produce a wintery mix of rain and snow across Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and northern Virginia spreading into New York and New England later that night. (National Weather Service, Media Sources)

Midwest Ice Storm Federal Response

Region V

  • RRCC is activated and operating at Level III, from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., CST.
  • Preliminary Damage Assessment Teams have been identified and are on standby.
  • Requesting U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) send a full Power PRT (including 249th Engineer Battalion) Prime Power at JFO, Rockford, IL.
  • Region is coordinating with LRC, concerning return or redistribution of commodities. (Region V, LMC, ACE)

Region VI

  • RRCC activated and operating at Level III from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST. 
  • 6 Individual Assistance (IA) and 6 Public Assistance (PA) Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) teams are on standby.
  • ESFs 3, 7 and 12 have been activated, and a representative of ESF 12 is scheduled to travel to the Oklahoma JFO today, Friday, December 14, 2007.
  • NORTHCOM has activated the Region 6 Defense Coordinating Element (DCE), and they have provided representation in the RRCC. 
  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ESF 3) has activated their Power Planning Response Team (PRT) and has deployed elements of the 249th Prime Power Battalion, and reported to the Tulsa FOSA, December 12, 2007.  Mission assigned one Debris Subject Matter Expert (SME) from the PRT.
  • Commodities have been deployed to the Federal Operational Staging Area (FOSA) at Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City: Additional assets are deployed to the FOSA in Tulsa.(Region VI, OK DEM, NGB)

Region VII

  • RRCC will be at Level III activation from 6:00 a.m. to Midnight CST, Thursday and Friday, December 13-14, 2007, and 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. CST, Saturday and Sunday, December 15-16, 2007.
  • FEMA Region VII has activated ESFs 3, 6, and 12.  FEMA Region VII is pre-staging equipment and supplies in Missouri and Kansas. (Region VII, MO SEOC, NGB, ACE)

Storm Impacts to The Northeast

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported the winter storm deposited snow and sleet across New York,  New Jersey, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts.  NY experienced snow accumulations between six and 10 inches, and lesser amounts fell in NJ.  RI and CT each had a total of 11 inches of snow.  MA experienced snow accumulations up to a foot.  The storm has moved off of the coast to the northeast and is no longer a threat to the United States. There have been no requests for Federal Assistance from any of the affected states. However, preparations are being made for the next winter storm moving through the Region over the weekend.

Region III
West Virginia:

  • Water is receding and impacts are not as severe as originally thought. 
  • State EOC is reporting all shelters are closed, however ARC has housed several people (10) in local hotels. 

Pennsylvania:

  • Impacts were are minimal with most damage occurring on the Monongalia River. 
  • Power outages are approximately 16-17,000 with 5,000 occurring from a substation failure - non weather related.  Public Utility Commission (PUC) anticipates all outages will be restored early today. 
  • PEMA reverted to normal operations at midnight, back to a Level 3.  The state will conduct a series of conference calls today in order to make a decision on weekend activities.
  • A Flood Warning continues for the Monongahela River near Elizabeth PA. minor flooding (flood stage is 20 feet) will reach almost 23 feet this morning. The river will fall below flood stage by this evening. (NOAA, Region III)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No new activity to report.  (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico/Eastern Pacific/Central Pacific:
No activity.
Western Pacific:
No current tropical cyclone warnings.  ( NOAA, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

There was a magnitude 6.2 earthquake in the South Pacific 130 miles west southwest of Pago Pago, American Samoa at a depth of 20.5 miles on Thursday, December 13, 2007 at 10:51 am (EST). The quake did not generate a tsunami and there has been no report of damages. (USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, Region IX)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

  • Iowa: Public assistance PDA's are scheduled to begin today, Friday 14 December 2007
  • Joint PDAs on the island of Maui, Hawaii continue.
  • PDAs in Oregon and Washington continue. (HI Civil Defense, Region IX, Region X, Washington, Oregon)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Friday, 14-Dec-2007 07:56:55 EST