The USA Disaster Situation Report
The Daily USA Disaster Situation Report
For January 18, 2001
Christopher Effgen, Editor, host{at}disastercenter.com
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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 National Drought Summary -- January 16, 2001
=> Article FEMA Approves Over $200,000 in Grant Funds for the City of
Leavenworth
=> Article Emergency Declaration Issued for Illinois Snowstorms
=> Article Aircraft Accident Report In-flight Breakup Over the Atlantic
Ocean Trans
World Airlines Flight 800
=> Article U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT EL SALVADOR -
Earthquake
=> 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 January 18, 2001
Christopher Effgen, Editor, host{at}disastercenter.com
------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
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=> USA Daily Temperature Extremes
National Temperature Extremes
High Wed...82 At Opa Locka FL
Low Thu...22 Below Zero At Presque Isle ME
=> Special Notes
-- State regulators have ordered rolling blackouts in California for a
second day.
http://www.CNN.com
=> Current Active National Weather Service Warnings:
Active Warnings:
Updated Thu Jan 18 12:50:17 2001
Flash Flood
Arkansas
FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT FOR ALL OF
NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS...AND PORTIONS
OF WEST MISSISSIPPI...
FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TONIGHT FOR SOUTHERN ARKANSAS...
Louisiana
FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT FOR ALL OF
NORTHEAST LOUISIANA..
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR TONIGHT FOR AREAS OF
SOUTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL LOUISIANA
FLOOD WATCH FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS...SOUTHWEST...CENTRAL AND SOUTH-
CENTRAL LOUISIANA THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY MORNING...
FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT FOR THE SOUTHERN
TWO THIRDS OF NORTHEAST TEXAS...ALL OF NORTH LOUISIANA AND
EXTREME SOUTHERN ARKANSAS...
Mississippi
FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT FOR ALL OF
NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS...AND PORTIONS
OF WEST MISSISSIPPI...
...FLOOD WATCH ALSO IN EFFECT TONIGHT ONLY FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN
AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI...
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR TONIGHT FOR AREAS OF
SOUTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL LOUISIANA AND SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI. IN
Flood
Louisiana
FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE CALCASIEU RIVER NEAR OAKDALE...
A FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE LITTLE RIVER NEAR ROCHELLE
LOUISIANA...
A FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR RED CHUTE BAYOU FROM HAUGHTON
LOUISIANA THROUGH ITS CONFLUENCE WITH LOGGY BAYOU IN SOUTHERN
BOSSIER PARISH OF LOUISIANA...
Mississippi
FOR THE UPPER BIG BLACK RIVER...INCLUDING WEST...MINOR FLOODING IS
FORECAST.
Special Marine
Florida
SPECIAL MARINE WARNING FOR...
WATERS FROM JUPITER INLET TO DEERFIELD BEACH, FL EXTENDING FROM 20
NM TO 60 NM... COASTAL WATERS FROM JUPITER INLET TO DEERFIELD BEACH,
FL OUT 20 NM...
* UNTIL 115 PM EST
Winter Storm
Connecticut
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY CONTINUES FOR LATE TONIGHT AND FRIDAY
MORNING...
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LESS THAN TWO INCHES. IT WILL THEN
CHANGE TO FREEZING RAIN.
THE FREEZING RAIN WILL BE RATHER BRIEF ALONG THE SHORE AND TO THE
SOUTH OF BOSTON BUT IT WILL LAST MUCH LONGER ELSEWHERE ESPECIALLY
IN THE INTERIOR VALLEYS AND CONTINUE WELL INTO FRIDAY MORNING.
CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS NORTHERN CONNECTICUT AND SOUTHERN NEW
HAMPSHIRE WILL EXPERIENCE THE MOST ICING AS TEMPERATURES REMAIN
BELOW FREEZING.
Maryland
A MIXTURE OF LIGHT SNOW RAIN SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN MAY CONTINUE
INTO THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS.
New Jersey
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT FOR A PORTION
OF EAST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA AND NORTHWESTERN NEW JERSEY.
New Mexico
SNOW ADVISORY TODAY FOR THE PERMIAN BASIN AND UPPER TRANS PECOS...
.AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM OVER CENTRAL NEW MEXICO THIS MORNING
WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS WEST TEXAS TODAY.
