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

National Situation Update: Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant Weather

West:
A ridge of high pressure will result in unseasonably warm temperatures in Washington and Oregon with Seattle reaching the 80's. Expect scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms from the central Rockies to the Southwest. High temperatures are forecast to be over 100 degrees across the Central Valley in California and the Desert Southwest.
Midwest:
A large area of low pressure remains centered over the Great Lakes. Expect rain and rain showers from the Great Lakes to the Ohio Valley. The Northern and Central Plains will get scattered thunderstorms this evening from a frontal system moving out of the Northern Rockies. Some of these storms could be severe.
South:
The wet weather pattern over the Florida Peninsula will continue today. Some locations could receive two inches or more of precipitation. A few thunderstorms are possible from the southern Appalachians to North Carolina.The front along the Gulf Coast will produce showers and thunderstorms along the coast and westward into south central Texas.The region will be hot and humid with highs generally in the 80s and 90s; portions of South Texas may be in the 100s.
Northeast:
The low over the Great Lakes, combined with a slow moving front, will bring widespread precipitation from the Mid Atlantic to New England. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will be widespread across the region. A few storms could be severe with some hail or damaging winds.  (NOAA, National Weather Service, Various Media Sources)

The North American Monsoon

The word monsoon is derived from the Arabic word mausim, which means season.
A monsoon wind is part of the atmospheric circulation (as opposed to a local wind) that has a persistent direction which changes seasonally. This is driven by patterns of differential heating between a continent and adjacent ocean that change with the seasons.
The North American Monson is known by different names, including the "Summer Thunderstorm Season," "The Mexican Monsoon," "The Southwest Monsoon," and the "Arizona Monsoon."
The North American Monsoon circulation pattern typically develops in late May or early June over southwest Mexico. The monsoon arrives in early July over the southwest U.S. Once the monsoon is underway, mountain ranges, including the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Mogollon Rim provide a focusing mechanism for the daily development of thunderstorms. Thus much of the monsoon rainfall occurs in mountainous terrain. For example, monsoon rainfall in the Sierra Madre Occidental normally ranges from 10 to 15 inches. Since the southwest U.S. is at the northern fringe of the monsoon, precipitation is less and tends to be more variable. Areas further west of the core monsoon region, namely California and Baja California, typically receive only spotty monsoon-related rainfall. (NWS Forecast Office Tucson AZ)

USDA Recalls Ground Beef Products for Possible E. coli Contamination

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that JBS Swift Beef Company, of Greeley, Colo., is voluntarily expanding its June 24, 2009 recall to include approximately 380,000 pounds of assorted beef primal products that may be contaminated with E. coli. The recall is being expanded as a result of FSIS cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in an ongoing investigation into 24 illnesses in multiple states, of which at least 18 appear to be associated. (USDA)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.
Eastern Pacific
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.
Central Pacific
No tropical cyclones are expected through Thursday evening.
Western Pacific 
No activity.  (NOAA, HPC, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

On Tuesday, June 30, 2009, at 1:25 p.m. EDT, an earthquake measuring 4.1 magnitude occurred 1020 miles west southwest of Anchorage, AK at a depth of 10.7 miles. There were no reports of damage or injury and no tsunami was generated.
On Tuesday, June 30, 2009, at 2:52 p.m. EDT, an earthquake measuring 4.1 magnitude occurred 143 miles northwest of Fairbanks, AK at a depth of 9.3 miles. There were no reports of damage or injury and no tsunami was generated.  (USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

National Preparedness Level:  1
National Fire Activity as of Tuesday, June 30, 2009:

• Initial attack activity:  Light (177 new fires)
• New large fires:  2
• Large fires contained:  1
• Uncontained large fires:  3
• States affected:  CA & TX

(National Interagency Fire Center, National Incident Information Center, NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center)

Disaster Declaration Activity

The Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania requested a Major Disaster Declaration as a result of a series of storms beginning on May 28, 2009 and continuing. The Governor is specifically requesting Individual Assistance for Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties and Hazard Mitigation for the entire Commonwealth.

The Governor of the Nebraska requested a Major Disaster Declaration as a result of severe storms, flash flooding, and tornadoes during the period of June 5-26, 2009. The Governor is specifically requesting Public Assistance for 13 counties and Hazard Mitigation for the entire State. (FEMA HQ)