Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Important Notice

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Significant National Weather:

West
Showers and mountain snow continue across the northern Intermountain and Northern Rockies.  Lows will range from between 10 degrees and the 20s in the Rockies to the 40s and low 50s in the lower elevations of California. One to four inches of rain are expected in western Oregon with additional snow in the Cascades.

Midwest/South
Showers will continue to stay in the Southern Plains as the main band of rain and some thunderstorms head from the Mississippi Valley into the western Great Lakes and Lower Ohio Valley.  Temperatures will be 55 to 70 degrees in the Plains and 50 to 64 degrees in the Great Lakes and mid-Mississippi/Ohio Valleys.  Rain and thunderstorms will continue to travel along the Texas Panhandle into the Southern eastern portion of the U.S.  An additional one to six inches of rain are likely across Arkansas and Louisiana which may produce flash flooding.

Northeast
Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms over the southern Mid-Atlantic.  Temperatures will be 15 to 41 degrees above average. (NOAA, National Weather Service and media sources)

Severe Weather Outbreak:

Texas
The National Weather Service has confirmed that two tornadoes (an EF1 & EF2) touched down in Medina County near San Antonio on Monday, March 19.  The NWS has also confirmed that an EF2 tornado touched down in Bexar County on Monday.  Devine was the area hardest hit in Medina County; media has reported that as many as 50 homes were damaged and five people were injured in Devine.  One American Red Cross shelter was open overnight in Devine with 13 occupants. (NSS March 21 Midnight Report)  In Bexar County, media reported damage to roofs and numerous power lines down.  Thirty-five thousand customers were reported without power at the peak of the outages.  Restoration continues; as of 7:00 p.m EDT, less than 3,000 customers were reported without power; complete power restoration is expected March 21.  The Texas EOC has not activated; there have been no requests for FEMA assistance.

Louisiana
Possible tornado touch downs in Sabine and Natchitoches parishes were reported to the NWS on March 20.  The NWS in Lake Charles, Louisiana reports that 6 to 10 inches of rain have fallen over several parishes in portions of western Louisiana over the past 12 hours; an additional 1 to 2 inches of rain per hour is likely for next several hours.  Flash flooding /flooding is expected in many areas; several locations along the Calcasieu, Vermilion and Atchafalaya rivers are at minor or major flood.  Numerous roads are closed or impassable in many areas. The Louisiana EOC (GOHSEP) is activated at the Crisis Action Team level.  The GOHSEP Operations Section is monitoring the situation and reporting, as needed.

Arkansas
A tornado was reported on March 19 near the towns of Unionville (pop. 390) and Cedarville (pop. 1,133) in Crawford County; no major damage was reported.  The Arkansas EOC has reported that straight line winds caused property damage in Morrilton (pop. 6,767) and Midway (pop. 1,064) in Baxter County.  The straight line winds have not been confirmed by the NWS.  The high winds in Morrilton destroyed two storage buildings at the fairgrounds and damaged at least 25 homes.  Several power lines are down throughout Morrilton; 3,000 customers are reported without power; time of restoration is unknown.  Twelve mobile homes in a mobile home park in Midway were reported damaged.  No injuries have been reported and no shelters are open.  The Arkansas EOC is not activated, and there are no requests for FEMA assistance.

River Ice Update as of March 21, 2012

Ice has melted or released on most waterways due to the recent warm spell and an unusually mild winter, reducing the risk of ice jam flooding. There is ice still reported on some rivers in Northern Maine. Lingering ice cover on northern Michigan Rivers should be out by the end of the week. Rises in stages due to snowmelt and ice jamming were seen this past week along the James River in South Dakota, the Peshekee River near Champion, Michigan, and the Missouri River near Williston, North Dakota. On Saturday, a jam on Beavercreek near Dubois, Idaho, caused minor flooding, but was cleared by backhoes.