New York
SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATION IS POSSIBLE DURING THE
DAY ON FRIDAY...FROM THE WYOMING VALLEY AND POCONO MOUNTAINS OF
PENNSYLVANIA INTO THE WESTERN CATSKILLS OF NEW YORK. THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY
FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON UNTIL FRIDAY MORNING FOR INTERIOR
SECTIONS OF THE REGION...
Oregon
A WINTERY MIX OF SLEET...FREEZING
RAIN...AND SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER
GORGE TONIGHT.
Pennsylvania
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT FOR A PORTION
OF EAST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA AND NORTHWESTERN NEW JERSEY.
Rhode Island
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY CONTINUES FOR LATE TONIGHT AND FRIDAY
MORNING...
Texas
SNOW ADVISORY TODAY FOR THE PERMIAN BASIN AND UPPER TRANS PECOS...
.AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM OVER CENTRAL NEW MEXICO THIS MORNING
WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS WEST TEXAS TODAY.
HEAVY SNOW WARNING FOR THE DAVIS MOUNTAINS...
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WEST AND EXTREME NORTH TODAY AND
TONIGHT...
Virginia
A MIXTURE OF LIGHT SNOW RAIN SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN MAY CONTINUE
INTO THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS.
Washington
A WINTERY MIX OF SLEET...FREEZING RAIN...AND SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED
ACROSS THE EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER
GORGE TONIGHT.
West Virginia
A WINTERY MIX OF SLEET...FREEZING
RAIN...AND SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER
GORGE TONIGHT.
=> 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 a 2% probability of a tornado over the southeast 1/2 of Louisiana,
the southeast 1/4 of
Mississippi, and far southwest Alabama.
The 5% probability area covers the southeast 1/3 of Louisiana, south
Mississippi, and extreme
southwest Alabama.
Hail Risk - Slight
There is a 5% probability of hail 3/4 inch or larger over the southeast 1/3
of Louisiana, south
Mississippi, and extreme southwest Alabama.
Wind Risk - Slight
There is a 5% probability of winds in excess of 50 knots over the southeast
1/2 of Louisiana, the
southeast 1/3 of Mississippi, far southwest Alabama and extreme western
Florida.
The 15% probability area covers southeast Louisiana, southeast Mississippi,
and extreme west
southwest Alabama.
Tomorrow's Risk -
There is a 5% probability of any severe weather tomorrow over southeast
Louisiana, southeast
Mississippi, Alabama except the far northwest area, southeast Tennessee,
western North Carolina,
northwest South Carolina, Georgia except the southeast area, and the Florida
panhandle.
The 15% probability area covers southeast Louisiana, southeast Mississippi,
the southeast 2/3 of
Alabama, central, central west and southwest Georgia, and the Florida
panhandle.
=> Precipitation Forecast, Excessive Rainfall, Heavy Snow And/Or
Significant
Icing Forecast
Precipitation Forecast
The 24 hour precipitation forecast is calling for over 2 inches of
precipitation over far east southeast
Texas, Louisiana except the southeast 1/3 and the northwest areas, and
central west to southeast
Mississippi.
Over 1 inch is forecast for east southeast Texas, Louisiana except the
southeast and far the
northwest areas, southeast Arkansas, Mississippi except the far southeast
area, the northwest 1/3 of
Alabama, Tennessee except the far northeast and north northwest areas, and
extreme northwest
Georgia.
The 24 - 48 hour precipitation forecast is calling for over 2 inches of
precipitation over far northwest
North Carolina, and central to central south Virginia.
Over 1 inch of rainfall is forecast over southest through central east
Mississippi, Alabama except the
far southeast and extreme northwest areas, the southeast 1/2 of Tennessee,
far southeast Kentucky,
the northwest 1/4 of Georgia, far northwest South Carolina, the northwest
1/3 of North Carolina,
south southwest West Virginia, southern Maryland, and Virginia except the
extreme southeast area.
Excessive Rainfall Forecast
Rainfall may exceed flash flood values over east southeast Texas, Louisiana
except the southeast 1/4
and the far northwest areas, southeast Arkansas, Mississippi except the
southeast 1/4 and extreme
northwest areas, central south Tennessee and far northwest Alabama.
USA heavy snow and/or significant icing
>From noon to midnight today EST the probability of 2 inches or greater of
snow is low over south
central Texas.
