National Situation Update: Sunday, February 8, 2009

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

National Weather Forecast

West:
The system that produced precipitation over southern California will move eastward through the Southwest. Showers and mountain snow diminish across Southern California but continue over the Four Corner States. A new storm will bring rain and mountain snow to western Washington, western Oregon and northwest California.
Midwest:
A weak cold front producing a few very light showers will stretch from the Ohio Valley to the Kansas-Oklahoma border. Temperatures will drop behind the cold front but still will be generally above average, with highs ranging from the 20s in the Upper Midwest to the 50s across southern Kansas, southern Missouri and southern Kentucky. The coming week will be a wet one with a series of storms moving through the region. Scattered flooding is possible in the Upper Mississippi river valley and western Great lakes due to snowmelt and ice action followed by heavy rain over Missouri and Illinois.
South:
The low pressure system moving out of the Southwest will develop over the High Southern Plains this afternoon producing showers and thunderstorms. Thunderstorms over western Oklahoma and western Texas could become severe, with damaging wind gusts, hail and even an isolated tornado. The cold front draped across the Midwest will produce a few showers from northern Tennessee to northern Oklahoma. Tomorrow, more showers and thunderstorms are possible over eastern Oklahoma, eastern Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana, while the Southeast remains dry.
Northeast:
A weak cold front will move through the region with light snow or rain/snow showers for New York state and New England. Highs will range from the 30s in Upstate New York and northern New England to the 60s and near 70 in Virginia.(NOAA, National Weather Service, Various Media Sources)

Winter Ice Storms - Update

Recovery efforts continue for impacted areas. Federal, State and local governments are coordinating commodities and distribution from the National Logistic Staging Areas.

Winter Ice Storm – Region IV

RRCC Status: activated in Atlanta at Level II, 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. EST
ESFs 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 12 and EMAC are activated; ESF 8 personnel to begin demobilization Feb 7 (Region IV Status Briefing 3:00 p.m. EST Feb 7)
Emergency Declaration (FEMA-3302-EM-KY) was signed on January 28, 2009.
Major Disaster Declaration (FEMA-1818-DR-KY) was signed on February 5, 2009.
JFO became operational on Feb 7 (Region IV Status Briefing 3:00 p.m. EST Feb 7)
Region IV ERT-A; 20 FEMA LNOs, and the Regional Administrator are on-site at the KY EOC.
PA, and SBA PDA teams are on stand-by in Kentucky; IA PDA teams on-hold.
A warning was issued to discard peanut butter from all FEMA provided rations; 30,000 warning flyers printed and being distributed.

Kentucky
State EOC remains activated at Level III (Full Activation)
ARC Shelters: 12 / Occupants: 408; independent shelter count is unknown (Region IV Status Briefing, 3:00 p.m. EST Feb 7)
Power Outages: 94,564; some cooperatives report that it may take up to a month for complete restoration (ESF 12, 4:30 p.m. EST Feb 7)
1 nursing home is on generator power.
3 hospitals are at capacity; 4 hospitals near capacity (2 are critical access); critical access hospitals are accepting patients
Statewide water outages: 4 drinking water facilities requesting generators
Statewide wastewater systems: 7 wastewater facilities requesting generators
Boil Water Advisories remain in effect for 27 counties
All delivery of commodities have been discontinued; commodity mission demobilization is underway at the NLSA (HQ LMD Partners Conference Call 10:00 a.m. EST Feb 7; Region IV Status Briefing Feb 7)
Total number of undistributed meals identified in recall lots: 34,942
Follow-up wellness checks on all RED-tagged homes continue

Winter Ice Storm – Region V

RRCC Status: activated in Atlanta at Watch/Steady State 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. CST (12/7)
Illinois
PA PDAs are scheduled to start on Feb 9, 2009 in 7 counties

Winter Ice Storm – Region VI

RRCC Status: activated at Watch/Steady State; on call for weekend coverage
Arkansas IOF located in North Little Rock; operational with limited communications
Emergency Declaration (FEMA-3301-EM-AR) was signed on January 28, 2009.
Major Disaster Declaration (FEMA-1819-DR-AR) was signed on February 6, 2009
IA PDA teams have been requested for 10 counties in Arkansas (Region VI SITREP Feb 6)
PA PDAs have been completed for the requested 32 counties (Region VI SITREP Feb 7)
Region VI IMAT returned to Denton MOC Feb 7
Arkansas
State EOC activated at Level IV (Full Activation) 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST
Shelters 15; Occupants: 1,331 ,includes both ARC and independent shelters (AR DEM SITREP 2 :00 p.m. CST Feb 7)
Power Outages: 43,005 customers; Entergy reports that the majority of customers will have power restored by Feb 10 (AR DEM SITREP 2 :00 p.m. CST Feb 7)
Piggott Community Hospital in Clay County is the only hospital on generator power as of Feb 7
All delivery of commodities have been discontinued except for inbound support to the Little Rock EOC: 3 truckloads of meals (63,936) due Feb 8 (HQ LMD Partners Conference Call 10:00 a.m. EST Feb 7)
Boil water orders remain in place for 19 counties (Region VI SITREP Feb 7)
No limiting factors or unmet needs

Winter Ice Storm – Region VII

RRCC Status: activated at Level III, 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. CST
RRCC has transitioned operations to the JFO at Jefferson City, MO as of Feb. 3.
ESF 12 is activated; ESFs 3, 6 and 8 are on standby; FEMA Region VII LNO is deployed to the MO State EOC.
PA PDAs have been completed in 20 counties; state continues to evaluate the need for IA PDAs
Emergency Declaration (FEMA-3303-EM-MO) was signed on January 30, 2009.

Missouri
State EOC activated at Level II , 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. CST
Governor requested a Major Disaster Declaration on February 6
Fatalities: 8 confirmed
Shelters: 8 Occupants:89 (MO SEMA SITREP 12 :00 p.m. CST Feb 7)
Power outages: 16,440 customers; some areas may be without power for up to a week as the electrical systems will need to be re-built. (MO SEMA SITREP 12 :00 p.m. CST Feb 7)
No unmet needs and issues.

Volcanic Activity – Redoubt Volcano, Alaska

Unrest at Redoubt continues at elevated seismicity. Seismic activity consists of continuous tremors that fluctuate gradually. FAA continues to restrict air travel in a 10 mile radius around Redoubt to 60,000 MSL. (Anticipated concern) if an eruption occurs creating an ash event that will cause respiratory concerns for local populations and interruption of international air traffic.
Staff at the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) is currently monitoring the volcano 24 hours a day.
The Aviation Color Code remains at ORANGE and the Volcano Alert Level remains at WATCH. (Region X, AVO, USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program)

Fire Management Assistance Grant

No activity. (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Western Pacific:
There are no current tropical cyclone warnings. (NOAA, HPC, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake occurred Saturday, February 7 at 10:51 EST in the North Pacific Ocean 95 miles west-southwest of Adak, Alaska (1,286 miles west southwest of Anchorage) at a depth of 21 miles. There have been no reports of damage or injury and no Tsunami was generated. (USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity