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National Situation Update: Monday, April 7, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

South:
Rain and thunderstorms are anticipated for Oklahoma, west of the Mississippi Valley region and the southern part of the Florida Peninsula. Areas from the Mississippi Valley east into Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama are expected to remain dry. Temperatures will be above seasonal means for most areas, including Texas; the exception being the eastern Carolinas, which will be below early April averages. Overall, highs are forecast to range from the 50s in northeast North Carolina to near 100 in parts of the lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas.

West:
Rain is forecast for western Washington and western Oregon today. Meanwhile from the Cascades, eastward lower elevation rain showers and mountain snows are expected for Idaho, Utah, northeast Nevada, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. Red Flag Warnings are in effect this afternoon and evening due to low relative humidity and strong winds. High temperatures will be near to somewhat below average in most locations with readings ranging from the 20s in Yellowstone National Park to the 90s in extreme southwest Arizona.

Midwest:
A storm coming from Ontario, Canada will continue into the Upper Midwest today bringing rain and some snow. Winter Storm Warnings will be in effect for northern and northeastern North and South Dakota, most of Minnesota, and northwestern Wisconsin until tonight due to the storm. Farther west, additional thunderstorms and scattered rain are forecast in Kansas, Nebraska and southwest South Dakota. Some of the storms in southern Kansas could turn severe. In western Nebraska, snow could mix with the rain. High temperatures will range from the 30s in northwest Wisconsin to the 70s in Kentucky.

Northeast:
An easterly, onshore flow will keep the Mid-Atlantic coast cool, breezy and cloudy today. High temperatures are predicted to be largely in the 40s and 50s. West Virginia and western Virginia, though, may climb into the 60s and low 70s. (NWS, Various Media Sources)

Severe Weather

An early spring storm left over a foot of snow in northern counties of South Dakota and Minnesota yesterday. As of last night Dixon Lake, Minnesota had a total accumulation of 21 inches. Additional snowfall is expected to range from around an inch in northeast South Dakota to between 4 and 10 inches across north-central Minnesota. Another foot of snow could fall on portions of northern Minnesota through this morning.

Red Flag Warnings are in effect this afternoon and evening for southwestern and south-central New Mexico and far west Texas due to low relative humidity and strong winds. The strongest winds are expected across the Guadalupe Mountains, where winds of 25 to 35 mph with higher gusts and minimum humidity near 10 percent or below are forecast. Very high to extreme fire danger is forecast. (NWS)

Mississippi Valley Flooding Update

CURRENT SITUATION
A recent weather system brought significant rainfall to the Middle and Lower Mississippi Valleys and the Southeast.  Drier weather is expected the next few days with the possibility of rain later this week. The next significant rainmaker will begin around midweek in the Ohio River Basin and is predicted to stall. A series of weather patterns will move along that front bringing periods of moderate rain. Flood Warnings, Flood Watches and Flood Statements are in effect along the Mississippi River Valley from Louisiana northward to Illinois and Indiana including parts of Kentucky and Tennessee.

STATE AND LOCAL RESPONSE
Arkansas
The Arkansas State EOC is monitoring the situation and is minimally staffed. Two fatalities have been attributed to flooding. Major Disaster declaration, FEMA-1751-DR, was declared March 26, 2008; 35 counties are approved for Public Assistance and 11 counties are approved for Individual Assistance.
Six Joint PDA teams in the field have completed PDAs for 34 of the 39 counties requesting assessments.
Green County had an agricultural levee breach; one home was impacted. Major/Moderate River Flooding update:

  • White River:
  • Newport, AR crested at Moderate Flood Stage; it is forecast to fall below Moderate Flood Stage by April 10, 2008.
  • Georgetown, AR is at Moderate Flood Stage and gradually rising. The river is forecast to crest April 8, 2008.  The town may be isolated.
  • Des Arc, AR is at Major Flood Stage and will gradually rise through April 9, 2008 before beginning to recede on Thursday, April 10, 2008.
  • Clarendon, AR will hold steady at Major Flood Stage through April 12, 2008. 
  • Black River:
  • Pocahontas, AR is at Moderate Flood Stage and holding steady. The river is forecast to drop below Moderate Flood Stage on April 10, 2008.
  • Black Rock, AR, is at Moderate Flood Stage and receeding. The river will drop below Moderate Flood Stage on April 11, 2008.
  • One section of levee at Pocahontas, AR remains underwater; locals may attempt to conduct temporary repairs when drainage permits. (USACE)

Indiana
The Indiana State EOC is operating 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EDT (Monday - Friday). One fatality and 8 injuries have been attributed to flooding. Six counties have been affected with 4 declared States of Emergency. Local and State PDAs are ongoing; There has been no request for Joint PDAs and no request for Federal Assistance. Major/Moderate River Flooding update:

  • White River:
  • Petersburg, IN is at Moderate Flood Stage and receding. The river is expected to continue to recede through Saturday, April 12, 2008. Extensive agricultural and rural residential flooding will occur in and near Dodge City. 
  • Hazleton, IN is at Moderate Flood Stage and receding. The river is expected to continue to recede below Moderate Flood Stage today, April 7, 2008.
  • Patoka River:
  • Princeton, IN is at Moderate Flood Stage and will gradually recede, falling below Moderate Flood Stage by April 11, 2008.

