National Situation Update: Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant Weather

Midwest
A vigorous storm system with strong upper level support will produce widespread precipitation and strong winds across the Upper Midwest. A foot or more of new snow is forecast from the Dakotas and Nebraska to northern and western parts of Minnesota. Gusty winds will produce blizzard or near-blizzard conditions in many areas. Central and southern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan will see a wintery mix of rain, snow, sleet and freezing rain. The cold front extending south from the low will produce rain showers and thunderstorms with gusty winds through the Great Lakes, mid-Mississippi valley and the Ohio Valleys through tonight. Gusty northwest to west winds are forecast for the Central Plains.
South:
The southern end of a cold front will slide across the region producing rain and thunderstorms. Severe thunderstorms with hail, gusty winds and the possibility of an isolated tornado are forecast for southeast Texas, Louisiana, central and southern Mississippi, southwest Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. The Gulf Coast, especially the Florida Panhandle, will receive up to three inches of additional precipitation and possible flash flooding.
Northeast:
Under high pressure the region will be dry except for a few morning snow showers in northern Maine.
Tomorrow the front moving out of the Midwest will produce precipitation across western New York, Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic. The front will continue moving across the rest of the Northeast overnight.
West:
The next in a series of storms will move ashore this morning. Rain showers are expected in the lower elevations of Washington and Oregon. Snow will spread from the Cascades to the Northern and Central Rockies. Another one to two feet of new snow is expected in the Washington Cascades and Olympics above 2500 feet. The Rockies can expect at least another four to 10 inches of snow with a wintery mix of rain and snow in the lower elevations. (NWS, and Various Media Sources)

Red River Flood Preparations

Federal Response:
FEMA Headquarters

FEMA NRCC is at Level II (8:00 am - 4:30 PM EDT); including select ESFs
National IMAT - West deployed to ND EOC
National IMAT East is on alert for possible deployment
FEMA's National Logistics Staging Area (NLSA)/Grand Forks (LMD commodity update as of Mar 29 7:00 p.m.):
- On Hand:
  - Meals (ea) 295,101
  - Water (lt) 217,728
  - Cots (ea) 18,704
  - Blankets (ea) 81,789
  - Generators (ea) 46
- Inbound (DR-1829-ND):
  - Water (lt) 61,345
  - Cots (ea) 11,931
  - Blankets (ea) 12,089
  - Generators (ea) 8
  - MDRC (ETA 31 Mar) 5
- On Hand (EM-3304-MN):
  - Water (lt) 72,288
  - Meals (ea) 40,320
  - Cots (ea) 4,400
  - Blankets (ea) 4,412
  - Generators (ea) 50

Region VIII:

RRCC is at Level II - 24/7; ESFs 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 15, DCE and a representative from the National Weather Service
ERT-A deployed to Bismarck, ND
IMAT-West deployed to Bismarck, ND
Denver MERS deployed to Bismarck, ND
IRCT operational in Bismarck, ND
One VA LNO; one VA Plans Officer deployed to IRCT
One DMAT operational; four are being staged; one on alert
Two FEMA Region VIII LNOs are deployed to the ND EOC

North Dakota

State EOC Level I - 24/7
Two unconfirmed fatalities; 62 injuries
Six shelters; population: 248
Numerous highways are closed due to water over the roadway
I-94 is closed from Mandan (west of Bismarck) to the MT border (150 mi) as a result of the blizzard
The Great River Energy power plant has restarted and is operating at full capacity.
National Guard has 2,155 soldiers activated throughout ND
A Tribal LNO is working with Standing Rock Tribal Emergency Services to identify needs and potential FEMA assistance.

South Dakota

The State EOC is activated at Level 4 to coordinate the state response and provide resource assistance to impacted counties and communities.
On March 25, the Governor of South Dakota signed an emergency declaration to help with flood response efforts.
National Guard has 13 soldiers activated throughout SD
James River and tributaries remain above flood stage

Region V

The FEMA Region V RRCC is activated at Level II with ESFs 1,3,8,9 10, DCE and USCG
JFO scheduled to open April 3 in Moorhead
Region continues to monitor flooding and maintain communications with USACE and ESFs
Region V IMAT at MN SEOC
Region V IMAT Staging Area Supervisor is at Grand Forks AFB, to assist in Joint NLSA.
Maynard MERS at Moorhead, MN
2 FEMA LNOs and 2 FEMA External Affairs personnel at MN SEOC
No unmet needs

Minnesota Flooding - Red River Basin

The State EOC is activated 24/7.
No fatalities, injuries or missing individuals have been reported.
One shelter; population: 109
On March 26, 2009, the President signed Emergency Declaration FEMA-3304-EM for the State of Minnesota as a result of the severe storms and flooding.
The MN National Guard has 646 soldiers activated throughout northwest MN
Voluntary evacuations are ongoing in West Moorhead, MN.
Corps of Engineers deployed a 400Kw generator to the town of Oslo, Mn.
Joint PA PDAs are scheduled to be complete by April 3.
No Tribal impacts at this time.

Test of Atlantic/Gulf Tsunami Warning and Response

Residents and visitors along the Atlantic coasts of the United States and Canada, the Gulf of Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands should not be alarmed when they hear tsunami test messages broadcast over their televisions and radios on Thursday, April 2, 2009. That day, at 9:00 a.m. EDT (8:00 a.m. CDT), officials will test the region's communication and response plans to help communities prepare for a tsunami.
Co-sponsored by NOAA and the U.S. National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program, this is the first region-wide tsunami warning test to include the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States, Canadian Atlantic Provinces, and the U.S. Caribbean Territories and Commonwealths.
NOAA's Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska, will commence the exercise by issuing a test bulletin through tsunami warning communication channels. The test bulletin, clearly marked "test message", will prompt local officials to implement their tsunami response plans.
During this exercise, some communities in Puerto Rico will conduct evacuation drills while participating emergency management agencies on the U.S. East and Gulf coasts will conduct preparedness activities, such as workshops and table-top exercises. Upon completion of the exercise, participants will evaluate the effectiveness of their tsunami preparedness plans and make adjustments as necessary.
The exercise will increase tsunami preparedness and improve coordination throughout the regions. The exercise will be cancelled if a real tsunami threat occurs within 24 hours of the test.(Excerpt from http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2009/20090323_atlanticgulftsunamitest.html)

Mt Redoubt

Over the past twelve hours, ash emissions at Redoubt Volcano have become more frequent, but lower in altitude than during the highly explosive events of the past week.
A continuous ash plume has been observed in web camera, satellite and radar images, and by pilots. These plumes vary in their intensity and have generally been at low altitude (less than 20,000 feet above sea level).
Occasional, short lived events have produced ash clouds that rise as high as 27,000 feet above sea level. Ash fall from these eruptions are currently not likely to reach population centers in the Cook Inlet.(USGS, AK Earthquake Information Center, Earthquake Hazards Program)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No activity. (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Western Pacific:
No tropical cyclone activity affecting U.S territories in the Western Pacific. (NOAA, HPC, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

There has been a series of earthquakes in Alaska ranging in magnitude from 3.2 to 5.8. The earthquakes are in two locations; one location is near Old Harbor, AK - about 313 miles SSW from Mt Redoubt, the second location is near Adak, AK in the Aleutian Islands - about 1,135 miles WNW from Mt Redoubt. There were no reports of damage or injuries from these offshore earthquakes, and there were no Tsunamis generated. (USGS, AK Earthquake Information Center, Earthquake Hazards Program)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity