National Situation Update: Monday, February 9, 2009

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

National Weather Forecast

West:
A cold upper-level trough of low pressure digging southward along the west coast, will deliver rain and snow to much of the region. Rain showers will fall along the entire West Coast. Higher elevation snow levels will be as low as 2000 feet in the San Francisco Bay area and 3000 feet in Southern California.
An active southern tier of the jet stream will bring widespread snow showers mixed with rain in the lower elevations to the southwest. Substantial accumulation of snow is likely in the higher elevations of northern Arizona, southwest Colorado and Utah.
Midwest:
A storm center over the Great Plains will produce widespread precipitation across the region.
Freezing rain is forecast from North Dakota to northern Wisconsin. Ice coatings may reach a quarter to half an inch. To the rear of the storm center, the precipitation will change to sleet and snow (late today into tomorrow). In western North Dakota snow accumulations could top six inches. To the south, along the cold front, showers and scattered thunderstorms will move through the Plains and Midwest. Isolated severe storms may hit eastern Nebraska, eastern Kansas, Iowa and western and northern Missouri. Gusty south and southeast winds will produce temperatures well above seasonal averages. Record highs are possible from Iowa to western Kentucky. With a series of storms moving through the region flooding is possible in the Upper Mississippi river valley and western Great Lakes due to snowmelt, ice jamming and potentially heavy precipitation over the course of the next five days.
South:
High pressure in the southeast will produce dry warm weather east of the Mississippi River. A line of showers and thunderstorms associated with a cold front, will move eastward across eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, eastern Texas and parts of Louisiana. Tomorrow, a second, more vigorous storm and windy cold front will move out into the southern Plains, igniting a severe thunderstorm outbreak beginning in the central and eastern parts of Oklahoma and Texas.
Northeast:
High pressure will produce dry weather and light winds. Tomorrow, moisture from the Plains' storm and the cold air over Pennsylvania and Upstate New York will produce light freezing rain. Across northern New England, light snow will turn to light sleet and light freezing rain. (NOAA, National Weather Service, Various Media Sources)

Winter Ice Storms - Update

Recovery efforts continue for impacted areas. Federal, State and local governments are coordinating commodities and distribution from the National Logistic Staging Areas

Winter Ice Storm – Region IV

RRCC Status: activated in Atlanta at Level II, 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. EST.
RIV RRCC transitioned the command of control to the FCO at 4:00 pm on Feb 7.
Emergency Declaration (FEMA-3302-EM-KY) was signed on January 28, 2009.
Major Disaster Declaration (FEMA-1818-DR-KY) was signed on February 5, 2009.
JFO became operational on Feb 7 (Region IV Status Briefing 3:00 p.m. EST Feb 7)
PA, and SBA PDA teams are on stand-by in Kentucky; IA PDA teams on-hold.
A warning was issued to discard peanut butter from all FEMA provided rations; 30,000 warning flyers printed and being distributed.
Kentucky
State EOC remains activated at Level III (Full Activation)
Fatalities: 30 confirmed fatalities (KY EM SITREP 3:00 p.m. EST Feb 7)
ARC Shelters: 18 Occupants: 276; independent shelter count is unknown (KYEM SITREP #10 Feb 8 0900)
Power Outages: 85,000; some cooperatives report that it may take up to a month for complete restoration (ESF 12, 11:00 a .m. EST Feb 8).
Boil Water Advisories remain in effect for 23 counties.
All delivery of commodities have been discontinued; commodity mission demobilization is underway at the NLSA (HQ LMD Partners Conference Call 10:00 a.m. EST Feb 7; Region IV Status Briefing Feb 7)
Total number of undistributed meals identified in recall lots: 34,942
Follow-up wellness checks on all RED-tagged homes continue.

Winter Ice Storm – Region V

RRCC Status: activated in Atlanta at Watch/Steady State 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. CST (12/7)
Illinois
PA PDAs are scheduled to start on Feb 9, 2009 in 7 counties.