The probability of 1/4 inch or greater of ice accumulation is less than 20%
>From midnight to noon tomorrow EST the probability of of 2 inches or greater
of snow is low over
south central Texas.
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
NATIONAL HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS
HYDROLOGIC INFORMATION CENTER
9:00 A.M. EDT, THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2001
FLOOD SUMMARY
MINOR FLOODING IN THE DEEP SOUTH
RAIN FOR THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS OVER THE DEEP SOUTH IN EAST TEXAS,
ARKANSAS, AND LOUISIANA HAS PRODUCED SOME MINOR LOWLAND
FLOODING.
MINOR FLOODING DUE TO MELTWATER AND A LOG JAM UPSTREAM HAS
CAUSED
THE LITTLE WABASH RIVER AT CLAY CITY, ILLINOIS TO EXPERIENCE SOME
MINOR FLOODING.
FLASH FLOODING:
NO FLOOD/FLASH FLOOD AND/OR URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD
ADVISORIES WERE ISSUED.
RIVER FLOODING:
RIVERS AND STREAMS WITH LOCATIONS EITHER ABOVE FLOOD STAGE OR
EXPECTED TO RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE INCLUDE (IN ALPHABETICAL
ORDER, BY STATE):
ILLINOIS: LITTLE WABASH RIVER
LOUISIANA: BAYOU DORCHEAT, BLACK CYPRESS BAYOU, PINE ISLAND BAYOU
AND CALCASIEU RIVER
TEXAS: SOUTH FORK OF THE SABINE, SABINE, SULPHER RIVERS AND WHITE
OAK CREEK.
=> USA Fire Report and Forecast
The USA Fire Report and Forecast has not been updated.
=> 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 JAN 18 at 00:15 UTC
EARTHQUAKES IN SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES
(29.0 TO 35.8 N, 102.0 TO 125.0 W)
Date Time (UTC) Lat Long Depth Magnitude
2001 JAN 17 01:26:33.00 31.9 N 114.6 W 6 km 3.9
40 miles SSE of San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico
EARTHQUAKES IN EASTERN UNITED STATES
(25.0 TO 50.0 N, 65.0 TO 102.0 W)
Date Time (UTC) Lat Long Depth Magnitude
2001 JAN 17 12:34:20.00 40.8 N 73.9 W 5 km 2.5
NEAR New York City, New York
Prepared by USGS/NEIC 2001 JAN 18 at 00:15 UTC
=> Yesterday's USA Severe Weather Reports
Note: All data is considered preliminary
Tornado Reports
No reports received
Hail Reports
No reports received
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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=> National Drought Summary -- January 16, 2001
The South: Moderate to exceptional drought persisted across the Florida
peninsula, as rainfall
amounts stayed under .25 inches. Extreme drought (D3) expanded southward to
include Lake
Okeechobee, which is fractionally above record low levels for this date. To
the north, amounts of
.25 to 1.0 inch had no appreciable impact on the hydrologic drought that
covers much of the
Southeast from southeast Louisiana to Georgia and northward to the Tennessee
Valley.
The Mid-Atlantic: Precipitation amounts remained light from southwestern
Pennsylvania southward
through North Carolina. Ninety-day precipitation totals have been under 50%
of normal for much of
the region, and abnormal dryness (D0) continued from southwestern
Pennsylvania through West
Virginia, with conditions ranging up to D3 (extreme drought) in western
North Carolina.
The Plains, Midwest, and Great Lakes Region: Precipitation amounts of 0.5 to
1 inch and melting
snow did improve moisture conditions in drought-affected areas of Kansas,
Iowa, and Nebraska,
leading to the removal of the severe (D2) drought in Nebraska. Above-normal
temperatures during
the last 2-3 weeks pulled most of the frost out of the ground so that snow
melt increased soil
moisture reserves by an additional inch in Nebraska. Soil moisture there has
increased 3-5 inches
since the low point set in September. Small areas of D2 drought lingered in
northeast Kansas and
western Iowa.
The West: A major Pacific storm brought heavy rain and snow to the West,
especially to California.