Space Weather

No space weather storms were observed for the past 24 hours.   No space weather storms are predicted for the next 24 hours. (SWPC)

Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments

Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments are underway in the following states: Louisiana, Kentucky and West Virginia.

Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

Oaxaca Region, Mexico
At 2:02 p.m.  EDT,  on March 20, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake occurred 15 miles east of Ometepec, Guerrero, Mexico, 84 miles SSW of Huajuapan de Leon, Oaxaca, Mexico and 200 miles SSE of Mexico City.  Moderate shaking was reported in Acapulco and Oaxaca.  Media is reporting 800 homes damaged/collapsed in town of Iqualapa, state of Guerrero, close to the center of the earthquake (preliminary); additional collapsed homes were reported in Ometepec, 15 miles east of the earthquake’s epicenter.  Minor damages were reported in Mexico City and Oaxaca City.  There were no immediate reports of serious injuries or fatalities.  There are an unspecified number of minor injuries in Mexico City and the Mexico health system is reported to be operating normally.  Water and gas utilities remain intact.  Telephone service was disrupted and power outages are reported in parts of Mexico City and the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca & Veracruz. The Mexico City Airport closed briefly but has reopened and is fully operational.  The U.S Embassy in Mexico City was evacuated as a precaution; however, only minor damages were reported to the Embassy.  The Nuclear Power Plant in Veracruz, Mexico received no damages and remains operational.  More than 16 aftershocks ranging from magnitude 4.0 to 5.3 have been recorded near the epicenter since the magnitude 7.4 earthquake.  No tsunami was generated and there are no requests for international assistance from FEMA and none are anticipated. (USGS, FEMA, Media) 

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

On March 20, 2012: Amendment No. 5 to FEMA-4057-DR-KY adds Ballard County for Public Assistance and adds Johnson, Kenton, Larue, Pendleton, Trimble, and Wolfe counties for Public Assistance (already designated for Individual Assistance).  (FEMA HQ) 

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Significant National Weather

West

A new storm moving onshore over the Pacific Northwest will produce light rain along parts of the coast and snow at the highest elevations. Temperatures will be 15 to 25 degrees below average over portions of the Southern and Central Rockies and portions of the Central and Southern High Plains. High pressure over the Great Basin will aid in the development of strong gusty winds over parts of southwestern California. A Red Flag Warning remains in effect through Thursday for the Lake Meade National Recreation area and the Colorado River Valley.

Northeast

An approaching cold front will bring rain into the region today. Temperatures will be 15 to 20 degrees above average across parts of the Northeast and northern Mid-Atlantic.

South

Heavy rain and severe thunderstorms are possible across eastern Texas and parts of the Lower Mississippi Valley with some storms possibly producing damaging winds, hail, isolated tornadoes and localized flash flooding. Rainfall accumulations will likely exceed one inch, with some areas possibly approaching three inches by Saturday morning. This system will gradually move eastward, producing showers and thunderstorms along the eastern Gulf Coast and parts of the Southeast by Friday evening.

Midwest

A weakening system moving southeastward out of central Canada will produce light snow over portions of the Upper Great Lakes and into parts of the Northeast and lower Great Lakes by Friday evening.

Severe Weather Outbreaks - Update

Severe thunderstorms began in the Midwest on February 28, 2012, and moved across the Ohio & Tennessee Valleys through February 29, 2012. A second system began in the Midwest on March 2, 2012, and moved across the Ohio & Tennessee Valleys and into the Southeast US through March 3, 2012. These two storm systems created high winds, large hail, heavy rain, and 77 confirmed tornadoes across 14 states. Widespread damages, electrical and power disruptions, numerous injuries, and 54 confirmed fatalities resulted from the storms. State Emergency Operations Centers remain open in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia.  Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments are ongoing, or are scheduled to begin, in Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Illinois and Tennessee.  All states have had power and water services fully restored.  On March 7, 2012, there were four shelters open in Kentucky with 65 occupants and five shelters open in Indiana with eight occupants.

