Plains and Midwest tornado outbreak; Super Typhoon Sinlaku emergency continues for Guam and CNMI

Today’s EM Morning Brief covers an active multi-day severe weather outbreak across the Southern Plains and into the Upper Midwest, with confirmed tornadoes in Kansas and Minnesota and an enhanced threat continuing through Tuesday. Emergency operations continue in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands under Super Typhoon Sinlaku, with a Presidential emergency declaration in effect. NIFC is at Preparedness Level 2, with active large fires on the Southern Plains and a growing wildfire near the Colorado–New Mexico border. USGS reports Kīlauea’s eruption paused, while three Alaska volcanoes remain at elevated alert levels. CISA adds a new Adobe Acrobat vulnerability to the KEV catalog, and CDC’s HAN on medetomidine in illicit fentanyl remains active. EM Morning Brief is your concise daily update on national and state-by-state emergency management news. Produced by Sitch Radio, an EOC Voices podcast.

Key Takeaways

* Multi-day severe weather outbreak is the top national concern, stretching from the Southern Plains into the Upper Midwest; confirmed tornadoes and damage reported in Kansas (Ottawa, minor injuries in Franklin County) and southern Minnesota late Monday, with tornado watches continuing through Tuesday across TX, OK, AR, MO, and WI.

* Excessive rainfall and flooding risk flagged by the National Water Center from the Texas Hill Country through the Great Lakes through mid-week.

* Super Typhoon Sinlaku remains the Pacific operational priority — Presidential emergency declaration in effect for Guam (signed April 12), Typhoon Warnings for Rota, Tinian, Saipan, and the Northern Islands, Tropical Storm Warning for Guam.

* Wildfire posture is elevated for April — NIFC at National Preparedness Level 2; active large fires include Buffalo Gap (SD, ~5,400 acres), Horny Toad (TX Panhandle), and Glen Ferris (WV).

* Early-season fire activity in the Southwest — Colorado fire near the NM border grew to ~450 acres; New Mexico maintains statewide fire restrictions banning prescribed burns, fireworks, campfires, and smoking on state lands.

* Volcanic activity — USGS reports Kīlauea’s Halemaʻumaʻu eruption paused after episode 44 (ADVISORY / YELLOW); Great Sitkin remains at WATCH / ORANGE; Shishaldin and Atka Volcanic Complex at ADVISORY / YELLOW.

* Cyber — CISA added a new Adobe Acrobat vulnerability to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, triggering federal remediation timelines.

* Public health — CDC’s Health Alert Network advisory on medetomidine in the illicit fentanyl supply remains active guidance for EMS, EDs, and harm-reduction programs.

* Planned federal exercise — FEMA biennial radiological emergency preparedness exercise at the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station (PA/MD border); not an actual emergency.

* Water advisory — Precautionary boil-water notice for the Island of Rota (CNMI) tied to planned water system maintenance.

* Travel posture — U.S. State Department travel advisory posture remains elevated across multiple regions; operators with international deployments should re-check country-specific levels before travel.

Sources

NOAA / NWS / Storm Prediction Center

• SPC Convective Outlook — Daily severe weather outlooks covering the Plains and Mid-Mississippi Valley tornado threat

• NWS Active Alerts — National map and feed of active watches, warnings, and advisories

• National Water Center — Flood and hydrologic outlook for Upper Midwest and Great Lakes

National Hurricane Center / NWS Guam

• NWS Guam / WFO GUM — Tropical cyclone warnings and advisories for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands

• Central Pacific Hurricane Center — Central and Western Pacific tropical cyclone products

USGS — Earthquakes and Volcanoes

• USGS Volcano Notices (HANS) — Current volcanic alert levels and aviation color codes, including Kīlauea and Alaska volcanoes

• USGS Earthquake Map — Real-time global earthquake feed and magnitude filters

NIFC / InciWeb

• NIFC Situation Report — Daily national Incident Management Situation Report and preparedness level

• InciWeb Incident Information System — Current large-fire tracking, including Buffalo Gap and other active incidents

FEMA

• FEMA Press Releases — Disaster declarations, grants, and operational announcements

• FEMA Disaster Declarations — Searchable database of federal disaster and emergency declarations

DHS / NTAS

• National Terrorism Advisory System — Current DHS National Terrorism Advisory bulletin posture

CISA

• CISA News & Events — Advisories, alerts, and operational cybersecurity guidance

• CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog — Current KEV catalog including newly added Adobe Acrobat vulnerability

CDC / Public Health

• CDC Health Alert Network — Current HAN advisories including medetomidine in illicit fentanyl

U.S. State Department

• Travel Advisories — Country-by-country travel advisory levels and recent updates

Colorado

• Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control — State wildland fire information and incident status

Kansas

• Kansas Division of Emergency Management — State emergency management updates and severe weather response

• NWS Topeka — Local forecast office warnings and confirmed tornado reports for eastern Kansas

Minnesota and Wisconsin

• NWS Twin Cities — Severe weather warnings and storm reports for southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin

• Wisconsin Emergency Management — State severe weather response and county-level watches

New Mexico

• New Mexico Fire Information — Statewide fire restrictions, red flag warnings, and active incident updates

Oklahoma

• Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management — State emergency management severe weather response

• NWS Norman — Local forecast office tornado watches and warnings for central Oklahoma

Pennsylvania and Maryland

• FEMA Peach Bottom REP Exercise — Biennial radiological emergency preparedness exercise notice

South Dakota

• South Dakota Wildland Fire — State wildland fire situation and incident resources

Texas

• Texas Division of Emergency Management — State severe weather and wildfire response updates

• Texas A&M Forest Service — Statewide wildland fire situation and active incident tracking

West Virginia

• West Virginia Division of Forestry — State wildland fire situation and active incident information

Guam and Northern Mariana Islands

• Guam Homeland Security / OCD — Territorial emergency management and typhoon response coordination

• CUC Public Advisories — Commonwealth Utilities Corporation notices, including Rota boil water notice

• NWS Guam Tropical Cyclones — Current warnings and advisories for Super Typhoon Sinlaku

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