• Emergency Managers and Personnel
• Situation Reports
• National Incident Management System
• Grants & Assistance Programs
• Training
• Contacts
• Planning
• Best Practices

National Situation Update: Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

Northeast
Rain and windy weather is forecast across New England. A few thunderstorms, some with small hail, are also possible.

Midwest
Rain and snow mix is possible over the western Great Lakes, northern Illinois, Wisconsin and northern and western parts of Michigan. Flood Warnings are in effect for parts of North Dakota and Minnesota. Accumulating snow is expected over northern Wisconsin and the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan; snow totals of a foot or more are possible. Gusty winds are expected through the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys, and western Great Lakes. Significant snowfall is forecast for the west half of Upper Michigan through today. Heavy, wet snow combined with gusty winds could damage trees and cause power outages. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for parts of Michigan.

West
High temperatures continue. Los Angeles registered 100 degrees on Monday and San Diego tied an April record with a high of 98 degrees. An increased onshore flow will help keep down temperatures along the immediate coast of California. Areas receiving snow late last week and over the weekend will experience rapid snow melt in the coming days, which creates a potential for flooding.

South
A few scattered thunderstorms may appear over southern Florida. Showers and thunderstorms could generate across the Southeast.  (National Weather Service, Various Media Sources)

Region IV Severe Weather Recovery

RRCC is operating at Watch/Steady State, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EDT. Region IV ERT-A is deployed to the Florida Emergency Operations Center (EOC), which is at Level II (partial activation) in response to the flooding conditions in the Panhandle and Big Bend regions of the state. Most river locations in northern Florida are slowly receding. All locations along the Suwannee River have crested and are receding.

Region IV Severe Storms Recovery - April 19-20, 2009

Alabama
State EOC is activated at Level III (partial activation) due to severe storms and tornadoes on April 19. There are confirmed reports of two storm related fatalities in Marshall and Morgan Counties. There was damage to homes, trees, and power lines. Clean-up continues and damage assessments are on-going. There has been no request for Federal assistance.

Georgia
Columbus and Cherokee Counties sustained damage to homes as well as downed trees and power lines. Significant damage was reported in downtown Columbus. Power restoration is underway and was expected to be completed overnight. Damage assessment is on-going. The American Red Cross (ARC) is assisting with meals and sheltering. There has been no request for Federal assistance.

Red River ND/MN Flood Status

Region VIII:
North Dakota State EOC is activated at Level I, 24/7. There are four Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) open. The Red River has crested at all gauge locations and has begun to recede. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed its advanced measures projects and dike work in the city of Jamestown, ND on Monday. Joint IA and PA PDAs for North Dakota are ongoing.

Region V:
Minnesota State EOC is at normal operations. Region V Logistics Incident Staging Base (ISB) is operational in Dilworth, MN. Two DRCs are open in MN. Minnesota PA PDAs have been completed.

Region X Volcano Activity - Mount Redoubt, Alaska

The volcano remains at Aviation Color Code: ORANGE and Alert Level: WATCH. The eruption of Mt. Redoubt volcano continues. Seismicity remains elevated. Clear views of the volcano on Monday shows a plume of water vapor and gas rising above the volcano and moving southwest. During Monday's gas-measurement flight AVO scientists observed little to no evidence of significant lava dome growth since the last observations four days ago. The Alaska State Emergency Coordination Center (SECC) remains at Level YELLOW: Elevated.

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No activity.(FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

National Fire Activity
National Preparedness (as of April 20)

• Level: 1 (Minimal Activity)
  
• States affected:  TX, OK, and NM 
  
• Initial attack activity:  Light (115 new fires)
  
• New Large Fires:  1
  
• Large Fires Contained:  2
  
• Uncontained Large Fires: 1(National Interagency Fire Center)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)