All FEMA regional offices and the FEMA National Watch Center remain at Watch/Steady State. FEMA Region IV Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) and a FEMA liaison officer remains deployed to the Interim Operating Facility in Frankfort, Kentucky. Three Mobile Communications Office Vehicles are also deployed to Kentucky.  The FEMA Region V IMAT deployed to the Indiana State Emergency Operations Center is scheduled to begin their redeployment to home station on March 8, 2012.  The FEMA Logistics Incident Support Base at Fort Campbell, Kentucky will begin commodities retrograde on March 8, 2012. 

Severe Weather – Hawaii

The storm system that began on March 3, 2012, and caused damage to private and public property in the County of Kauai and the City & County of Honolulu, State of Hawai’i continues to weaken and slide north away from the Islands. With the exception of portions of Kuhio Hwy and Kapaa Bypass Road, all highways/roads have reopened. All Emergency Operation Centers have returned to normal operations and all shelters are closed. The Hawaii National Guard is not activated.  There were no impacts to critical infrastucture or key resources; local damage assessments are continuing. At this time, there are no requests for FEMA assistance.

Space Weather

Space weather for the past 24 hours has been strong, with G2 geomagnetic storms and S3 solar radiation storms occurring. Space weather for the next 24 hours is predicted to be strong, with G3 geomagnetic storms, S3 solar radiation storms and R2 radio blackouts expected. 

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

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Significant National Weather:

West
Critical Fire Weather conditions continue for far southern Arizona, much of New Mexico, far west Texas and portions of the Texas Panhandle. Extremely critical fire weather conditions are likely across southwestern New Mexico, where wind gusts to near 50 mph are forecast.   Snowfall will continue across much of the western two-thirds of Utah and southwest Wyoming until this afternoon.

Northeast
Generally dry and sunny conditions are expected across most of the region today, with temperatures ranging from 10-20 degrees above average. Gusty winds will develop near the coast and around the eastern Great Lakes. A Red Flag Warning is in effect through this evening for eastern Pennsylvania and most of New Jersey.  Enhanced Fire Weather conditions are expected this afternoon with gusty southwest winds and low relative humidity values. 

South
Showers will begin to develop over the Southern Plains and Middle Mississippi Valley by this evening and will move east into the Tennessee Valley and Northeast by late Thursday. Heavy rain is possible across portions of the Lower Mississippi Valley. Above average temperatures are expected across the Southern High Plains, with temperature highs ranging from 10 to 20 degrees above average. Critical Fire Weather conditions and Red Flag Warnings are in effect across western Texas and portions of the Texas Panhandle as a result of gusty winds and low relative humidity.

Midwest
Showers will increase from eastern Kansas to Michigan today, ahead of a cold front approaching from the west. Temperatures ahead of the cold front will be 10-20 degrees above average, while those behind the front will be well below average. Some snow flurries are possible across the Northern and Central Plains, though no significant accumulations are expected.

Severe Weather Outbreaks - Update

Severe thunderstorms began in the Midwest on February 28, 2012, and moved across the Ohio & Tennessee Valleys through February 29, 2012. A second system began in the Midwest on March 2, 2012, and moved across the Ohio & Tennessee Valleys and into the Southeast US through March 3, 2012. These two storm systems created high winds, large hail, heavy rain, and tornadoes. National Weather Service ground teams have confirmed a total of 77 tornadoes across 14 states. Widespread damages, electrical and water disruptions were reported. All states have power fully restored or only sporadic power outages remaining. Power to water treatment plants in Kentucky are restored, cutting the number of customers without water service from nearly 30,000 to 260.  The American Red Cross reports one shelter open in Kentucky with 53 occupants. State Emergency Operations Centers remain open in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments are ongoing in Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia, Illinois, Ohio and Tennessee.

