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

National Situation Update: Sunday, November 8, 2009

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

South:
Under high pressure, the region will be mostly sunny today from the lower Mississippi Valley to the Carolinas.  Showers and thunderstorms are possible from southern Texas eastward to southern Louisiana due to an upper-level disturbance moving out of northern Mexico.  Flood Warnings remain in effect for several rivers throughout Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana.
West:
Rain and mountain snow is forecast for portions of the Pacific Northwest today due to an onshore flow affecting the region.  A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for portions of the Idaho panhandle, higher elevations and passes of northwest Montana and northeast Washington until later this morning.
Northeast:
Mostly sunny skies and above average temperatures are forecast throughout the region today.
Midwest:
Temperatures 15 to 20 degrees above average are forecast for most of the region today.  (NOAA’s National Weather Service, Various Media Sources) 

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic
Hurricane IDA 
At 4:00 am EST, November 8, 2009, the center of Hurricane Ida was located about 95 miles SSW of the western tip of Cuba. Ida is moving toward the northwest near 12 mph. This general heading, with an increase in forward speed, is expected over the next 48 hours.  On this track, Ida is forecast to move through the Yucatan Channel and into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico later today.  Maximum sustained winds are near 90 mph with higher gusts.  Ida is a category 1 hurricane.  Some additional strengthening is expected and Ida could become a category 2 hurricane today or tonight.  Gradual weakening is expected to begin late Monday.

Eastern Pacific
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours

Central Pacific
No tropical cyclones are expected through Monday afternoon.

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

Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

National Preparedness Level:  1
National Fire Activity as of Saturday, November 7, 2009
Initial attack activity:  Light (46 new fires)
New large fires:  0
Large fires contained:  0
Uncontained large fires:  0
States affected:  None (NIFC) 

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)