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National Situation Update: Thursday, December 24, 2009

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

Midwest

Precipitation currently over the Mid-Mississippi Valley will spread northward into the upper Midwest by early this morning and meet with a colder air mass. A large region of freezing rain is expected to form across Iowa and southern Wisconsin, where significant icing is possible. The possibility of heavy snow will extend from eastern Colorado through the Dakotas into Minnesota. The greatest accumulations are expected from eastern Nebraska into the Upper Mississippi Valley where one to two feet of snow is possible by Christmas morning. Strong winds will accompany the snowfall across the Plains, and Winter Storm Warnings and Blizzard Watches are in effect across the entire region.

South

Heavy rain, thunderstorms and wind will spread from the Southern Plains and lower-Mississippi Valley to the Southeastern States Thursday into Friday. Severe weather will be possible today from Arkansas and Louisiana eastward to southern Mississippi, southwest Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle. Rain totals of 2 inches to locally 5 inches are possible in eastern Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, northwest Mississippi and far western Tennessee. Behind the storm, colder air will move in today, allowing for a changeover to snow in portions of Oklahoma, far northern Texas and northwest Arkansas.

Northeast

Moisture from the Midwest storm will spread in on Christmas Day. Freezing rain and sleet will likely develop from western Virginia and eastern West Virginia northward to interior portions of Pennsylvania and New York. Rain is expected in locations near the coast. The wintry mix will spread northward into northern New York and New England Friday night into Saturday.

West

Improving conditions are expected over much of the West as high pressure takes over. Dry conditions will dominate the region outside of some snow showers in the Colorado Rockies and the adjacent Plains of Colorado and Wyoming. (NOAA’s National Weather Service, Various Media Sources)

East Coast Winter Storm Recovery

Federal HQ Coordination

FEMA NRCC

  • Watch Steady State
  • The NRCC continues to monitor recovery efforts and  maintain communications with affected regions
  • No requests for Federal assistance

Region III

  • RRCC at Watch/Steady State; monitoring

State Actions:

Virginia

  • VDEM Limited Activation – Response Operations
  • Commonwealth remains under a State of Emergency
  • 7 deaths, 6 confirmed/1 pending
  • 37,500 customers without power (as of 10:00 a.m., Dec 23)
  • 16 shelters; 350 occupants

West Virginia

  • EOC (WV DHSEM) fully activated; FEMA State Liaison Officer remains deployed to EOC
  • Governors State of Emergency has been eliminated in the northern counties
  • No known weather related fatalities; no damage to critical infrastructure
  • 58,926 customers without power (as of 10:00 a.m., Dec 23); goal to restore all by Friday
  • 16 shelters; 148 occupants

Region IV

  • RRCC at Watch/Steady State; monitoring

State Actions:

North Carolina

  • EOC at Level IV (Partial Activation); all county EOCs closed
  • NC National Guard demobilizing

Kentucky

  • EOC returned to Level I (Normal Operations with hot standby mode and ECIC in 24 hr operations) at 5:00 p.m. EST, Dec 23
  • 18 counties and 3 cities remain under State of Emergency declared by Governor Dec 19
  • No reports of storm related deaths or injuries
  • 46,500 customers without power (down 14,900); expect to have power restored  to all but 8,000 overnight tonight (Dec 23-24)
  • 3,570 customers without water service

14 shelters; 140 occupants

Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

  • The President signed major disaster declaration FEMA-1868-DR for the State of Kansas for a Severe Winter Storm that occurred November 14-16, 2009. Specifically, the declaration provides for Public Assistance for 3 counties (Marshall, Republic and Washington Counties) and Hazard Mitigation statewide. The FCO is Michael R. Scott of the National FCO Program.
  • The Governor of Alabama has requested a major disaster declaration for the State of Alabama as a result of severe storms, flash flooding, and flooding during the period of December 12-18, 2009. The Governor is specifically requesting Public Assistance for Barbour, Butler, Clarke, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, and Pike Counties, and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for the entire State of Alabama. (HQ FEMA)

Last Modified: Thursday, 24-Dec-2009 10:40:54 EST