National Situation Update: Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).
Significant National Weather
West:
Rain and higher elevation snow showers over parts of Colorado and northern sections of New Mexico and Arizona. A warm front will produce rain across parts of coastal Washington and northwest Oregon.
High temperatures will range from the 30s in the Colorado Rockies to the 90s in the lower Colorado River Valley and far southwest Arizona.
Midwest:
A cold front will trigger showers across much of the Upper Midwest. Severe weather and heavy rain is likely across parts of Iowa and Missouri. High temperatures range from the 40s across northern sections of Minnesota to the 70s from the lower Great Lakes through the Ohio Valley.
South:
Thunderstorms will erupt over eastern Oklahoma, eastern Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana as storm system emerges from the Rockies. Severe thunderstorms could include damaging winds, large hail and scattered tornadoes. High temperatures will range from the 70s from northern Arkansas to the Carolinas and the 90s across western Texas to 100s near the Rio Grand.
Northeast:
Dry across the Northeast. Winds will remain gusty from Maine to the Middle Atlantic States.
High temperatures ranging from the 60s to the 70s from Maine to Virginia. Parts of Cape Cod and the Islands of southeast Massachusetts may remain on the 50s. (NWS, Various Media Sources)
Severe Weather Outbreak:
Federal Actions
Region VI:
Preparing PDA teams in anticipation of a request
Region leadership in communication with State EM Directors
Coordinating with Arkansas and Oklahoma JFOs
Picher, OK is a superfund site; two EPA personnel deployed for cleanup assessment
Region VII:
State Liaison Officer deployed to MO SEOC
Health and Human Services (HHS)
Regions coordinated with affected states' health departments, with nothing negative to report.
National Guard Bureau (NGB)
Conducting security operations in the States of Missouri, and Oklahoma.
JET Team on standby.
25 personnel in Picher, OK.
52 personnel in Arkansas
5 personnel in Kentucky
National Infrastructure Coordination Center (NICC)
Will reach out to Department of Energy (DOE) concerning above-mentioned Missouri electrical transmission line down.
State Operations:
Georgia:
State EOC partially activated to Level II
The Governor has declared 6 counties for State of Emergency
One fatality reported in Laurens County
21 counties affected
1,039 businesses, homes and mobile homes affected; 7 homes/4 mobile homes/ 1 business destroyed, 28 homes/8 mobile homes major damage, 71 homes/14 mobile homes minor damage
Oklahoma:
EOC is activated to lowest level (Minimum activation) Ops personnel and County liaisons, as required
Town of Picher reports twenty block neighborhood impacted
Seven confirmed fatalities
150 reported injuries
122 homes, 1 business destroyed and 95 homes damaged
4800 customers without electric service; power restoration could take 3-5 days; 36 transmission poles down
Power and communications out to entire town of Picher
Gas turned off as a precaution
American Red Cross opened a shelter; no shelter numbers
Oklahoma Department of Public Safety (DPS) providing support
OK National Guard providing 25 soldiers
Tulsa's Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team in Picher
State mobile command unit assisting
IA PDAs began at 12:00pm CDT May 12
No Federal assistance requested
Arkansas:
EOC activated Level I (Normal Operations)
Damage assessments in Stuttgart (Arkansas County) ongoing
Four people reported missing (Arkansas County)
25-30 homes destroyed; 25-30 homes major damage; 40-45 homes minor damage (Stuttgart)
15 businesses destroyed (Stuttgart)
Damage assessments began in Phillips County
Missouri:
The State of Missouri has deployed Missouri Task Force One to impacted area
The State EOC is at normal operations.
16 confirmed fatalities; 85 injuries
Reported damage: 30 homes destroyed, 21 homes major damage
RNA initial estimated damage: 117 homes destroyed, 59 homes major damage, 4 businesses destroyed
Joint PA PDAs began May 12 and Joint IA PDAs will begin on May 13
Two FEMA/State RNA teams deployed to affected area; hampered by road closures
Approximately 4,000-5,000 are without power, power restoration could take 3-5 days; 36 transmission poles down (Region IV, Region VI, Region VII, Federal Agencies, Affected States, FEMA HQ)
Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)
FEMA-2765-FM-FL was issued for the Brevard Complex Fire near Malabar and Palm Bay, FL. The fire has burned more than 3,300 acres and there have been 15,000 individuals evacuated, majority through a mandatory evacuation. There are 500 homes, 25 businesses, several schools and one airport threatened, 5 homes have been destroyed. The Fire is 0 percent contained. There is no estimated date for full containment. (FEMA HQ)
Tropical Weather Outlook
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Earthquake Activity
An earthquake occurred at 8:50 AM EDT on May 12, 2008. The magnitude 5.1 event occurred 51 miles south southeast of Old Harbor, Alaska, at a depth of 11.7 miles. There were no reports of damage or injuries and there was no tsunami generated.(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 as of Sunday, May 12:
Initial attack activity: Light (85 new fires)
New large fires: 2
Large fires contained: 2
Uncontained large fires: 8
Weather Discussion: Warm, dry and windy weather will create critical fire conditions over portions of the Southwest, southern Great Basin, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and west Texas. Windy and dry weather is also expected over Florida. (National Interagency Fire Center, National Incident Information Center, NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center, NGB)
Texas
Red Flag Warnings are in effect for western Texas from 10:00 am - 8:00 pm MDT May 13.
Arizona
Red Flag Warnings are in effect for the south western and central Arizona from 8:00 am - 6 pm MDT May 13.
Disaster Declaration Activity
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Jun-2009 16:36:14 EDT