Today’s EM Morning Brief covers a multi-day severe weather outbreak across the central and southern United States, including a destructive tornado in Mineral Wells, Texas, a Particularly Dangerous Situation warning in Stone County, Arkansas, and confirmed tornadoes in Illinois, Kentucky, and Missouri. Governor Abbott issues a disaster declaration for North Texas storms, while Governor Whitmer expands Michigan’s flooding emergency to 41 counties and three municipalities. CISA adds two vulnerabilities to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, FAA ground stops cascade through Chicago O’Hare, Atlanta, and Nashville, and Signature Healthcare in Brockton, Massachusetts continues ambulance diversion after a cyber incident. Wildfires in Georgia and Florida remain active, the Federal Register confirms SBA loan deadlines for the Northern Mariana Islands typhoon disaster, and Kilauea’s summit eruption is paused at Volcano Advisory. 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

• Severe weather threat continues. Mineral Wells, Texas tornado damage and injuries Tuesday; SPC keeps a Memphis to Dallas corridor risk in place today for hail, damaging winds, a few tornadoes, and excessive rainfall.

• Texas disaster declaration. Governor Abbott declares a state disaster for North Texas counties affected by April 28 storms and directs TDEM to begin damage assessments with SBA.

• Michigan flooding state of emergency expanded. Governor Whitmer adds the Village of Holly and Tuscola County, bringing the total to 41 counties and three municipalities under emergency.

• CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities updated. Two new entries added April 28 covering ConnectWise ScreenConnect and a Microsoft Windows protection mechanism failure, with required federal remediation.

• Massachusetts hospital cyber incident. Signature Healthcare continues ambulance diversion; chemotherapy infusion services canceled and prescription fills disrupted.

• FAA ground stops nationwide. Severe weather drove ground stops at Chicago O’Hare, Atlanta, and Nashville on April 28 with more than 5,500 delays and 350 cancellations.

• Southeast wildfires remain active. Georgia’s Pineland Road Fire is at 32,331 acres and 23 percent contained; Florida’s Highway 41 Fire is burning 2,500 acres in the eastern Everglades.

• Northern Mariana Islands disaster assistance. Federal Register confirms SBA disaster loan deadlines for Super Typhoon Sinlaku: physical loan applications by June 22, 2026 and EIDL by January 25, 2027.

• Kilauea status. Summit eruption paused; Volcano Advisory and Aviation Color Yellow; episode 46 forecast May 2 to May 6.

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Sources

CISA

• CISA Adds Two Known Exploited Vulnerabilities to Catalog, April 28, 2026

• CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog

FEMA and Federal Register

• Federal Register: Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, April 29, 2026

• FEMA Current Disasters

NIFC

• NIFC Incident Management Situation Report, April 28, 2026

NWS and SPC

• SPC Day 1 Convective Outlook, April 29, 2026

• NWS Louisville Damage Surveys, April 28, 2026

USGS

• USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Notice, April 28, 2026

• USGS Kilauea Volcano Updates

FAA

• CBS News Atlanta, ground stop and delays at Hartsfield-Jackson, April 28, 2026

• Travel and Tour World, FAA ground stop at Nashville International, April 28, 2026

Severe Weather Summary

• CNN, tornado devastates Mineral Wells, Texas on sixth straight day of severe storms

• The Watchers, severe storms leave more than 260,000 without power across Midwest

Arkansas

• The Watchers and CNN reporting on Stone County Particularly Dangerous Situation tornado warning

California

• CAL FIRE Carbon Fire incident page

Florida

• WGCU, Highway 41 Fire 2,500 acres east of Shark Valley, April 28, 2026

Georgia

• Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, April 2026 Wildfires

• Action News Jax, historic Georgia wildfire 32 percent contained, Florida crews mopping up

Hawaii

• USGS HVO Kilauea Volcano Notice, April 28, 2026

Illinois

• The Watchers, Germantown tornado damage and Midwest outbreak summary

Indiana

• WHAS11, NWS confirms multiple tornadoes in Kentucky and southern Indiana

Kansas

• WIBW, Kansas Governor issues state of disaster emergency due to severe weather

Kentucky

• NWS Louisville, Damage Surveys for April 28, 2026

• WHAS11, multiple tornadoes hit Kentucky during Monday’s storms

Massachusetts

• SecurityWeek, Massachusetts hospital diverts ambulances as cyberattack causes disruption

Michigan

• Detroit News, Whitmer expands emergency declaration; 41 counties now under order

• CBS Detroit, Michigan Gov. Whitmer expands state of emergency to Village of Holly, Tuscola County

Mississippi

• Action News 5, severe storms pummel Mid-South including at least one unconfirmed tornado

Missouri

• KSDK, St. Louis meteorologists confirm three tornado touchdowns from Monday’s storms

Oklahoma

• KTEN, powerful storms leave path of destruction across Texoma

Tennessee

• Action News 5, severe storms pummel Mid-South

• Travel and Tour World, FAA ground stop at Nashville International, April 28, 2026

Texas

• Office of the Texas Governor, Abbott issues disaster declaration for North Texas storms

• TDEM press release, Governor Abbott issues disaster declaration

• KERA News, tornado in Mineral Wells damages buildings, causes multiple injuries

• Henderson News, Murvaul Water Supply issues boil water notice

Northern Mariana Islands

• Federal Register, Northern Mariana Islands Major Disaster Declaration notice

Good morning.

A multi day severe weather outbreak continues across the central and southern United States.

On Tuesday, a tornado struck Mineral Wells, Texas, damaging multiple structures and sending two people to the hospital with several others treated at the scene.