FEMA Regional Administrators remain in contact with officials in the affected states and no unmet needs are identified. The FEMA Region VII Regional Response Coordination Center remains at Level III (partial activation); all other FEMA Regions and the FEMA National Watch Center remain at Watch/Steady State. FEMA Region IV Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) and a FEMA liaison officer remain deployed to the Interim Operating Facility in Frankfort, Kentucky, and additional liaisons are on standby for Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The FEMA Region V IMAT and one liaison are deployed to the Indiana State Emergency Operations Center. The FEMA Logistics Incident Support Base at Fort Campbell, Kentucky remains operational with pre-positioned commodities and medical kits.

Severe Weather – Hawaii

Heavy rains, landslides, high winds and flooding began on March 3, 2012 and continue to cause extensive damage to private and public property in the County of Kauai and the City & County of Honolulu, State of Hawai’i. The Governor signed an Emergency Proclamation for Kauai and Honolulu. The State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is not activated; however, Kauai & Oahu county EOCs are partially activated.  Preliminary 3-day rainfall data shows some areas of Kauai have received up to 36 inches of rain and portions of Oahu have received almost 16 inches. Showers may linger over the eastern half of Kauai through Thursday, but should be much weaker. The Hawaii National Guard is activated to support local response efforts. At least one bridge and numerous roads and schools are closed in Kauai. There are three shelters open with 85 occupants. There are no requests for FEMA assistance.

Space Weather:

Space weather for the past 24 hours has been strong. G2geomagnetic storms, S1 Solar radiation storms and radio blackouts reaching the R3 level occurred. Space weather for the next 24 hours is predicted to be moderate, with G2 geomagnetic storms, S1 solar radiation storms and R1 radio blackouts expected.

Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

Kentucky
On March 6, 2012, the President approved major disaster declaration FEMA-4057-DR for the Commonwealth of Kentucky as a result of severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding that occurred from February 29, 2012, to March 3, 2012. This declaration specifically provides Individual Assistance for Johnson, Kenton, Laurel, Lawrence, Menifee, Morgan and Pendleton counties. Requests for Public Assistance are under review. All counties in the Commonwealth of Kentucky are eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. The Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) is Elizabeth Turner of the National FCO Program.

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Significant National Weather:

West
Snow is expected over parts of the Pacific Northwest, Northern and Central Rockies, parts of the Great Basin and higher elevations of northern and central California. Rain is expected over parts of central and southern California through Wednesday morning. Winds from 25 to 35-mph, with gusts up to  60-mph, are expected from interior southern California, across the Southwest and into southern Utah and northern Arizona through this evening. These winds, combined with low relative humidity and warm temperatures, will result in critical fire weather conditions for southern Arizona, New Mexico, southeastern Wyoming and the Lower Colorado River Valley.

Northeast
With the exception of the Great Lakes and New York, where patchy areas of rain and snow near the Canadian border will continue, precipitation has come to an end across the region. Winds will increase across western Pennsylvania and western New York this afternoon. Below normal temperatures are forecast for the New England and the Mid-Atlantic area, where lows will range from 0 degrees near the Canadian border to the 20s in Virginia.

South
Sunny skies will extend from the Lower Mississippi Valley into the Southeast with the exception of portions of the central Texas and the eastern coast of southern Florida, where scattered showers are expected. Above normal temperatures are expected for the Southern High Plains, with temperature highs expected to be 10 to 20 degrees above average.

Midwest
A front extending from the Northern High Plains southwestward to central California will move eastward, delivering snow to the Upper Great Lakes and Central Plains through Wednesday evening.  Sunny to partly cloudy conditions are expected across the region. Sustained winds of 30 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph, are forecast across Kansas and Missouri. 

