The USA Disaster Situation Report
The Daily USA Disaster Situation Report
For March 25, 2001
Christopher Effgen, Editor, host{at}disastercenter.com
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
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=> USA Daily Temperature Extremes
=> Special Notes
=> Current Active National Weather Service Warnings:
=> Severe Weather Probability Forecast
=> Precipitation Forecast, Excessive Rainfall, Heavy Snow And/Or Significant
Icing Forecast
=> USA Flood Report
=> USA Fire Report and Forecast
=> USA Earthquake Report
=> Yesterday's USA Severe Weather Reports
=> Guest Column-
=> Sponsored by The Rothstein Catalog On Disaster Recovery
**** ARTICLES ****
=> Article April Is Tsunami Awareness Month In Hawaii
=> Article A Guide for Applying Information Technology in Law Enforcement
=> Article Board to Investigate Fatal BP Amoco Explosion
=> Article ISDR Seeking Examples of Volunteers in Disaster Reduction
=> Article Blackouts Will Not Affect Usgs Earthquake Monitoring Or Posting
Of
Information
=> Classified Ads
=> Links Area
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
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Sponsored by the The Rothstein Catalog On Disaster Recovery
http://www.disastercenter.com/Rothstein/
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=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information
The Daily USA Disaster Situation Report
For March 25, 2001
Christopher Effgen, Editor, host{at}disastercenter.com
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
------------------------------------------------------------
=> USA Daily Temperature Extremes
National Temperature Extremes
High Sat...92 At Death Valley CA
Low Sun...11 Below Zero At Orr MN
=> Special Notes
=> Current Active National Weather Service Warnings:
Active Warnings:
Updated Sun Mar 25 10:40:29 2001
Special Marine
Florida
* SPECIAL MARINE WARNING FOR...
WATERS FROM APALACHICOLA, FL TO THE SUWANNEE RIVER EXTENDING
OUT TO 60 NM FROM SHORE. * UNTIL 1130 AM EST...
Louisiana
* SPECIAL MARINE WARNING FOR...
COASTAL WATERS FROM PASCAGOULA MS TO LONG BEACH MISSISSIPPI OUT
10 NM OVER GULF OF MEXICO WATERS * UNTIL 1045 PM CST
Non Precipitation
Alabama
FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT TONIGHT...
Severe Thunderstorm
Idaho
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... SOUTHEASTERN CANYON COUNTY
IN SOUTHWEST IDAHO * UNTIL 900 AM MST
Winter Storm
Michigan
COLDER AIR MOVING ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN...WILL RESULT IN LAKE EFFECT
SNOW SHOWERS THROUGH TONIGHT.
New York
...MORE LAKE EFFECT SNOW DOWNWIND OF LAKES ERIE AND ONTARIO...
=> Severe Weather Probability Forecast
The forecast probability of an event is by the stated percentage or greater
for the event, within 25 miles of any point for the area described.
Tornado Risk - Slight
There is less than a 2% probability of a tornado.
Hail Risk - Slight
There is less than a 5% probability of hail 3/4 inch or larger.
Wind Risk - Slight
There is less than a 5% probability of winds in excess of 50 knots.
Tomorrow's Risk -
There is less than a 5% probability of any severe weather tomorrow.
=> Precipitation Forecast, Excessive Rainfall, Heavy Snow And/Or
Significant
Icing Forecast
Precipitation Forecast
The 24 hour precipitation forecast is calling for less than 1 inch of
precipitation.
The 24 - 48 hour precipitation forecast is calling for less than 1 inch of
precipitation.
Excessive Rainfall Forecast
Rainfall is not expected to exceed flash flood values.
USA heavy snow and/or significant icing
>From noon to midnight today EST the probability of snow exceding warning
thresholds is less than
20%
The moderate probability area covers
The high probability area covers
The probability of 1/4 inch or greater of ice accumulation is less than 20%
>From midnight to noon tomorrow EST the probability of 4 inches or greater of
snow is low over
extreme central west Colorado, southwest Kansas, northwest Oklahoma except
the central and
western panhandle, extreme northeastern portion of the Texas panhandle,
central east Pennsylvania,
northwest New Jersey, and the western portion of southeast New York.