A particularly dangerous situation Tornado warning was issued for Stone County, Arkansas and tornado damage and water rescues were also reported across western Tennessee and southeastern Oklahoma.

The Storm Prediction center keeps an active risk in place along a Memphis to Dallas corridor today with very large hail, damaging winds, a few tornadoes and excessive rainfall expected from central and southeast Texas to the central Gulf Coast.

On the cyber and infrastructure front, CISA added two vulnerabilities to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog covering ConnectWise, Screen Connect and a Microsoft Windows protection mechanism failure with required federal remediation timelines.

Signature Healthcare in Brockton, Massachusetts continues to divert ambulance traffic following a cybersecurity incident, with chemotherapy infusion services canceled and prescription fills disrupted.

The FAA ran ground stops at Chicago, o', Hare, Hartsfield, Jackson, Atlanta and Nashville on Tuesday as severe storms cascaded into more than 5,000 flight delays nationwide.

FEMA, governors and partner agencies remain in active response.

The Federal Register published Small Business Administration disaster loan deadlines tied to the Northern Mariana Islands major disaster declaration for Super Typhoon Sinlaku.

Governor Greg Abbott issued a state disaster declaration for North Texas counties hit by Tuesday's storms, while governor Gretchen Whitmer expanded Michigan's flooding state of emergency to the village of Holly and Tuscola county, bringing the total to 41 counties and three municipalities.

Wildfires across Georgia and Florida remain operationally significant.

Georgia's Pineland Road fire is at 32,331 acres and 23% contained, and a 2,500acre fire is burning in the eastern Everglades along U.S. 41.

Kilauea's summit eruption is paused at volcano advisory and aviation color yellow with the next episode forecast between May 2 and May 6.

Let's run through the states.

Arkansas A particularly dangerous situation tornado warning was issued late Tuesday for a destructive tornado moving through Hanover and surrounding communities in Stone County.

The Stone County Sheriff's Office reports damaged homes and vehicles, downed power lines and trees blocking roads, with no injuries or deaths reported at this time.

California Cal Fire reports the Carbon Fire is 95% contained and evacuation warnings have been lifted.

Florida A 2,500acre wildfire named the Highway 41 Fire is burning south of U.S. route 41 and east of Shark Valley in the eastern Everglades.

State officials report more than 130 active wildfires statewide amid the worst drought in 25 years with burn bans in effect across 38 counties.

Georgia Gemma continues to coordinate response to the Pineland Road fire, Now estimated at 32,331 acres and 23% contained, with additional active fires reported in the southeastern part of the state.

A state of emergency remains in effect across multiple counties and select evacuation orders east of the fire zone were lifted by the Brantley County Sheriff's Office.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports the Kilauea Summit eruption is paused, the volcano alert level is advisory and the aviation color code is yellow.

Episode 46 of the Ongoing Halemaumau eruption is forecast to begin between May 2 and and May 6.

NWS confirms an EF2 tornado touched down near Mascouta by Mid America Airport with maximum winds of 118 mph during the late Monday into Tuesday outbreak.

EF1 damage was confirmed near Germantown and EF0 damage near Marine.

State officials and local utilities are still working through cleanup and restoration.

NWS Louisville confirms multiple tornadoes affected southern Indiana during the overnight storms.

As of early Tuesday, more than 65,000 customers were without power statewide, with road closures from flash flooding still being cleared.

Kansas governor Laura Kelly's state disaster emergency declaration remains in effect after weekend severe weather supporting state assistance to communities that experience thunderstorms, tornadoes and flooding from April 25 through April 27.

Kentucky NWS Louisville confirms an EF1 tornado in Ohio county with estimated maximum winds near 100 mph and an EF0 tornado in northwestern Hart County.

Thousands of customers remain without power across the Louisville area and a lightning sparked house fire was reported in Oldham County.

Massachusetts Signature Healthcare in Brockton continues to divert ambulance traffic following a cybersecurity incident first reported Monday.

Inpatient care and walk in emergency services remain open, but chemotherapy infusion services are canceled and prescription fulfillment at Signature Medical Group and urgent care practices is disrupted.

Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order Tuesday expanding the existing flooding state of emergency to include the village of Holly and Tuscola county, bringing the total to 41 counties and three municipalities under emergency, officials report.

Holly's wastewater system saw peak flows above 5 million gallons per day and Tuscola county saw widespread road, culvert and bridge damage.

Mississippi customers in the dark Tuesday night.

Missouri NWS St. Louis confirms three tornado tracks from Monday's storms with associated power outages still being restored across the metro and surrounding counties.

Oklahoma NWS issued tornado warnings Tuesday afternoon and evening for McCurtain, Pushmattaha, Choctaw and Atoka counties.

The Atoka County Sheriff's Office reports significant structural damage, downed trees and power lines across roadways with no major injuries reported.

Storm damage was also confirmed in Caney.

Tennessee officials in Crockett county report downed trees and a successful water rescue and friendship after a family was pulled safely from a car.

Strong winds peeled the roof off a maintenance building in Brighton in Tipton county and downed limbs took out power lines and drummonds, blocking the road and leaving homes without power.

The FAA also issued ground stops affecting Nashville International on Tuesday during the severe weather.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a state disaster declaration on April 28 for North Texas counties impacted by severe storms.

A confirmed tornado damaged multiple structures in Mineral Wells in Parker county, with two people transported to the hospital and several others treated on scene.

The Merval Water Supply Corporation issued a boil water notice for affected customers.

All other territories in the District of Columbia have no significant updates in the last 24 hours.

That wraps today's EM Morning Brief.

New episodes drop Monday through Friday in the 5am hour PT, so the day starts with clarity instead of catch up.

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