National Weather
West:The major storm system that moved through the West Coast yesterday, especially in northern and central California, will taper off to showers today. The storm brought the second highest rainfall on record for Sacramento. As it moves southward, the storm could bring mudslides and heavy rain - up to 6 inches in the mountains of Santa Barbara and up to 4 inches to the mountains of east of Los Angeles – early today. Areas that were burned in the last couple of years will be the most susceptible to landslides. Later today the rain will diminish to showers over southern California. Steady light rain is forecast over western Oregon and western Washington with thunderstorms and scattered showers possible over the Intermountain West.
South:
The rain that moved eastward from the Mississippi Valley yesterday will move quickly through the Carolinas today bringing rainfall from 1 to 4 inches tonight. Flood Watches are in effect from northeast Texas to northern Georgia and a portion of western South Carolina. Streams and creeks that flooded Monday are now returning to their banks in northern Georgia and western South Carolina. Some strong to severe thunderstorms are possible from central Georgia to northeast Texas this afternoon and evening and along the Gulf Coast on Thursday. Flooding is likely in northern Alabama, northern Georgia and South Carolina.
Northeast:
Rain moving from the southeast should reach parts of Virginia and Maryland by this evening. By Thursday evening rain will spread from the North Carolina and Virginia coasts north to New York City, southern New York state, and southern New England. Heavy rain is forecast for eastern Virginia, eastern Maryland, the District of Columbia, Delaware, southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey.
Midwest:
Only some passing showers are forecast from the Great Lakes to the Ohio Valley. To the west of this area a mixture of snow, freezing drizzle and rain is forecast but the precipitation will be light, with only 1 to 2 inches of snow forecast across the eastern Dakotas, Minnesota and northern Wisconsin. Ice accumulations, if any, should be light across the western Dakotas and central Nebraska due to temperatures rising above freezing later in the day, causing the ice accumulations to melt.(NOAA’s National Weather Service, Various Media Sources)
Tsunami Recovery - American Samoa
• FEMA 1859-DR-AS approved on September 29
Federal Response
• Region IX RRCC is now at Level III (AS JFO Support Cell: Logistics, ESFs 7, 12, and 15); reduced staff
• JFO for FEMA-1859-DR-AS fully operational
• IMAT deployed to AS will be released Oct 14
• NRCC is at Watch Steady State; Logistics is on call
• FEMA Logistics continues to coordinate the movement of commodities and generators related to power restoration
Current Situation / Status of Response:
• Ten 500kw Generators arrived yesterday, Oct 13
• 32 confirmed fatalities
• 5 schools were scheduled to re-open on Oct. 13
• 10 villages have received temporary housing materials
• Families are moving back to homes as commodity distribution expands to more villages
• Logistics continues to coordinate the movement of commodities and generators related to power restoration
• Establishing an “air bridge” from Hawaii to procure commercial products
• Identification and assessments of destroyed facilities are on-going; preliminary damage assessments for Public Assistance have been initiated and are on-going (Region IX, JFO, ARC)
California Severe Weather
Region IX:
• Region IX is monitoring the situation
• One LNO deployed to CA State Operations Center
• Heavy rains, high winds, snow and mud and debris are possible, especially in the burned areas
• Two to six inches of rainfall are possible, with up to eight inches possible in the mountains
• Wind gusts of up to 60 to 70 mph are possible
• Numerous power outages reported in northern California due to storm damage to power lines
State/Local Response:
• All State Operations Centers activated
• All Regional EOCs activated; Southern REOC activated 24/7
• Mandatory evacuations are in place for 60 residents in Santa Cruz County (Lockheed Fire burn area)
• Evacuation center opened in Davenport, CA
• 20,000 sandbags pre-positioned in Santa Cruz and Big Sur
• Flood centers have pre-deployed four flood-flight specialists to Santa Cruz and Ventura counties
• CAL Emergency Utilities Association (CEUA) has requested and received mutual aid support from Arizona and Nevada power companies
Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)
No activity. (FEMA HQ)
Tropical Weather Outlook
Atlantic
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.
Eastern Pacific
Remnant Low Patricia
At 2:00 am EDT the center of Remnant Low Patricia was located 15 miles east-southeast of the Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Patricia is moving toward the west-northwest near 6 mph; a turn towards the west is expected later today with a general westward motion expected to continue through dissipation. Maximum sustained winds are near 30 mph with higher gusts; gradual weakening is expected and Patricia is expected to dissipate in the next 24 to 48 hours.
Area 1
A tropical wave located a few hundred miles west-southwest of Costa Rica is producing disorganized shower and thunderstorm activity. Conditions appear favorable for slow development of this system over the next 48 hours as it moves west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph. There is a less than 30 percent chance of this system becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours.
Central Pacific
No tropical cyclones are expected through Friday afternoon.
Western Pacific
Tropical Depression 22W
At 11:00 pm EDT the center of Tropical Depression 22W was located 560 miles east-southeast of Guam and Rota. Tropical Depression 22W is moving toward west at 15 mph; a turn towards the west-northwest is expected during the next 24 hours, passing south of the Mariana Islands Thursday night, October 15. Maximum sustained winds are 30 mph; strengthening is expected and Tropical Depression 22W may become a Tropical Storm within the next 24 hours.(NOAA, HPC, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)
Earthquake Activity
The earthquake swarm in the Fox Islands of the Aleutian Islands, approximately 875 miles west-southwest of Anchorage, AK, has continued. The earthquakes have ranged from 2.0 to 6.3 magnitudes at depths between 2.5 to 119.4. There have been no reports of damage or injury and no tsunami advisory was issued. (USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program).
Preliminary Damage Assessments
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Wildfire Update
National Preparedness Level: 1
National Fire Activity as of Tuesday, October 13, 2009:
Initial attack activity: Light (20 new fires)
New large fires: 2
Large fires contained: 1
Uncontained large fires: 3
States affected: CA, OR & WA (NIFC)
Disaster Declaration Activity
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Last Modified: Wednesday, 14-Oct-2009 08:28:28 EDT