Illinois
The Illinois State EOC is operating 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CDT (Monday - Friday). Two fatalities have been attributed to flooding. Nineteen counties are declared States of Emergency. Joint IA PDAs are ongoing. Major/Moderate River Flooding update:

  • Ohio River:
  • Cairo, IL is holding steady at Moderate Flood Stage. Crest is expected at Major Flood Stage April 9, 2008.  The first gate was closed at Cairo. 
  • Grand Chain Dam, IL is holding steady at Moderate Flood Stage.  River is expected to rise to above Major Flood Stage today, April 7, 2008.  Water reaches the Power House at Lock and Dam 53. 
  • Shawneetown, IL is at Moderate Flood Stage and is expected to rise through midweek then recede below Moderate Flood Stage on Saturday, April 12, 2008.  Several county roads closed with localized flooding of low lying areas.
  • Big Muddy River:
  • Plumfield, IL crested at Moderate Flood Stage. The river is expected to fall below Moderate Flood Stage by April 10, 2008.
  • Murphysboro, IL is maintaining Moderate Flood Stage, but is forecast to fall below Moderate flood stage on April 10, 2008. Some minor flooding affects houses just downstream of Bridge Street in Murphysboro, IL and other low lying areas.
  • Little Wabash River, Carmi, IL is at Moderate Flood Stage and gradually receding. The river is expected to reach Moderate Flood Stage by April 13, 2008.

Louisiana
The Louisiana State EOC is partially activated. On March 27, 2008, the Governor of Louisiana issued a State of Emergency from March 24, 2008 to April 22, 2008. Nine parishes have declared a State of Emergency. There has been no significant impact from the April 4, 2008 storms. Levee and Major/Moderate River Flooding update:

  • Louisiana and US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continue to monitor the levee system.
  • USACE estimated crest projection will be increased due to heavy flooding in the Upper Mississippi Valley. USACE considering use of Bonnet Carre Spillway to divert flood waters away from New Orleans Bonnet Carre Spillway, located in St. Charles Parish, LA protects New Orleans and other downstream communities by diverting a portion of the flood waters into Lake Pontchartrain bypassing New Orleans. - Water continues to seep though the needles of the gate bays and the protection dike around the Circle borrow pit developed a 30 ft long breach and it is no longer in operation.
  • There is a small "Potato Ridge" levee across the Fore Bay to the Morganza Flood Control structure. USACE has fortified over two miles of levee and is continuing to provide engineering support. LA State Police patrolling the "Potato Ridge" levee to prevent vandalism. In addition, they are providing air surveillance to monitor water levels and levee conditions.
  • LA DOTD providing 40 dump trucks to haul sand to sandbagging operations in Vidalia to control "sand boils" below the levees.
  • The ring levee surrounding Angola was intentionally breached to eliminate extensive damage to the levee if overtopped. 5,300 acres of farm and pastureland flooded.
  • The Mississippi River is expected to crest at several locations this week through 12 Apr 08.
  • Red River Landing is at Moderate Flood Stage and is forecast to continue rising through April 11, 2008.
  • Baton Rouge is at Moderate Flood Stage, and will continue rising to reach Major Flood Stage by April 10, 2008. At Moderate Flood Stage river traffic and industrial activity on the river side of the levees will be greatly affected.
  • USACE projecting no overtopping of levees of the Mississippi based on the forecast from the National Weather Service. The flooding that is projected is either between the levee and the Mississippi River or caused from backwaters such as bayous and streams that empty into the Mississippi River.

Mississippi
The Mississippi State EOC is at normal operations (24/7). The Governor declared a State of Emergency for 33 counties on April 4, 2008. There has been one drowning fatality and 95 people displaced. One American Red Cross Shelter is open in Vicksburg with a population of eight. Impacts have been reported in six counties by Mississippi State EMA as of April 5, 2008: 18 roads are closed and/or damaged and Mississippi state PDAs indicate 3 homes destroyed and 37 homes with major damage. Risk of flooding increases along the Mississippi through the week. Major/Moderate Flooding update:

  • Flood warnings continue for the Mississippi River at Arkansas City, Greenville, Vicksburg and Natchez continue.
  • Mississippi River:
  • Arkansas City is at Moderate Flood Stage and forecast to steadily rise through April 11, 2008.
  • Greenville, MS is at Moderate Flood Stage and forecast to rise gradually through April 11, 2008.  Areas between levees are flooded and approximately 50 buildings have water inside.
  • Vicksburg, MS is at Moderate Flood Stage and is forecast to continue rising through April 11, 2008.
  • Natchez, MS is at Moderate Flood Stage and is forecast to steadily rise throughout April 11, 2008.

Missouri
The Missouri SEOC is activated at level I, 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. CDT (Normal Operations). Five fatalities have been attributed to flooding, and one individual is reported missing. Storms, high winds and two tornados hit Missouri on Monday, March 31, 2008. The storms resulted in road closures, power outages, 1,243 homes damaged, destroyed or affected, and an estimated 50 businesses damaged or destroyed. PA PDAs are ongoing. There was no significant impact from the April 4, 2008 storms. All rivers in Missouri are below Moderate Flood Stage.(Region V, Region VII, Region VI, NWS, NSS, NGB,NICC, ADEM, TX SOC, IL EOC, ARC, MEMA, NOAA)

FEDERAL RESPONSE
FEMA Region VI
FEMA liaison officers are deployed to the Texas EOCs.
FEMA Region VII
FEMA liaison officer is deployed to the Missouri EOC.

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

Nothing significant to report. (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

Several earthquakes of magnitude 5.0 occurred over the weekend in the far western Aleutian Island Chain, approximately 1,300 miles west of Anchorage AK.  No tsunamis were generated. (USGS, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

The JFO for FEMA DR-1734-WA is closing today, April 7, 2008.(FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Jun-2009 16:36:52 EDT