Severe Weather Outbreaks - Update

Severe thunderstorms began in the Midwest on February 28, 2012, and moved across the Ohio & Tennessee Valleys through February 29, 2012. A second system began in the Midwest on March 2, 2012, and moved across the Ohio & Tennessee Valleys and into the Southeast US through March 3, 2012. These two storm systems created high winds, large hail, heavy rain, and tornadoes. National Weather Service ground teams continue to conduct surveys, confirming 13 more tornado touchdowns for a total of 77 confirmed tornadoes across 14 states. Approximately 8,601 customers remain without power across Kentucky and Tennessee; all other States report full restoration or fewer than 1,000 outages. The U.S. Department of Energy reported peak outages of nearly 157,000 for states affected by the storms. Power to water treatment plants in Kentucky has been restored, cutting the number of customers without water service from nearly 30,000 to 15,500. American Red Cross and partner shelters remained open in only two states; fourteen in Kentucky with 145 occupants and five in Illinois, with no occupants.

Although response activities continue, the local, state and federal focus is moving toward recovery operations. State Emergency Operations Centers remain open in Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDAs) are ongoing in Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia. PDAs in Illinois, Ohio and Tennessee are scheduled to begin today. FEMA Regional Administrators remain in contact with officials in the affected states and no unmet needs have been identified. The FEMA Region VII Regional Response Coordination Center remains at Level III (partial activation); all other FEMA Regions and the FEMA National Watch Center have returned to Watch/Steady State. FEMA Region IV deployed an Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) and a Liaison Officer (LNO) to the Interim Operating Facility in Frankfort, Kentucky, and additional LNOs have been identified and are on standby for Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. FEMA Region V IMAT and one LNO remain deployed to the Indiana State EOC. The FEMA Logistics Incident Support Base at Fort Campbell, Kentucky remains operational with pre-positioned commodities and medical kits. 

Space Weather:

Space weather for the past 24 hours has been minor. Radio blackouts reaching the R1 level occurred. Space weather for the next 24 hours is predicted to be minor, with radio blackouts reaching the R1 level expected.

Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

Washington
On March 5, 2012, the President signed Major Disaster Declaration FEMA-4056-DR for the State of Washington for Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides that occurred during the incident period January 14-23, 2012. The declaration provides for Public Assistance for Clallam, Grays Harbor, King, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Pierce, Skamania, Snohomish, Thurston, and Wahkiakum counties, and Hazard Mitigation statewide.

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Significant National Weather:

Northeast
A wintry mix of rain and snow is forecast for the southern Mid-Atlantic today. Snow accumulations will range from 1 to 4 inches in portions of the Central Appalachians, West Virginia and southwest Virginia. Light snow is expected from northwest Pennsylvania to northern New England. Below normal temperatures are forecast for the New England and the Mid-Atlantic area, where temperature highs are expected to be 15 degrees below average.

South
A wintry mix of light rain and snow is expected for eastern Tennessee and North Carolina. Minor snow accumulations are possible in the higher terrain. The remainder of the region is forecast to be clear and dry. Red Flag Warnings will be in effect for portions of the Southeast and Southern/Central Plains through this evening due to low relative humidity and high winds. Above normal temperatures are expected for the southern High Plains, with temperature highs expected to be 10 to 20 degrees above average.

Midwest
Scattered snow showers are expected for northern Minnesota; however, snow accumulation will be minor. One to four inches of snow will develop in eastern Kentucky but the remainder of the region will be dry. Above normal temperatures are expected for the Northern Plains, with temperature highs expected to be 10 to 20 degrees above average.

West
Rain and mountain snow will continue in the Pacific Northwest, Northern Intermountain and Northern California regions today. Lower elevation rain is expected to be light; however, the Cascades may see up to a foot of new snow. High winds of 20-30 mph, with gusts to 65 mph, are expected in the Great Basin, Southwest and Southern California regions through this evening. 