Three-inch rainfall totals were common over coastal California, with snow
leaving the equivalent of 2
to 4-inch melted amounts in the Sierra Nevada. The moisture markedly
improved moisture
conditions across California, but some lingering low soil moisture levels
continued over the southern
Central Valley. The snows trimmed back but did not eliminate the area of D0
in and near the Sierra,
where the season's cumulative precipitation and snow water content continued
to be near or less
than 50% of normal. The week's rain and snow eliminated the area of D0
dryness in central Arizona.
Hawaii and Puerto Rico: In Hawaii, D0 dryness worsened to D1 drought across
the Big Island,
where officials have asked the public for a voluntary 10% reduction in water
use. Scattered areas of
dryness remained in Puerto Rico.
Looking Ahead: Systems predicted to affect the Nation's dry or drought areas
include: 1) A large
storm system bringing significant rain and snow to the eastern third of the
country through Sunday,
with rainfall amounts forecast to exceed 2 inches from Mississippi to
southwestern Virginia and 1
inch from northern Georgia to western North Carolina; 2) A series of Pacific
storms accompanied
by rain and snow in the Pacific Northwest; 3) a Pacific storm delivering
more rain and snow to
California on January 24-26 and then rain to Texas, including areas in west
Texas experiencing
long-term drought.
=> FEMA Approves Over $200,000 in Grant Funds for the City of Leavenworth
Kansas City, MO, January 17, 2001 -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) has
announced that the city of Leavenworth will receive more than $200,000 in
federal funds for the
purchase and demolition of nine residential structures subject to flooding.
The targeted structures are located within the 100-year floodplain of Three
Mile Creek and
sustained damage during the flooding event of October 30, 1998.
The city's goals for this voluntary acquisition project include public
safety and floodplain
management. This project will remove families out of harms way, reduce the
risks to emergency
workers, and help the community meet their responsibilities for floodplain
management and stay in
good standing with the National Flood Insurance Program. When the
acquisition project is complete
the city plans on using the land as open space.
The $247,818 grant represents FEMA's contribution to the project. The total
cost of the project is
estimated to be $291,551. The local community will contribute $43,733 with
the state globally
matching the remainder of the non-federal match requirement.
Beth Freeman, director of FEMA's regional office in Kansas City, Mo., said
that the funds would
come through FEMA's Unmet Needs Program.
The state of Kansas, through the Kansas Division of Emergency Management and
the local
community, will administer and disperse the federal funds. The state
determines which projects will
receive funding from FEMA.
FEMA's Unmet Needs Program provides 75 percent of the funds for approved
projects that lessen
or eliminate the loss of lives and property in future disasters. The
remaining 25 percent must come
from non-federal sources.
These federal funds came from a special appropriation from Congress for
unmet needs that were a
direct result from the severe storms and flooding that resulted in a
Presidential disaster declaration
for the state of Kansas in 1998.
=> Emergency Declaration Issued for Illinois Snowstorms
Washington, January 17, 2001 -- The head of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency
(FEMA) announced today that federal disaster funds have been made available
for Illinois to
supplement emergency response efforts to last month's winter storms that
produced record
snowfalls.
FEMA Director James Lee Witt said President Clinton authorized the
assistance under a emergency
declaration issued this evening following a review of the agency's analysis
of the state's request for
federal assistance. The declaration covers jurisdictions that were blanketed
with record and
near-record snowfall over the period of December 10-31.
Immediately after the declaration, Witt designated 21 counties eligible for
federal funding to pay part
of the cost for emergency protective measures undertaken as a result of the
storms. This includes
state and local government operations needed to protect public health and
safety and to prevent
damage to public or private property.
The eligible counties include Bureau, Cook, DeWitt, DuPage, Ford, Fulton,
Grundy, Henry,
Iroquois, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, Livingston, Marshall, McDonough,
McHenry, McLean,
Stark, Will and Winnebago.
Under the emergency declaration, FEMA will provide reimbursement to local
and state agencies for
75 percent of the total eligible costs of equipment, contracts, and
personnel overtime related to
emergency services in dealing with the snow for a 48-hour period. These are
the crucial hours when
work crews clear snow from emergency routes and roads to critical facilities
to permit the passage
of emergency vehicles. Related emergency protective measures such as sanding
and salting, search
and rescue, shelter operations, and police and fire department response will
also be eligible for
reimbursement.
Witt named James Roche of FEMA to coordinate the federal assistance in the
affected areas.