The probability of 1/4 inch or greater of ice accumulation is less than 20%
Current USA Snow and Ice Cover
http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/surface/us_NESDISsnow.gif
=> USA Flood Report
The USA Flood Report and Forecast has not been updated.
=> USA Fire Report and Forecast
INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SITUATION REPORT FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 2001 - 1000
MST
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL 1
CURRENT SITUATION:
Three new large fires were reported in the Southern Area and six large
fires were contained. Initial
attack activity decreased in the Southern Area due to precipitation during
the past week. Eastern
Area is starting to report an increase in fire activity.
SOUTHERN AREA LARGE FIRES:
JOE JR., Florida Division of Forestry. This fire is near Lakeport, FL.
Crews continue with mop up.
No additional information received.
RED BEACH, Florida Division of Forestry. This fire is in Highlands County,
FL. Mop up is
continuing.
MULTI COMMAND, Florida Division of Forestry. This fire is in Dade County,
FL. Crews
continue to mop up and monitor firelines. No additional information
received.
SUMMERSET COMMAND, Florida Division of Forestry. This fire is in Martin
County, FL.
Crews continue to mop up and monitor firelines. No additional information
received.
OUTLOOK:
High pressure near Tallahassee, Florida continues to dominate, producing
light winds and a few high
clouds. Tennessee and northern Arkansas will see an increasing chance of
showers late today as a
cold front moves southward. Regional high temperatures will range in the low
60's to mid 70's, with
southern Florida approaching the 80's. Unstable air over the central states
will produce a chance of
showers across northeastern Nevada, Utah and western Colorado. Much of the
West will remain
warm and mild with the eastern portions of Montana and Wyoming a little
cooler and cloudy due to
a passing cold front. Montana, Wyoming and Colorado will have high
temperatures in the mid 40's
to mid 50's, with upper 50's and upper 60's over Washington, Oregon, Nevada
and over the Four
Corners area. California will be in the 60's along the coast, 50's in the
Sierras and in the low 70's to
low 80's in the valleys. Most of Arizona and New Mexico will have high
temperatures in the 70's to
low 80's.
A cold front stretching from Lake Erie to Kansas and Oklahoma will bring
cooler air southward
today. Most of the region will see sunny skies with a few clouds. There will
be a chance of showers
later in the day over Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. High temperatures will
be in the 20's across
North Dakota and northern Minnesota. South Dakota, most of Minnesota, Iowa,
Wisconsin and
Michigan will be in the 30's to 40's. From Nebraska south to Kansas high
temperatures will be in the
50's. Kansas, Oklahoma and north Texas will be in the 60's and 70's, with
southern portions of
Texas reaching in the low 80's.
The precipitation over the Northeast will change to snow as the storm moves
northward. The
chance of snow will gradually decrease throughout the day. High temperatures
will reach into the
30's and lower 40's in the northern part of the region, the mid 40's to mid
50's over Connecticut
south into West Virginia. Virginia and Maryland will have high temperatures
into the 60's.
=> USA Earthquake Report
UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
NATIONAL EARTHQUAKE INFORMATION CENTER
GOLDEN, COLORADO
LISTS OF U.S. EARTHQUAKES IN THE LAST 30 HOURS
Prepared by USGS/NEIC 2001 MAR 25 at 00:15 UTC
NO EVENTS
Magnitude : 3.3 Ml
Time : 24 Mar 2001 04:41:24 PM PST
Location : 5 mi. S of Rancho Cucamonga, CA
MAGNITUDE: 4.5
70 MILES N OF DENALI PARK HDQTS., AK.
45 MILES W OF FAIRBANKS, AK.
TIME: 0235 AST 03/25/2001
=> Yesterday's USA Severe Weather Reports
Note: All data is considered preliminary
Tornado Reports
No reports received
Hail Reports
Time Size Location County State Lat Lon Comments
0505 75 CATAHOULA ST MARTIN LA 3028 9174 (LCH)
0515 100 GRAFORD TX 3293 9825 QUARTER HAIL IN GRAFORD. REPORTED BY
COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. (FTW)
0515 100 GRAFORD PALO PINTO TX 3293 9825 QUARTER HAIL IN GRAFORD.
REPORTED BY COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. (FTW)
Wind Reports
No reports received
Fields marked UNK are unknown
All Times UTC
Wind Gusts in MPH
Hail Sizes in 1/100 of an Inch (75 = 0.75")
=> Guest Column
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**** ARTICLES ****
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=> April Is Tsunami Awareness Month In Hawaii
Tsunami Education a Priority in Hawaii and West Coast States
Last month's earthquake in Seattle should serve as a wake-up call to the
looming, deadly threat of
tsunamis, said Charles McCreery, director of NOAA's Pacific Tsunami Warning
Center in Hawaii.
"We can't accurately predict when and where earthquakes will occur, but we
can determine if a
tsunami is generated and help the public learn how best to protect
themselves and their families from
harm."
NOAA's National Weather Service operates two tsunami warning centers. The
Pacific Tsunami
Warning Center in Ewa Beach conducts research and monitors tsunamis for
Hawaii and U.S. and
international interests in the Pacific Basin. The West Coast and Alaska
Tsunami Warning Center in
Palmer has warning responsibility for Alaska, British Columbia, Washington,
Oregon, and California.
The centers work very closely with state emergency managers, the U.S.
Geological Survey, and the
Federal Emergency Management Agency to mitigate potential tsunami hazards.
Although rare, tsunamis can be generated by earthquakes, landslides,
underwater slumps, volcanic
eruptions and even meteor impacts. Tsunamis are not just one huge wave but
several waves that
behave more like surges of water that carry debris rapidly onshore. Large
tsunamis can destroy
everything in their path and can cause fires if fuel lines or storage areas
are breached. According to
NOAA's International Tsunami Information Center, between 1692 and 1998, 13
major tsunamis
occurred in different parts of the world, and over 197,000 lives were lost.
The most devasting tsunamis in Hawaii's history were generated by distant
earthquakes and arrived
several hours later. With today's fast speed communications systems used by
the Tsunami Warning
Centers, distant tsunamis can be announced with adequate time to evacuate.
But even advanced technologies cannot predict a tsunami caused by a near
shore source in time for
wide public notification. In these situations, the earthquake itself could
provide the earliest warning.
After the ground stops shaking, people near coastal areas should move to
higher ground or inland
immediately. An earthquake or underwater landslide close to shore could
generate a tsunami within
minutes.
Strides are being made in tsunami education and research. Following Hawaii's
example, tsunami
scientists are developing inundation models and evacuation maps in west
coast states. Hawaii's maps
are published in the county phone directories and show where shelters are
located. Alaska is
developing inundation maps for Kodiak, Women's Bay, and Homer-Seldovia.
California has
completed mapping for San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San
Francisco-San Mateo, and is
working on the Central Coast. The Coos Bay, Oregon, inundation map is
finished and maps for
Waldport, Rockaway, and Florence are in preparation. Washington is
completing maps for Juan de
Fuca St., Port Townsend, Port Angeles, Neah Bay, La Push, and Puget Sound.
With assistance from NOAA's National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program, new
tsunami
curriculum has been developed for Washington, Oregon, and California schools
as well as video
instruction. Earthquake and tsunami evacuation drills are conducted
regularly in Washington and
Oregon schools. Tsunami interpretive signs have been installed along coastal
areas in California,
Washington, and Oregon, as well as evacuation signs. In Hawaii, survivor
stories are being collected
and filed and computer modeling for distance source and local source
tsunamis is in progress.
NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Lab in Seattle operates four deep water
tsunami detection
buoys off the coasts of Alaska and Oregon that transmit live wave data to
the Tsunami Warning
Centers. Seismic networks are being upgraded.
"We know a great deal about tsunamis and there is more to learn. But all
this knowledge doesn't
matter if the public isn't aware of the danger. Our goal is not to alarm,
but to remind the public about
safety precautions," said McCreery. "That's why we support Tsunami Awareness
Month by
sponsoring open houses, exhibits at public events like the Earth Day Fair in
Hilo, and giving safety
talks at libraries."
Additional information is available at the following Web sites:
International Tsunami Information Center: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/pr/hq/itic
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/pr/ptwc
WC/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center: http://wcatwc.gov
Tsunami research: http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tsunami-hazard
=> A Guide for Applying Information Technology in Law Enforcement (March
2001)
Prepared by: National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center
(NLECTC) Southeast
For the: National Institute of Justice/Office of Science and Technology
Description:
This guide is intended to help law enforcement practitioners plan and
implement information system
upgrades and address connectivity and data sharing issues. It is intended to
be a primer rather than a
definitive treatise on the subject. The authors' goal is to help public
safety agencies better integrate
such public safety information systems as computer-aided dispatch, records
management,
geographical information systems, and mobile computing. Using the principles
outlined in this guide,
law enforcement professionals can choose the technologies that best suit
their needs and incorporate
them into their day-to-day operations.
To order, contact:
National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center 800-248-2742
asknlectc{at}nlectc.org
=> Board to Investigate Fatal BP Amoco Explosion
(Washington, DC - March 21, 2001): The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard
Investigation Board
(CSB) has dispatched a second investigative team to the site of a fatal
explosion at a Georgia
plastics manufacturing facility. The team will carry on work begun shortly
after the incident by a CSB
preliminary assessment team. The blast early on the morning of March 13 left
three dead at the BP
Amoco Polymers plant in Augusta. The explosion initiated a secondary
chemical fire that took five
hours to bring under control.
The incident occurred during maintenance operations on equipment used to
produce Amodel, a
high-temperature plastic used in automobile parts. Workers were unbolting a
five-foot cover plate
from a process vessel when the explosion occurred. Two workers were killed
instantly, and a third
was pronounced dead later. The first CSB team arrived within twenty-four
hours of the event.
According to the CSB investigators, the vessel was used to collect process
wastes during the startup
and shutdown of the polymer production line. On this occasion, production
was shut down after an
abortive start-up attempt. Preliminary evidence indicates the vessel may
have contained process
materials that continued to react together generating pressurized steam.
Workers were evidently
unaware of the accumulated pressure when they began unbolting the cover
plate. The violent rupture
shifted the nine-foot vessel, bent six-inch pipes, and sent the cover plate
flying.
"Clearly the startup and shutdown of processes can introduce unforeseen
hazards. Our immediate
priority is to understand the source of the pressure in the vessel and
determine why workers had no
warning of the imminent danger," said Board Member Dr. Andrea Kidd Taylor.
"At present, the
investigation is examining the overall process design, the company's hazard
evaluation process, and
the adequacy of procedures. This incident may prove to involve an
unanticipated reactive chemical
hazard," Taylor said, noting that the CSB already has underway a special
study of such hazards.
The CSB is an independent federal agency whose mission is to ensure the
safety of workers and the
public by preventing chemical incidents. The CSB is a scientific
investigatory organization, not an
enforcement or regulatory body. The Board determines the root causes of
accidents, issues safety
recommendations, and performs special studies on chemical safety issues.
More information about the activities of the Chemical Safety Board is
available on the CSB website
at http://www.chemsafety.gov.
=> ISDR Seeking Examples of Volunteers in Disaster Reduction
The United Nations Secretariat for the ISDR is currently organizing
activities and preparing materials
for the 2001 World Disaster Reduction Campaign on "Countering Disasters:
Targeting Vulnerability"
(see DR #340). Sub-themes will include: "The Role of Science and Technology
in Disaster
Reduction," "Building Disaster Resistant Infrastructure," and "Mobilizing
Local Communities in
Reducing Disasters." The secretariat welcomes suggestions for possible
materials to incorporate into
the campaign.
