- FEMA Administrator Renews Partnership With Feeding America, Oct 22
- Hours At Disaster Recovery Center Changing Next Week, Oct 22
- FEMA Administrator Holds Call With Hispanic Community Leaders On Redesigned Spanish Website, Oct 21
- Anchorage Residents Pay Less For Flood Insurance, Oct 20
National Situation Update: Thursday, October 22, 2009
Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).
National Weather
Northeast
Showers are forecast over western and northern portions of New York and northern New England. Northern Maine may see some snow or a mix of rain and snow. On Friday the front will move southward lowering temperatures through much of New York, southern New England and northern Pennsylvania.
Midwest
A system moving from the Missouri Valley to the Mississippi Valley, lower-Ohio Valley and the Great Lakes will bring rain to the region. A few inches of snow or a mix of rain and snow is possible from western Kansas northeastward to northeast Nebraska. The rain will move over the Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley on Friday. Some snow or a mix of rain and snow is possible on Friday from east-central Minnesota to northern Wisconsin and the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
West
Some spotty showers are expected from the northern Rockies to the northern High Plains. Temperatures will remain below average from eastern and central Colorado to New Mexico. A new front will bring another round of rain to the Pacific Northwest on Friday.
South
Showers and storms continue from Texas and Oklahoma to the lower-Mississippi Valley as a cold front moves through the region, bringing one to two inches of rain and the possibility of some localized flooding. Tonight through Friday the rain will move to the eastern Gulf Coast, Tennessee Valley and the southeast, with some rain continuing into Saturday. Isolated thunderstorms are possible through Friday, but will likely remain in areas near the Gulf Coast. Oklahoma and the northern half of Texas will see temperatures up to 20 degrees below average. (NOAA’s National Weather Service, Various Media Sources)
Tsunami Recovery - American Samoa
FEMA 1859-DR-AS was approved September 29, 2009.
Federal Response
FEMA Logistics continues to coordinate the movement of commodities and generators related to power restoration. Region IX RRCC has de-activated but the JFO Support Cell consisting of only Logistics remains at the RRCC. The Pago Pago Joint Field Office (JFO) for FEMA-1859-DR-AS is fully operational.
Current Situation / Status of Response:
Preliminary damage assessments for public assistance are on-going. Installation of up to 56 generators are part of Tier 1 in the Power Restoration Plan; to date, 33 generators have been installed and are operational. Three 500 kw generators have been placed on the Tafuna Power Grid at Leone, reducing the stress on the Tafuna Plant. Two 500 kw generators were placed in service at Fangaitua (east side of island) to relieve power outages.
ASPA continues to work with Prime Power Battalion on the placement of additional 500 kw generators to be used in the Pago Pago area by October 23. Some areas on the island are still experiencing outages during peak hours, but significant improvements have occurred. (Region IX, JFO)
Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)
No activity. (FEMA HQ)
Tropical Weather Outlook
Atlantic
Area 1
At 2:00 a.m. EDT, a large area of cloudiness and showers over the southwestern Caribbean Sea is associated with a nearly stationary area of low pressure. This system remains poorly organized and development of this system, if any, will be slow to occur. Regardless of development, heavy rains will likely continue over Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras during the next few days. There is a less than 30 percent chance of this system becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours.
Area 2
At 2:00 a.m. EDT, cloudiness and showers extending from eastern Cuba northeastward through the southeastern Bahamas into the Atlantic Ocean are associated with an upper-level trough and the remnants of a cold front. Upper-level winds are expected to remain unfavorable for significant development during the next 48 hours while the system drifts westward. There is a less than 30 percent chance of this system becoming a tropical or subtropical cyclone during the next 48 hours.
Eastern Pacific
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.
Central Pacific
Hurricane Neki
At 5:00 a.m. EDT, the center of Hurricane Neki was located about 565 miles west of Honolulu, Hawaii and about 290 miles south of French Frigate Shoals. Neki is moving toward the north near 12 mph. A gradual turn to the north-northeast is expected through Friday. Maximum sustained winds are near 120 mph with higher gusts. Neki is now a Category 3 Hurricane. Little change in strength is forecast during the next 24 hours with gradual weakening expected afterwards. There are no threats to U.S. interests.
Western Pacific
There are no threats to U.S. interests.(NOAA, HPC, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center)
Earthquake Activity
At 8:51 p.m. EDT on October 22, 2009, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake occurred 110 miles south of David, Panama and 255 miles of Panama City, Panama, at a depth of 6.2 miles. There were no reports of injury or damage or tsunami being generated. (USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program).
Preliminary Damage Assessments
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Wildfire Update
National Preparedness is at Level 1.
National fire activity as of Wednesday, October 21:
Initial attack activity: Light (22 new fires)
New large fires: 1
Large fires contained: 0
Uncontained large fires: 1
States Affected: AZ (NIFC)
Disaster Declaration Activity
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Last Modified: Thursday, 22-Oct-2009 08:06:46 EDT
