Department of the Interior Operations Center, Staffed 24-7/Toll free (877) 246-1373/
Voice (202) 208-4108/ Fax(202) 208-3421/[email protected]
U.S. Department of the Interior
Office of Emergency Management
Emergency Management Daily Situation Report
As of 8:00 a.m., Tuesday, March 11, 2014
The Department of the Interior Operations Center monitors daily incident activity and selects items of interest to the
Department’s emergency management community from the National Interagency Fire Center, the Department of
Homeland Security, and other sources for this report. Bureau/office Emergency Coordinators are responsible for providing
incident reports on items that are of interest to senior leadership and the emergency management community to the DOI
Operations Center (IOC). Items may be edited or excerpted for brevity. Some of the items contained in this report may be
marked For Official Use Only (FOUO) and dissemination of these items should be limited for security purposes.
Alerts & Warnings
National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) – No Current Alerts
Continuity of Operations (COOP) COGCON Level is 4
National Wildland Fire Preparedness Level is 1
Kilauea Volcano: Alert Level is WATCH; Aviation Color Code is ORANGE
The Interior Operations Center is at Level 4 (Normal Operations)
Montana Flooding Impacting Tribes
General Situation
Source:
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) – March 11, 2014
In Montana and Wyoming, recent unseasonably high temperatures have caused much of the
snow pack to melt which has led to ice jams and flooding in several of the states’ rivers. The
majority of the flooding has occurred in low-lying agricultural areas, and there have been no
reports of significant property damage, injuries or fatalities from the flooding. There are no
shelters open, but the American Red Cross is prepared to assist if needed. At present, there are
no shortfalls, unmet needs or requests for FEMA assistance. National Weather Service Flood
Watches and Warnings will remain in effect through Tuesday evening for most of the region.
In Wyoming, the State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) remains partially activated and
National Guardsmen are assisting with sandbagging efforts in Washakie and Big Horn Counties.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deployed five (5) individuals to provide technical assistance
to affected towns.
In Montana, the State EOC is at normal operations, although the Governor declared a statewide
State of Emergency on March 10. Montana National Guardsmen are activated and are assisting
with flood fighting efforts. Several roads and bridges in rural locations within the state have
become impassable, due to high water.
Department of the Interior Operations Center, Staffed 24-7/Toll free (877) 246-1373/
Voice (202) 208-4108/ Fax(202) 208-3421/[email protected]
Tribal Flooding Update
Source:
Bureau of Indian Affairs Emergency Management Report - March 10, 2014
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is continuing to respond to the ongoing flooding that is
impacting Tribes in Montana. At 1:00 p.m. EDT on March 10, BIA Emergency Management
personnel conducted an informational Tribal Assistance Coordination Group (TAC-G)
conference call that included representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE),
the Crow Nation, and BIA Emergency Management.
The Crow Nation advises that critical infrastructure, including bridges and a water filtration plant
that supplies drinking water to the Tribe, is threatened by flooding and ice dams. USACE is
deploying an engineer to the Crow Agency to provide a threat assessment and technical
assistance to the Tribe. The USACE engineer was scheduled to arrive as early as yesterday.
According to the BIA Emergency Management report, USACE may be able to assist the Tribe
under USACE authority, but that determination cannot be made until a full assessment has been
completed.
If equipment is needed, the Tribe will need some heavy equipment, including long reach
excavators and small bulldozers to respond to this flooding event. BIA Emergency Management
personnel have been in contact with the BIA regional office, including the transportation
department and the regional emergency management point of contact, in reference to this issue.
Indian Health Services (IHS) Project TRANSAM has confirmed that a shipment of
approximately 8000 sandbags left their warehouse in Smyrna, Tennessee en route to the Crow
Nation on March 10.
The National Weather Service has issued Warnings and Advisories for winter storm activity and
flooding for much of Montana, and flooding threats are expected to continue. As the situation is
fluid and unfolding, additional information is being gathered from various programs and BIA
Emergency Management personnel will continue to coordinate with both their internal and
external partners to address the situation.
The following updates have been provided by four Reservations in the BIA Rocky Mountain
Region that are reporting flood activity:
Crow Agency Flooding:

March 6, 2014: The Crow Tribe requested sandbags from USACE to help in lowland
flooding that has threatened some homes. The Corps indicated that it will only help if
critical infrastructure is threatened, however the Tribal Department of Emergency
Services (DES) was able to secure a large shipment of sandbags from a new IHS
program. Shipment of the sandbags was expected to take a few days.

March 10, 2014: The Crow DES requested and received assistance from the Army Corps
of Engineers stating that ice jams in the Little Big Horn River were threatening Critical
infrastructure; mainly the water plant. USACE personnel are conducting an assessment
of the situation.
Department of the Interior Operations Center, Staffed 24-7/Toll free (877) 246-1373/
Voice (202) 208-4108/ Fax(202) 208-3421/[email protected]
Northern Cheyenne Reservation Flooding:

March 9, 2014: The Northern Cheyenne Tribe requested assistance with flood fighting
efforts in Ashland, Montana near the eastern boundary of the reservation. The
Reservation Creek near Ashland was flooding and threatening homes. The Agency’s
Transportation Department responded with equipment and supplies. The Transportation
Department delivered water pumps and hauled sand for sand bagging efforts. Much of
the water was diverted away from the homes and Reservation Creek began to subside.
Later that day, BIA delivered sand to Lame Deer, Montana.