The secretariat is also preparing an exhibit for the Geneva-based U.N. Open
Doors Day (October
2001), which will focus on the work of volunteers. Thus the secretariat is
seeking examples of
volunteer work in disaster reduction around the world. The exhibit will not
only be used for the
Geneva-based U.N. Open Doors Day but will also become a traveling exhibit to
be used
worldwide. Please send descriptions of volunteer work in disaster reduction
by individuals or
organizations to Nicole Appel, Promotion and Awareness Officer, ISDR
Secretariat, United
Nations, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland; tel: (41-22)
917-9706; fax:
(41-22) 917-9098; e-mail: appeln{at}un.org.
=> Blackouts Will Not Affect Usgs Earthquake Monitoring Or Posting Of
Information
Power outages that may occur on the San Francisco peninsula will not affect
the earthquake
monitoring ability of the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park.
"All our computer systems in the earthquake monitoring area have
continually-charged batteries, so if
power is lost, they go right on operating. If we were without power long
enough to start draining the
batteries, we have a large diesel-powered electrical generator that can be
used indefinitely to
produce power to run the computers," said Mary Lou Zoback, chief of the USGS
earthquake
hazards team. "We'll continue to receive signals from our network of
seismometers, and will be able
to convey that data to the public officials who rely on it."
Whether or not others are able to access the USGS data on computers depends,
of course, on
whether or not the user has a back-up power source to keep their computers
operating.
Having back-up generators is not new to the USGS earthquake program. On Oct.
17, 1989, when
the Loma Prieta earthquake knocked out most electrical power on the
peninsula, crucial
earthquake-monitoring computers at the USGS had back-up battery power, and
no incoming data
from seismometers was lost. As the night wore on and the batteries began to
weaken, USGS
technicians hooked the computers up to a diesel-powered generator and were
able to continue
monitoring the hundreds of aftershocks from that earthquake, until
electrical power was restored to
the building on October 18.
In 1998 a back-up electrical system was installed that can generate 300
kilowatts of electricity,
which assures that no data will be lost in future earthquakes. The main
generator has a 1,000-gallon
tank for diesel oil and can run for 200 hours on that 1,000 gallons.
The USGS, in cooperation with UC Berkeley, maintains a network of more than
500 seismometers
throughout northern California that send signals by satellite, radio
transmitters and telephone lines to
Menlo Park, anytime the earth moves. As soon as a signal is received in
Menlo Park, it is analyzed
by computers that determine the location of the earthquake's epicenter, by
longitude and latitude; the
magnitude, or amount of energy released by the earthquake; and the exact
Pacific Standard or
Daylight time that the earthquake occurred. That information is immediately
posted to the USGS
web site at http://quake.wr.usgs.gov, where it can be accessed by anyone
with a computer, internet
server and electrical power.
In addition to having back-up power for the earthquake-monitoring computers,
the USGS also has a
generator to provide uninterrupted power to maintain refrigeration systems
in its water-analysis
laboratories.
In case of a power outage, public functions of the USGS, such as its map
sales center and access to
its earth-science library will not be available.
=> Classified Ads
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Gives you new directions if you miss a turn, encounter traffic, or choose
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GPS receiver picks up satellite signals and uses them to pinpoint your
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Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
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FREE 30 days of StormWarn by Email, Pager, PCS/GSM Phone, Business Fax at no
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=> Links Area
Rice Calls on Industry to Help on Internet Security
NSC Adviser Cites Y2K Efforts as Model
http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43079-2001Mar22.html
Foot and Mouth Disease.
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/fmd/index.html
Nation's Airlines Announce Airport Priorities --
Measures Designed to Increase Capacity, Alleviate Delays and Gridlock
http://www.air-transport.org/public/news/view2001.asp
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
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