Severe Weather Outbreaks - Update

Severe thunderstorms began in the Midwest on February 28, 2012, and moved across the Ohio & Tennessee Valleys on February 29, 2012. A second system began in the Midwest on March 2, 2012, and moved across the Ohio & Tennessee Valleys into the Southeast U.S. through March 3, 2012. These two storm systems created multiple high wind, large hail, heavy rain, and tornado events. The National Weather Service confirmed 64 tornado touchdowns across 14 states, ranging from EF-1 to EF-4, resulting in widespread damages, multiple injuries, and 52 confirmed fatalities. Response and recovery efforts continue at the local, state and Federal levels. No unmet needs have been reported. Only 2,700 customers remain without power in Indiana and 8,674 customers remain without power in Kentucky; all other States report less than 1,000 outages or full restoration statewide. A total of 11 American Red Cross and partner shelters were open overnight in the impacted states with a population of 16 people. The Incident Support Base (ISB) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky remains operational with pre-positioned commodities and medical kits. FEMA regional assets are deployed to Kentucky and Indiana, and FEMA Region VII remains at Level III (Partial activation). All other FEMA Regions and the National Watch Center have returned to Watch/Steady State.

Space Weather:

Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Midwest Severe Storms (Feb. 28-29, 2012)

Severe weather began in the Midwest on Tuesday, Feb. 28 and expanded across the Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee Valleys to the Carolinas through this morning. The National Weather Service confirmed seven EF-1 tornadoes in Missouri (5), Indiana (1), and Kentucky (1); eight EF-2 tornadoes in Harveyville, Kan., (1), Missouri (3), Tennessee (1), and Kentucky (3); and one EF-4 tornado in Harrisburg, Ill. Additional assessments continue.

FEMA Region VII
Kansas 
The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-2 tornado struck Harveyville, KS on the Feb. 28, remained on the ground for about four minutes and covered approximately 5 miles. Damage was reported in 13 counties; approximately six homes and one business were destroyed and over 100 structures were damaged. State officials have confirmed one fatality and 18 injuries. Power has been restored to the City of Pittsburg’s (Crawford County) two sewage lift stations, and the Fredonia (Wilson County) water and waste water treatment plants, however, the facilities remain off-line and on generator power. Power outages were minimal statewide as of 2:00 a.m. EST March 2 (down from a peak of 8,230). No shelters were reported overnight. The State Emergency Operation Center is partially activated and is expected to remain activated through Sunday. There are no requests for FEMA assistance.

Missouri
The National Weather Service confirmed three EF-2 tornados and five EF-1 tornado touchdowns on Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 28 and 29, 2012. The City of Branson and 18 counties were affected. Local damage assessments thus far indicate more than 70 homes destroyed and approximately 500 homes and businesses damaged across the state. Three confirmed fatalities and over 80 injuries have been reported statewide. One shelter was open with 24 occupants. Power outages have been generally localized, as of 2:00 a.m. EST this morning power had been restored to most areas (down from a peak of 11,200). The Governor activated 50 National Guardsman to deploy to Branson. The Missouri State EOC is activated at Level 1 (Control Room Activation Only). There are no requests for FEMA assistance.

FEMA Region V
Illinois
The Governor declared a State of Emergency for the bottom third of the state, with specific counties to be named. An EF-4 tornado touched down in Harrisburg (Saline County), IL on Feb. 29, 2012, and 14 counties were impacted by the severe weather. The Saline County Coroner confirmed 6 fatalities attributed to the severe weather with an unknown number of injuries. An estimated 500 homes and 63 businesses were reported in nine separate counties. Harrisburg Medical Center power has been restored. Two Hospitals are operating on generator power. One shelter is open with 12 occupants. As of early this morning power had been restored to most affected areas (down from a peak of 1,500). The State requested Preliminary Damage Assessments for both Individual Assistance and Public Assistance for eight counties. Other counties may be added as additional local assessments are completed. The State EOC is partially activated. There are no requests for FEMA assistance.