Winter Ice Storm – Region VI

RRCC Status: activated at Watch/Steady State; on call for weekend coverage
Arkansas IOF located in North Little Rock; operational with limited communications
Emergency Declaration (FEMA-3301-EM-AR) was signed on January 28, 2009.
Major Disaster Declaration (FEMA-1819-DR-AR) was signed on February 6, 2009
IA PDA teams have been requested for 10 counties in Arkansas (Region VI SITREP Feb 6)
PA PDAs have been completed for the requested 32 counties (Region VI SITREP Feb 7)

Arkansas
State EOC activated at Level IV (Full Activation) 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST
The Operations cell has transferred day to day operations to the Joint Field Office (JFO), while a Liaison Officer (LNO) is at the State Operations Center (SOC) (REG IV SITREP 11 7 :00 am Feb 8)
Fatalities: 15 confirmed fatalities (AR DEM SITREP Feb 5)
Shelters 16; Occupants: 171 ,includes both ARC and independent shelters (REG IV SITREP 7 :00 a.m. CST Feb 8)
Power Outages: 43,005 customers; Entergy reports that the majority of customers will have power restored by Feb 10 (AR DEM SITREP 7 :00 a.m. CST Feb 8)
The requests for generator support have dropped off and the state is beginning to request some de-install missions (REG IV SITREP 11 7 :00 am Feb 8)
Piggott Community Hospital in Clay County is the only hospital on generator power as of Feb 7
Murphy's Health Nursing Home in Piggott is the only nursing home on generator power as Feb 7 (REG IV SITREP 11, 7 :00 am Feb 8)
All delivery of commodities have been discontinued; commodity mission demobilization is underway at the NLSA (HQ LMD Partners Conference Call 10:00 a.m. EST Feb 7)
Boil water orders remain in place for 14 counties (REG IV SITREP 11 7 :00 am Feb 8)
No limiting factors or unmet needs

Winter Ice Storm – Region VII

RRCC Status: activated at Level III, 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. CST
RRCC has transitioned operations to the JFO at Jefferson City, MO as of Feb. 3.
ESF 12 is activated; ESFs 3, 6 and 8 are on standby; FEMA Region VII LNO is deployed to the MO State EOC.
PA PDAs have been completed in 20 counties; state continues to evaluate the need for IA PDAs
Emergency Declaration (FEMA-3303-EM-MO) was signed on January 30, 2009.
Missouri
State EOC activated at Level II , 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. CST
Governor requested a Major Disaster Declaration on February 6
Fatalities: 8 confirmed
Shelters: 6 Occupants: 50 (MO SEMA SITREP 11 :00 a.m. CST Feb 8 )
Power outages: 11,986 customers; some areas may be without power for up to a week as the electrical systems will need to be re-built. (MO SEMA SITREP 11 :00 a.m. CST Feb 8)
Nine nursing homes on generator power
Seven Boil Water Orders in effect
No unmet needs and issues.

Volcanic Activity – Redoubt Volcano, Alaska

Unrest at Redoubt continues at elevated seismicity. The seismicity is dominated by nearly continuous volcanic tremors. FAA continues to restrict air travel in a 10 mile radius around Redoubt to 60,000 MSL. (Anticipated concern) if an eruption occurs creating an ash event that will cause respiratory concerns for local populations and interruption of international air traffic.
Staff at the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) is currently monitoring the volcano 24 hours a day.
The Aviation Color Code remains at ORANGE and the Volcano Alert Level remains at WATCH. (Region X, AVO, USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program)

Fire Management Assistance Grant

No activity. (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Western Pacific:
There are no current tropical cyclone warnings. (NOAA, HPC, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

A magnitude 3.9 earthquake occurred Sunday, February 8 at 5:28 p.m. EST in the North Pacific Ocean 35 miles north east of Kiska Volcano, Alaska (1,330 miles west southwest of Anchorage) at a depth of 62 miles. There have been no reports of damage or injury and no Tsunami was generated. (USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Monday, 09-Feb-2009 08:17:49 EST