Wednesday’s EM Morning Brief for April 22, 2026 leads with the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’ Super Typhoon Sinlaku major disaster declaration package now with the President; today’s opening of a FEMA Disaster Assistance Center in Whatcom County, Washington; and Federal Register publication of Presidential Public Assistance declarations for Idaho, Montana, and Oregon. The brief also covers CISA’s eight new Known Exploited Vulnerability entries and ten fresh ICS advisories, Kīlauea’s escalation to WATCH/ORANGE ahead of lava fountaining episode 45, the East Side Fire south of Red Lodge, Arizona’s Shaw Fire, Michigan’s U.P. flooding emergency, Iowa’s five-county disaster proclamation, USDA drought designations across North Carolina and Tennessee, and Florida’s Red Flag fire weather. 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

• CNMI Sinlaku declaration: Governor Apatang’s major disaster request, with DHS sign-off, is with the President; response expected within 24 hours and includes 100 percent federal cost share for debris and protective measures.

• Whatcom County DAC opens today: FEMA Disaster Assistance Center opens at Sumas Advent Christian Church for December storm and flooding survivors; application deadline is June 10.

• Federal Register: Idaho, Montana, Oregon: Presidential Public Assistance declarations for December 2025 windstorm and storm/flooding events are formally published today, opening applicant intake windows.

• CISA KEV and ICS advisories: Eight exploited CVEs added to KEV — including three Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager flaws — with April and May federal remediation deadlines; ten new ICS advisories including critical Siemens and Silex items.

• Kīlauea WATCH/ORANGE: HVO raised alert level to WATCH/ORANGE on April 20 evening; lava fountaining episode 45 likely to begin April 22 or 23.

• Montana East Side Fire: 1,500 to 1,600 acres south of Red Lodge with 185 homes evacuated; forecast 40 to 50 mph gusts may challenge containment today.

• Arizona Shaw Fire: Forward progress stopped near Cochise Stronghold at roughly 20 acres with two structures lost; crews working toward containment.

• Michigan U.P. flooding: State of emergency extended to Iron and Marquette counties on April 20; snowmelt and rain continue to drive river-level concerns.

• Iowa disaster proclamation: Five counties designated under Governor Reynolds’ April 20 proclamation; Individual Assistance Grant Program and Disaster Case Advocacy Program activated through May 20.

• USDA drought designations: 40 NC counties and 22 TN counties (plus seven contiguous TN counties) designated; emergency loans available through December 10.

• Florida fire weather: Red Flag Warning across NE and Central Florida through 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday; 99 percent of Florida in drought with rapid-spread risk.

• Severe weather outlook: SPC Day 2 Slight risk Thursday from northern Oklahoma into southern Minnesota for very large hail, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes.

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Sources

FEMA

• Disaster Assistance Center Will Open in Whatcom County — FEMA press release announcing the April 22 DAC opening at Sumas Advent Christian Church.

• Apply Separately for State, Federal Assistance for December Storms in Washington — April 21 FEMA notice outlining dual application tracks for Washington.

• Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for Public Assistance Only for the State of Montana (FR) — Federal Register publication of FEMA-4901-DR.

• Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for Public Assistance Only for the State of Idaho (FR) — Federal Register publication of FEMA-4905-DR.

• Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster for Public Assistance Only for the State of Oregon (FR) — Federal Register publication of Oregon Public Assistance declaration.

DHS / NTAS

• National Terrorism Advisory System — DHS NTAS page — no active advisories.

• Recovery Rundown — CNMI Sinlaku (April 21) — Status of CNMI declaration request on the President’s desk (DHS Secretary sign-off).

CISA

• CISA Adds Eight Known Exploited Vulnerabilities to Catalog — Official CISA alert adding eight exploited CVEs (Official update ~36 hours ago).

• ICS Advisories (CISA) — Hub page for April 21 ICS advisories (ICSA-26-111-03 through -12).

• CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog — Authoritative KEV catalog with federal due dates.

State Department

• Travel Advisories (Travel.State.Gov) — Authoritative current advisory list and Level indicators.

USGS / Volcano & Seismic

• Kīlauea Volcano Update — HVO updates on episode 45 precursory activity.

• HVO Notice — April 21, 2026 (18:14 UTC) — Formal HANS notice reflecting Kīlauea WATCH/ORANGE escalation.

• Mount Spurr (AVO) — Alaska Volcano Observatory status for Mount Spurr.