Indiana
An EF-1 tornado touch downed in Newburgh (Warrick County) on Feb. 29. Approximately 50 homes and six businesses were reported damaged. No fatalities or injuries were reported. No shelters are open and there are no power outages reported. The State EOC is not activated. There are no requests for FEMA assistance.

FEMA Region IV
Kentucky
The National Weather Service confirmed EF-2 tornadoes struck Elizabethtown and Horntown; an EF-2 and an EF-1 tornado struck LaRue County. Nine counties were affected. Numerous reports of downed trees and power lines and homes/business damaged or destroyed. Damage to a truck plant south of Elizabethtown, Ky., was reported. A major power distribution line in McCracken County was reported down; repair ongoing. There are no reported fatalities; however; numerous injuries, one serious, was reported. One shelter is open in Larue County with no occupants. Approximately 2,200 (down from a peak of 3,800) customers remain without power statewide. The Commonwealth Emergency Operations Center remains at Level I (EOC Standard with Hot Standby Mode (Normal Operations.) There are no requests for FEMA assistance.

Tennessee
Severe storms began on Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012, and continuing. Eight counties have been affected to date. The National Weather Service confirmed an EF1 tornado in DeKalb County and an EF2 tornado in Cumberland County. The State confirmed three fatalities and six injuries. Most structural damage took place in DeKalb and Cumberland Counties; a total of nine homes are reported destroyed and more than 150 homes damaged or affected. Downed trees and debris closed roads in several counties; however all roads are now open. Peak power outages of 2,000 were reported early Thursday morning, March 1. As of 6:00 p.m. on Thursday power outages were minimal and all power was expected to be restored by the end of Thursday. The State EOC escalated activation to Level III (Emergency/Minor Disaster). The Tennessee State EOC is partially activated at Level 3 (Emergency/Minor Disaster). The State requested four FEMA PDA Teams be placed on standby in the event that they are needed after today’s severe weather event.

Significant National Weather:

West:
A Pacific storm system will continue to bring snowfall to much of the Rockies. Mountain snow showers will continue across northern California and Oregon, spreading into the Northern and Central Rockies. Strong winds of 25-35 mph with gusts to 55 mph are also expected in the mountains and deserts of California through this evening.

Midwest:
Heavy snow is possible over portions of the Great Lakes. Severe showers and thunderstorms producing strong winds and large hail are possible today from the Upper Mississippi Valley to the Ohio Valley. There is a slight risk of severe weather from near Lake Erie southward to the central Gulf Coast states. Embedded in the slight risk area is an area of moderate risk for severe weather from the Ohio Valley to the Interior central Gulf Coast. The main threats will be tornadoes, widespread, damaging wind, large hail and flash flooding. Some tornadoes will have the potential to produce long damage paths as well as wind in excess of 100 mph.

South:
Heavy rain is possible over portions of the Southeast. Critical Fire Weather is forecast for far southeast New Mexico and West Texas. Red Flag Warnings are in effect through this evening in these areas.

Northeast:
A low pressure system moving northeast through the Great Lakes Region will spread mixed precipitation across the region today. Precipitation will start as snow before mixing with sleet and or freezing rain. (NOAA, National Weather Service and media sources)

Space Weather:

No space weather storms were observed for the past 24 hours, and no space weather storms are predicted for the next 24 hours.(SWPC) 

Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments are underway in the following states: Illinois and Missouri.

Disaster Declaration Activity

Connecticut
The following amendments, effective February 29, 2012, appoint Albert Lewis of FEMA as the Federal Coordinating Officer vice Stephen M. DeBlasio Sr.: 
Amendment #2 to FEMA-3342-EM-CT
Amendment #4 to FEMA-3331-EM-CT
Amendment #5 to FEMA-4023-DR-CT
Amendment #1 to FEMA-4046-DR-CT(FEMA HQ)

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED)

Significant National Weather:

West: 
Mountain snow showers will continue across northern California and Oregon spreading into the Northern and Central Rockies. Snow accumulations of 1-3 feet are possible in the Cascades and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Strong winds of 15-30 mph with gusts to 50 mph are also expected in the mountains and deserts of California through this evening.