=> Aircraft Accident Report In-flight Breakup Over the Atlantic Ocean
Trans World
Airlines Flight 800
Abstract: On July 17, 1996, about 2031 eastern daylight time, Trans World
Airlines, Inc. (TWA)
flight 800, a Boeing 747-131, N93119, crashed in the Atlantic Ocean near
East Moriches, New
York. TWA flight 800 was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of
Federal Regulations Part
121 as a scheduled international passenger flight from John F. Kennedy
International Airport (JFK),
New York, New York, to Charles DeGaulle International Airport, Paris,
France. The flight
departed JFK about 2019, with 2 pilots, 2 flight engineers, 14 flight
attendants, and 212 passengers
on board. All 230 people on board were killed, and the airplane was
destroyed. Visual
meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on an
instrument flight rules flight
plan.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause
of the TWA flight 800
accident was an explosion of the center wing fuel tank (CWT), resulting from
ignition of the
flammable fuel/air mixture in the tank. The source of ignition energy for
the explosion could not be
determined with certainty, but, of the sources evaluated by the
investigation, the most likely was a
short circuit outside of the CWT that allowed excessive voltage to enter it
through electrical wiring
associated with the fuel quantity indication system.
Contributing factors to the accident were the design and certification
concept that fuel tank
explosions could be prevented solely by precluding all ignition sources and
the design and
certification of the Boeing 747 with heat sources located beneath the CWT
with no means to reduce
the heat transferred into the CWT or to render the fuel vapor in the tank
nonflammable.
The safety issues in this report focus on fuel tank flammability, fuel tank
ignition sources, design and
certification standards, and the maintenance and aging of aircraft systems.
Safety recommendations
concerning these issues are addressed to the Federal Aviation
Administration.
=> U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT EL SALVADOR -
Earthquake
BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (BHR)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
Fact Sheet #4, Fiscal Year (FY) 2001 January 17, 200
Background
On January 13, 2001 at approximately 11:35 am local time, an earthquake
with a magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter Scale and a depth of 60 km occurred
off the El Salvadoran coastline some 65 miles southwest of San Miguel at
12.8 degrees latitude and 88.8 degrees longitude. More than 660
aftershocks have occurred throughout El Salvador since the initial
earthquake occurred. According to the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador,
preliminary assessments indicate that Usulutan suffered the most extensive
damage. However, the departments of San Miguel, La Paz, and La Libertad
are also affected significantly. The earthquake also rocked buildings in
Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras. Buildings swayed as far away as
Mexico City.
Numbers Affected
As of January 16, El Salvador's National Emergency Committee (COEN)
reports 675 deaths, 2,562 injuries, and 45,842 people displaced.
Furthermore, COEN reports 20,131 houses destroyed and 47,141 houses
damaged. These figures are based on incomplete assessments; therefore,
the numbers of people and houses affected are likely to increase as
assessments are finalized, communications are restored, and excavations
continue. Eight deaths have been reported in Guatemala.
Current Situation
- El Salvadoran President Francisco Flores declared a national emergency
and appealed for international assistance soon after the earthquake
occurred. On January 15, the Government of El Salvador (GOES) issued an
updated list of requirements, including tents, water containers, surgical
materials, antibiotics, orthopedic treatment equipment, serum, and
syringes. In addition, the GOES has requested lighting equipment, debris
removal equipment, protective gear for search and rescue (SAR) personnel,
body bags, heavy debris removal equipment and operators, and generators.
- President Flores has named General Perdomo Chief of Operation for the
disaster. As such, the El Salvadoran military is now taking the lead,
with COEN working in parallel. The El Salvadoran military has established
liaison officers within civilian agencies involved in the response.
- COEN continues to operate an Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and is
conducting preliminary damage and needs assessments and managing SAR
activities. COEN also is providing information to the public regarding
measures to prevent additional earthquake damage and loss of life. The
USAID/Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) has set up an office in
COEN to assist the office in its coordination efforts and to ensure access
to the latest information.
- COEN reports that 188 landslides have occurred, resulting in blocked
roads and the destruction of houses, particularly in the Las Colinas
district of Santa Tecla, where 800-900 houses are buried. Additional
landslides are likely to occur as aftershocks continue.