NIFC / Wildfire

• Incident Management Situation Report (IMSR) — National wildland fire situation reporting hub.

• NIFC Monthly Outlook (April 1, 2026) — Predictive Services monthly seasonal outlook covering April.

• InciWeb — Authoritative incident information system (Shaw Fire, East Side Fire).

NWS / SPC

• SPC Day 1 Convective Outlook (April 21, 2000 UTC) — SPC Day 1 hazard outlook.

• SPC Day 2 Convective Outlook — SPC Day 2 hazard outlook (Thursday enhanced risk setup).

FAA / Transportation

• FAA National Airspace System Status — NAS status and active airport events (SFO).

Arizona

• Shaw Fire — forward progress stopped — Arizona’s Family update on Shaw Fire status and structures destroyed.

• Shaw Fire 70% contained (April 22) — Next-morning containment update.

Florida

• Red Flag Warning (News4JAX) — NE Florida / SE Georgia Red Flag Warning context and drought status.

Hawaii

• Kīlauea Alert Level Raised to Watch — Local confirmation of escalation to WATCH/ORANGE.

Idaho

• President Trump Approves Disaster Declaration for Idaho (IOEM) — Idaho Office of Emergency Management announcement.

• FEMA to allow access to disaster relief support (Bonner County Daily Bee, April 21) — Local coverage of the FEMA aid process for the windstorm.

• Minidoka Memorial Hospital updates Easter morning cyberattack — DataBreaches.Net update on Minidoka Memorial incident and Blackwater claim.

Iowa

• Gov. Reynolds Issues Disaster Proclamation for Five Counties (April 20) — Official press release naming the five counties and programs activated.

• Proclamation of Disaster Emergency (April 20, 2026) — Text of the Governor’s proclamation.

Michigan

• Gov. Whitmer declares state of emergency for Marquette, Iron Counties — Local coverage of U.P. emergency extension.

• Flooding emergencies declared for two more Michigan counties — Detroit News report on April 20 executive action.

• 2026 Statewide Flooding (Michigan State Police) — Michigan State Police EMHSD statewide flooding operations page.

Montana

• East Side Fire burns 1,600 acres, 185 evacuated (Daily Montanan) — Reporting on fire size, evacuations, and resources.

• UPDATE: Crews beat back Red Lodge fire to 1,500 acres — Billings Gazette status update.

North Carolina

• USDA Designates 40 North Carolina Counties as Natural Disaster Areas — Official USDA FSA designation and emergency loan details.

Oregon

• FEMA approves disaster aid for Oregon after December 2025 storms — Local coverage of Oregon disaster approval context.

Tennessee

• USDA Designates 22 Tennessee Counties as Natural Disaster Areas — Official USDA FSA designation for Tennessee.

Washington

• Applications open for $2.5M in Washington state disaster assistance — Governor Ferguson press release on state-level parallel assistance.

• FEMA disaster assistance center to open Wednesday in Sumas — Local coverage of the DAC opening.

Territories (CNMI)

• The Recovery Rundown: CNMI Sinlaku (April 21, 2026) — Territorial readout on the presidential declaration package.

• FEMA assesses damage after Super Typhoon Sinlaku made landfall in CNMI — Context on damage-assessment operations.

Good morning.

Recovery operations dominate today's federal picture.

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Major Disaster Declaration request for Super Typhoon Sinlaku is on the President's desk with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen having signed off on Governor David M. Apatying's package.

The request seeks individual assistance, public assistance with direct federal assistance, hazard mitigation and a 100% federal cost share for debris removal and emergency protective measures across Saipan, Tinian Rota and the Northern Islands, where FEMA damage assessment teams continue to document catastrophic structural losses.

In Washington State, a FEMA Disaster Assistance center opens today at the Sumas Advent Christian Church in Whatcom county to help survivors of the December 5th to 19th storms and flooding apply for federal aid before the June 10th deadline.

On the cyber side, the cybersecurity and infrastructure security agencies addition of eight actively exploited flaws to the known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog carries April and May federal remediation deadlines that remain in force today.

Official update published 36 hours ago.

CISA also released 10 new ICS advisories yesterday, including critical rated flaws in Siemens RuggedCom Crossbow and Silex technology SD330AC and AMC Manager devices used across industrial sectors.