March 10, 2014: Flood fighting efforts were shifted to Busby, Montana near the western
boundary of the reservation where the Rosebud Creek was exceeding its banks. The
Tribal DES was able to secure 4,000 sandbags that were to be filled from sand in Lame
Deer. The BIA Transportation Department reports that they cannot supply additional
sand and the Tribe was advised to request sand from the county or state.
Fort Belknap Flooding:

March 10, 2014: The Fort Belknap Agency is checking with local communities for
sandbag availability, but no requests for supplies or assistance have been received from
the Tribe.

Blackfeet Agency Flooding:

The Blackfeet Agency reports that they are monitoring the situation and that many creeks
on the Reservation are nearly exceeding their banks.
IGEMS Image
Department of the Interior Operations Center, Staffed 24-7/Toll free (877) 246-1373/
Voice (202) 208-4108/ Fax(202) 208-3421/[email protected]
Volcano Activity
Kilauea Volcano
Source: U. S. Geological Survey (USGS), Hawaii Volcano Observatory (HVO) – March 10, 2014
Alert Level = WATCH
Color Code = ORANGE
During this observation period, eruptive activity continued at Kilauea Volcano in two locations,
at the summit and within the east rift zone. The summit tiltmeter network recorded minor
fluctuations and the level of the summit lava lake level remained stable. At the middle-east rift
zone, the Pu`u `O`o vent continued feeding the Kahauale`a 2 lava flow whose distal end
remained active and burning forested areas to the northeast of the vent, but the flow has not
advanced substantially for several months. Gas emissions remained elevated during.
Earthquake Activity
Source:
US Geological Survey (USGS) – March 10, 2014
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that a magnitude 6.4 earthquake occurred
on March 10 at 10:44 p.m. EDT, approximately 260 miles east-southeast of Bristol in the South
Sandwich Islands in the far south Atlantic at a depth of 9.9 miles. There were no reports of
damage or injury, and no tsunami was generated.
Significant National Weather
Source:
National Weather Service – March 11, 2014
Department of the Interior Operations Center, Staffed 24-7/Toll free (877) 246-1373/
Voice (202) 208-4108/ Fax(202) 208-3421/[email protected]
Midwest
Another winter storm will bring snow across the northern Plains and Upper Midwest today. Rain
will develop from Nebraska to southern Michigan with a possible change to snow expected from
western and northern Nebraska into southern Wisconsin. Snow accumulations of 1 to 5 inches
are possible. Temperatures today will be in the 60s and 70s in Kansas, Missouri, southern
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky and in 30s and 40s from the northern Plains into the Great
Lakes region.
Northeast
The region will be dry today except for some snow showers in the mountains of New England.
Temperatures will be above average throughout the area with highs in the upper 30s, 40s and
lower 50s in New York and New England. Temperatures will be in the 60s and lower 70s from
Pennsylvania and New Jersey and south into Virginia.
South
Most of the region will be dry today but some rain is possible from southeastern Texas to the
Florida Panhandle. Temperatures will be mainly in the 70s but could rise into the 80s in western
Texas and parts of Florida.
West
The winter storm that has been impacting the region will come to an end today across Wyoming
and Colorado but an additional 1 to 6 inches of snow is possible before it ends. The remainder of
the region will be dry. High pressure in Utah will set up a Santa Ana wind event today in
southern California and the strong winds, warm temperatures and low humidity levels will bring
high fire danger to the area. Temperatures will be in the 30s and 40s in Wyoming, Montana and
Colorado and in the 50s and 60s in the Northwest, northern California, Nevada, Utah, northern
Arizona and northern New Mexico. Temperatures will be in the 70s and 80s from southern
California to southern New Mexico.
Weather Hazard Assessment
Department of the Interior Operations Center, Staffed 24-7/Toll free (877) 246-1373/
Voice (202) 208-4108/ Fax(202) 208-3421/[email protected]
Critical Fire Weather
Critical Fire Weather is forecast for today in portions of Texas, New Mexico and the border of
Nevada, Arizona, and California. An elevated fire risk also exists in these areas as well as in
Oklahoma and southwestern California.
Severe Weather
There is no organized, severe thunderstorm activity forecast for today.
Tornado Weather
There is less than a 2-percent chance of tornado activity across the U.S.
Significant River Flooding
There is significant river flooding occurring today in portions of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and
along the North Carolina/South Carolina border.
*End of Report*
Department of the Interior Operations Center, Staffed 24-7/Toll free (877) 246-1373/
Voice (202) 208-4108/ Fax(202) 208-3421/[email protected]
Distribution:
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EM-ICAT
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