- Consular Officers from the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador visited all
areas of El Salvador, except La Union, on January 14 to assess damages and
contact hospitals and police to inquire about American citizens possibly
in need of assistance. Although there is damage in most areas in the
southern and eastern half of the country, Consular Officers report
business as usual in larger towns such as Santa Ana. Consular Officers
report that the most intense and widespread damage is in Usulutan, where
20 of 23 municipalities are affected and water, power, and road access to
municipalities are interrupted. Consular Officers report little damage in
the northern third of the country.
- According to the USAID/DART, it seems that there are adequate food
resources available in-country; however, distribution to some specific
affected areas is problematic. With ground transport improving, food
distribution will improve in the near future. The World Food Program
(WFP) is conducting a food needs assessment throughout affected areas, and
depending on results may issue an appeal in the near future.
- Telephone and electrical services are mostly functional in San Salvador,
but continue to operate intermittently in other areas of the country.
- The international airport at Comalapa is open and functioning at 100%
capacity, although the radar is inoperable and the terminal is damaged.
The military airport in Ilopango is the base of operation for humanitarian
airlifts. The USAID/DART has stationed one person at the airport in
Ilopango to approve requests and set priorities for U.S. Government (USG)
airlift support, in coordination with the GOES.
- The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is conducting structural
assessments of hospitals and is recording incoming relief supplies and
distribution of assistance in its humanitarian relief supply management
database (SUMA), in coordination with the National Solidarity Commission,
a private-sector organization charged by the GOES to coordinate
international donations. PAHO reports that eight hospitals have been
temporarily evacuated until structural assessments of the buildings
confirm their safety. The major hospitals in San Miguel, Santa Ana, and
San Salvador are functioning.
- The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is providing $50,000 for
emergency assistance, PAHO is providing medicines to hospitals and relief
centers, and the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA) is providing $30,000 for the purchase of emergency relief supplies.
Furthermore, OCHA has dispatched a five-member U.N. Disaster Assessment
and Coordination (UNDAC) Team.
- The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRC) reports that they have distributed emergency relief supplies,
including blankets, kitchen sets, hygiene items, and plastic sheeting, to
more than 4,500 families in 30 communities. The Salvadoran Red Cross is
coordinating with COEN and is providing support to 46 emergency shelter.
- UNICEF has pledged $500,000 in immediate relief aid for El Salvador.
The funds will be used in part for water/sanitation activities,
educational support, and psychosocial training. More specifically, UNICEF
is assisting the GOES by providing water and sanitation facilities at 13
emergency shelters, supporting the resumption of schooling for children in
affected areas, and helping local authorities identify and care for
unaccompanied children.
- WFP has provided an emergency food aid package worth $200,000, through
which it has provided food to 54,500 people in the communities of La
Libertad, La Paz, Usulutan, Don Rua, Tecoluca, and Comasagua. The food is
being delivered by both truck and helicopter.
USG Assistance
Disaster Assistance
- Three USAID/OFDA personnel were in San Salvador at the time of the
earthquake. They immediately began liaising with the El Salvadoran Red
Cross, the GOES, the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador, and the USAID Mission
to ascertain the extent of damage and humanitarian needs and coordinate
assistance.
- Based on USAID/DART assessments and President Flores' request for
assistance, U.S. Ambassador Rose Likins declared an earthquake disaster on
January 14.
- On January 13, USAID/OFDA activated its Washington-based Response
Management Team and began preparations to augment its personnel in El
Salvador and to transport relief supplies to affected areas.
- On January 14, 11 additional USAID/OFDA personnel arrived in San
Salvador, bringing to 14 the total number of the USAID/DART. The
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department (MDFRD) component of the USAID/DART
departed El Salvador on January 17. The total USAID/OFDA cost in support
of the MDFRD personnel is $15,800, including transport and other support
costs.
- The USAID/DART will conduct damage and needs assessments; coordinate
assistance with the national government, El Salvadoran Red Cross, U.S.
Embassy, USAID/San Salvador, donors, and relief organizations; and
facilitate the transportation and distribution of U.S. Government-provided
relief supplies.
- USAID/DART personnel have three priorities: 1) to assist COEN in
improving Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) coordination; 2) to assist
COEN in establishing a command and control system for search and
extraction activities; and 3) to assist COEN in instituting a system by
which airlift missions are prioritized and tasked.