Midwest:
Periods of light to moderate snow is expected to continue today from northern Michigan eastward to central and northern New England. 

South:
Scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue across the Deep South and Southeastern U.S. through the end of the week. A slight risk of severe thunderstorms continues for the Mid-Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee Valleys. Strong winds and low relative humidity will increase the risk of fire danger across most of Texas and portions of New Mexico and Oklahoma; Red Flag Warnings are in effect through this evening in these areas.

Northeast:
A low pressure system will continue to move out of the Great Lakes and into New England today producing snow across Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire through Friday. Accumulations of 4-8 inches are possible. A wintry mix is forecast to change over to snow over parts of upstate New York and northern Pennsylvania. Accumulations of up to four inches of snow with associated ice accumulations are anticipated in portions of New York. Showers and thunderstorms, some severe, will bring a threat of damaging winds, hail, and isolated tornados to the Mid-Atlantic.

Midwest Severe Storms (Feb. 28-29):

Severe weather began in the Midwest on Tuesday, February 28 and expanded across the Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee Valleys to the Carolinas through this morning. The National Weather Service confirmed three EF1 tornadoes in Missouri (2) and Kentucky (1); five EF2 tornadoes in Harveyville, Kansas (1), Missouri (2), Kentucky (2) and one EF4 tornado in Harrisburg, Illinois. An additional, unconfirmed tornado was reported in Cumberland County, Tennessee resulting in two fatalities.

FEMA Region VII
Region VII Regional Response Coordination Center is activated to Level III.
Kansas 
The Governor declared a State of Emergency on Feb. 28, and partially activated the state Emergency Operation Center. Major Damages were reported to 28 homes with two homes destroyed. There were no fatalities, but 12 injuries were reported. As of 1:00 a.m. EST Feb 29, there were 1,558 customers without power. (147 within Harveyville). There are no requests for FEMA assistance.
Missouri
The Governor declared a State of Emergency Feb. 29 and partially activated the state EOC. Damages were reported to over 167 homes, and the state has requested Individual Assistance Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments for 17 counties. Three confirmed fatalities and over 50 injuries have been reported statewide. Two shelters are open with 57 occupants. As of 10:00 p.m. EST, Feb 29, approximately 5,200 customers are without power in the affected areas. The state activated 18 National Guardsmen to support response operations. The Missouri Business EOC was virtually activated to provide communications between the state EOC, FEMA Region VII and private sector liaisons. There are no requests for FEMA assistance.

FEMA Region V
Region V Regional Response Coordination Center remains at Watch/Steady state.
Illinois
The Governor declared a State of Emergency for the bottom third of the state, and partially activated the State Emergency Operation Center. Damages were reported to a strip mall, two hospitals, and 140 homes. Two hospitals are operating on generator power. Six confirmed fatalities with 100 injuries were reported. One shelter is open with 12 occupants. As of 6:00 a.m. (EST) March 1, approximately 2,300 customers were without power across the state. There are no requests for FEMA assistance.
Indiana
The state EOC is not activated. Damages were reported to 20 homes. No fatalities or injuries were reported. No shelters are open and there are no power outages reported. There are no requests for FEMA assistance.

FEMA Region IV
Region IV Regional Response Coordination Center remains at Watch/Steady state.
Kentucky
The State Emergency Operation Center returned to normal operations. No fatalities but several injuries were reported. Damage assessments will resume this morning for affected counties. One shelter is open in LaRue County with six occupants. As of 7:30 p.m. EST, Feb 29, approximately 2,200 customers are without power. The state activated 30 National Guard personnel to support response operations. There are no requests for FEMA assistance.

Space Weather:

 No space weather storms were observed for the past 24 hours, and no space weather storms are predicted for the next 24 hours.

Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)