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National Situation Update: Friday, December 26, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

National Weather Outlook

After producing heavy snow and strong winds across the West, a strong storm system will move into the central states. Late Friday, December 26, and Saturday, December 27, a band of heavy rain and thunderstorms will set up from lower Michigan to northeast Texas. One-to-four inch rainfall in this band, coupled with snow melt and ice jams, will cause flooding in Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana. Along with the heavy rain, severe thunderstorms will develop late Friday across parts of Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas. Damaging wind gusts and isolated tornadoes are the main threats. On Saturday, severe thunderstorms could stretch from Michigan, through Missouri and the Ohio Valley, to Louisiana. Damaging wind gusts will again be the main threat, but a few tornadoes are also possible from the lower Ohio valley southward. In the Northwest, a new storm will bring rain to Seattle and Portland on Sunday into Monday. More heavy snow will pile up though in the Cascades to eastern Washington in cities like Spokane, which has already seen 40"+ in the month so far. On Sunday, a heavy-rain squall line and some embedded thunderstorms will shift from the eastern Ohio valley through the Northeast, producing a few damaging wind gusts across Pennsylvania, New York, and New England. Downpours with snow melt will lead to some flooding in parts of the Northeast, especially in interior New England and eastern New York. Be prepared for the rain and wind and ensure that your storm drains are cleared out and free of ice and snow ready to handle the rain runoff.  (NOAA, National Weather Service and Various Media Sources)

Marshall Islands Flooded, 600 Evacuated

The Marshall Islands are in a state of emergency after severe flooding forced more than 600 people out of their homes. A combination of  five foot waves and heavy storms swamped the cities of Majuro and Ebeye, destroying plywood homes and moving residents into churches, high schools and youth centers. About 1 ½ feet of water submerged parts of the islands, covering the streets with rocks, coral, and debris. The flooding occurred December 9-15 with the state of emergency declared on December 24. Flooding is a severe problem for the islands because they lie close to sea level, making them vulnerable to storms and high tides.(Media Source)

Tropical Weather

Western Pacific:
No activity affecting United States territories.  (NOAA, HPC, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

 

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No activity. (FEMA HQ)

NEXS Exercises Schedule Highlights:

No activity.  (FEMA HQ)

Joint Field Office (JFO)

15 JFOs support 20 Major Disaster Declarations and 10 Emergency Declarations (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

No activity. (USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program, Alaska Earthquake Information Center, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Centers)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No activity. (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Jun-2009 16:30:31 EDT