- On January 14, a USAID/OFDA-chartered aircraft arrived in El Salvador
carrying a pre-packaged Ground Operations (GO) kit, containing medical
equipment and supplies to treat 1,000 people for a week; 1,002 hygiene
kits, each with supplies sufficient for a family of five for two weeks; 40
rolls of plastic sheeting (enough to temporarily shelter 400 families);
1,000 five-gallon water jugs; and 1,000 wool blankets. The cost of the GO
kit is valued at $20,550. In addition to the GO kit, the charter aircraft
transported 500 water jugs and 60 rolls of plastic sheeting, valued at
$750 and $13,200, respectively. The cost of the commodity airlift is
valued at $37,700. All USAID/OFDA commodities are being consigned to
COEN, except medical supplies, which are being provided directly to the
Ministry of Health.
- On January 15, USAID/OFDA provided $25,000 to USAID/San Salvador for the
purchase of tools, hard hats, gloves, goggles, flashlights, lighting,
fuel, and related supplies or equipment that are required for search and
extraction.
- On January 16, USAID/OFDA provided $100,000 to USAID/San Salvador for
the local purchase of rice, beans, and water tanks and jugs for
distribution to vulnerable groups in primarily Usulutan Department. In
addition, on January 16, USAID/OFDA provided $50,000 to USAID/San Salvador
for the local transport of these commodities from Comalapa airport to
Usulutan.
- USAID/OFDA also is providing an additional 5,040 hygiene kits and 250
rolls of plastic sheeting for distribution in Usulutan. The hygiene kits
and plastic sheeting have a value of $77,730, exclusive of transport
costs, and are scheduled to arrive on January 19.
- On January 16, USAID/OFDA met with NGOs, including CARE, Catholic Relief
Services, and the Cooperative Housing Foundation, to discuss the need for
temporary shelter programs. USAID/OFDA expects to receive proposals for
this sector from each of the NGOs listed above.
- USAID/DART and the GOES have agreed that USAID/OFDA will focus its
relief efforts, primarily shelter assistance, in Usulutan. As such, on
January 16, USAID/OFDA provided $25,000 through the USAID Mission for
administrative and support costs for the USAID/DART. These funds will be
used to establish a base of operations in Usulutan to coordinate
USAID/OFDA programs.
- On January 15, the USAID/DART Team Leader, USAID/San Salvador Mission
Director, and representatives from the American Red Cross and PAHO
performed an overflight assessment of rural areas most-affected by the
earthquake. They reported that the Pan American Highway is open from
north to south and that most other roads are accessible. However, there
are pockets of damage throughout the country that range from 0% to 60%
affected. Those structures with adobe walls and clay-tiled roofs
experienced the most damage.
- Miami-Dade, working with COEN, the national police, and SAR teams,
established a site security plan to organize search efforts for Las
Colinas, a suburb west of San Salvador. On January 15, two people were
rescued in Las Colinas. Miami-Dade is currently working on plans for
Guadalupe and San Marcos, outside of San Salvador.
- On January 15, the USAID/DART conducted an NGO coordination meeting in
San Salvador in coordination with the USAID Mission. The Mission will
serve as the focal point for NGO assessment information. The USAID/DART
will reconvene the coordination group later in the week to establish
relief priorities and locations.
- USAID/OFDA is funding three Blackhawk and two Chinook helicopters
provided by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) in support of USAID/OFDA
assessments, medevac of injured persons, and transport of relief
commodities. The helicopters, permanently stationed in Soto Cano,
Honduras, arrived in El Salvador on January 14. DOD also is providing a
total of 46 personnel, including flight crews, structural engineers,
medics, and radio operators. USAID/OFDA will continue to fund DOD's
helicopters through January 18, at a total operational cost of $450,000
since the beginning of the mission. The USAID/DART is working with COEN
and the U.S. military to establish priority missions for DOD helicopters.
- On January 16, DOD flew four missions, during which they 1) transported
engineers to San Miguel for an assessment of two hospitals; 2) completed
airlifts of relief supplies to Comasagua; 3) airlifted food to several
small villages surrounding Comasagua; and 4) completed an aerial
assessment of the Pan American Highway.
- DOD flew four missions on January 15, during which they 1) moved 90
Venezuelan SAR personnel and their supplies to the town of Comasagua; 2)
began moving 30 metric tons of locally-donated relief supplies to
Comasagua; 3) provided aerial overflight for the USAID/DART; and 4) began
an aerial assessment of the road and bridge infrastructure on the Pan
American Highway.
- On January 14, one DOD helicopter transported an assessment team to
Comasagua. Two additional DOD helicopters ferried relief supplies to a
nearby stadium, being used as a central distribution point, and to
Usulutan.
- Ambassador Likins joined President Flores and members of his Cabinet in
a Salvadoran helicopter overflight and visit to affected areas on January
14.
Mitigation Assistance
- The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has dispatched two landslide experts
to El Salvador. On January 17, they began an assessment, via DOD
helicopter support, to determine landslide hazards.
- For more than 10 years, OFDA has provided extensive training in El
Salvador and neighboring Central American countries to increase their
capacity to prepare for and respond to disasters. Courses include Damage
and Needs Assessment, Advanced First Aid, and Rescue from Collapsed
Structures.
- With USAID/OFDA funds, the U.S. Geological Survey plans to install
additional seismic monitoring equipment in El Salvador to monitor seismic
and volcanic hazards. USAID/OFDA also contributes funds to GeoHazards
International (GHI) to reduce seismic hazards in San Salvador as part of a
larger grant supporting similar work in 12 other earthquake-prone cities
along the Pacific Rim.
Total USAID/OFDA Assistance $823,730
USAID/OFDA
Action
Funding
Charter aircraft to transport USAID/DART members
$8,000
MDFRD support costs (including transport)
$15,800
Value of GO kits
$20,550
Value of 60 rolls of plastic sheeting and 500 water jugs
$13,950
Transport of commodities
$37,700
Disaster Assistance Authority for purchase of protective gear
$25,000
Funding to DOD for air operations
$450,000
Local purchase and transport of rice, beans, water tanks, and water jugs
$150,000
Value of 250 rolls of plastic sheeting and 5,040 hygiene kits
$77,730
USAID/DART administrative and support costs
$25,000
Total USAID/OFDA Assistance
$823,730
Note: This table does not reflect mitigation-related assistance provided
by USAID/OFDA.
Public Donation Information
- In the interest of effective coordination of public response, USAID
encourages the public to contact directly those private voluntary
organizations (PVOs) currently working in the region in order to provide
monetary donations.
- A list of the PVOs may be obtained from the USAID web site at
http://www.usaid.gov/. The list is composed of PVOs that are registered
with USAID and/or listed by InterAction, a coalition of voluntary
humanitarian and development organizations that work overseas.
InterAction can be contacted at 1-202-667-8227 x106, or via the Internet
at http://www.interaction.org/. Those interested in providing specific
technical relief services or commodities should contact Volunteers in
Technical Assistance's (VITA's) Disaster Information Center for
information and guidelines at 703-276-1914.
- USAID will not deviate from standard Denton Program procedures for
transporting privately-donated relief supplies. USAID will prioritize
delivery of essential relief commodities. For more information on the
Denton Program, please refer to the USAID website at
http://www.usaid.gov/hum_response/pvc/denton.html.
- For additional information about the relief effort in El Salvador,
please refer to the Natural Disasters section of ReliefWeb at
http://www.reliefweb.int/.
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=> Links Area
WINTER STORM SYSTEM OVER SOUTHERN PLAINS AND LOWER MISSISSIPPI
VALLEY
Lower Mississippi Valley
This GOES-8 image shows clouds associated with upper level disturbances that
brought snow
across portions of northern Texas, Oklahoma, and northern Arkansas on
Wednesday, along with
rain across the lower Mississippi Valley.
http://www.osei.noaa.gov/Events/Storms/US_Plains/STMusPL017_G8.jpg
TROPICAL CYCLONE 05S (BINDU)
Indian Ocean
Tropical Cyclone 05S (Bindu) was located in the South Indian Ocean near
22.7S and 60.7E at
18:00 UTC on 01/16/2001. Bindu was moving southwestward at 6 knots with
maximum sustained
winds estimated at 30 knots, gusts to 40 knots.
http://www.osei.noaa.gov/Events/Tropical/IndOcean/TRCbindu017_MT.jpg
FIRES IN ARGENTINA
Argentina
Heat signatures (red) and smoke (light blue) are visible from fires burning
in Argentina.
http://www.osei.noaa.gov/Events/Fires/Argentina/FSMHSarg017_N4.jpg
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