The Department of State's Travel Advisory Portal shows no new Level 4 changes, but Trinidad and Tobago remains at reconsider Travel following a March nationwide state of emergency.

The DHS National Terrorism Advisory System shows no active NTAS advisory.

Geophysical hazards are active in the Pacific.

The U.S. geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory raised Kilauea's Volcano Alert Level and Aviation Color Code to watch Orange on the evening of April 20 after lava overflowed from the North Vent in Halemomau, marking precursory activity for lava fountaining episode 45.

Forecast models suggest the full episode onset between Today and Sunday, April 26, with April 22 or 23 most likely at Mount Spur.

Activity remains at advisory yellow with continuing declines suggesting the magma intrusion has stalled in Wildland Fire the National Interagency Fire Center's preparedness level sits at 2, with most activity concentrated in the southern area where year to date acreage burned is running near 200% of the 10 year average.

In weather and aviation, the Storm Prediction center outlooks show a rebuilding severe threat through the central United States Wednesday carries a Level one marginal risk across the High Plains as Gulf moisture returns behind a dryline, with the principal threat shifting to Thursday, April 23, when a Level 2 slight risk covers roughly 10 million people from northern Oklahoma into southern Minnesota for very large hail, damaging winds and a few tornadoes.

The Federal Aviation Administration's advisory logs show San Francisco International as a persistent choke point.

SFO recorded more than 540 disruptions yesterday from wind and Runway construction, with airborne holds exceeding one hour.

Let's run through the states.

Arizona the Shaw Fire in Cochise county, which forced evacuations near the Cochise Stronghold Campground in the Dragoon Mountains on Monday, had its forward progress stopped Tuesday at roughly 20 acres with two outbuildings destroyed.

The U.S. forest Service's Coronado National Forest and Cochise county crews, supported by more than 50 personnel continue to work the fire toward full containment.

Florida the National Weather Service maintained a red flag warning across northeast and Central Florida through 8pm EDT Tuesday, with breezy east northeast winds gusting 25-35 mph over critically low relative humidity and widespread severe to exceptional drought.

State officials and local emergency managers are urging burn bans and heightened readiness.

Any new wildfire starts will spread quickly and prove hard to contain.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory raised Kilauea to watch orange on the evening of April 20 after lava emerged from the north Vent in Halemaumau, marking precursory activity for episode 45 of the ongoing summit eruption.

Hawaii Volcanoes national park and Hawaii county emergency managers are monitoring.

No populated areas are presently threatened, but ashfall and pelels hair downwind remain possible once sustained fountaining resumes.

Idaho Kootenai Layda, Lewis Nez Perce and Shoshone counties and eligible tribal nations.

Requests for public assistance are due to the Idaho Office of emergency management by May 7.

Separately, Minidoka Memorial Hospital in Rupert continues recovery from its April 5 ransomware incident.

Imaging services were restored April 19, and the Blackwater Group has set an April 24 data leak deadline that hospitals across the state should watch closely.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds April 20th proclamation of disaster emergency remains in effect for Carroll, Crawford, Grundy, Harrison and Washington Counties following the April 13 severe weather outbreak of damaging winds, tornadoes, heavy rains and flash flooding.

The proclamation activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program and the Disaster Case Advocacy Program and runs through May 20 unless extended.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's April 20 executive action extended the statewide state of emergency to include Iron county and Marquette county in the Upper Peninsula, where snowmelt and rainfall have produced extensive flooding, washed out roads and elevated river levels.

Approximately 135 firefighters, two fixed wing aircraft and four helicopters are engaged, with forecasters warning of wind gusts of 40 to 50 miles per hour ahead of an incoming cold front.

North Carolina the U.S. department of Agriculture issued a secretarial natural disaster designation Tuesday covering 40 North Carolina counties as primary natural disaster areas, with seven contiguous Tennessee counties also eligible triggered by D2 to D4 drought conditions.

Emergency credit through USDA Farm Service Agency emergency loans is available to eligible producers through a December 10th application deadline.

The Oregon Department of Emergency Management is coordinating intake and applicant briefings.

Tennessee the USDA Farm Service Agency's natural Disaster designations cover 22 Tennessee counties announced April 20, plus seven contiguous counties tied to North Carolina's drought declaration, opening emergency loan applications for eligible producers through December 10th.

The triggering disaster is drought under the USDA Fast Track designation process.

Washington FEMA opens a disaster assistance center today at the Sumas Advent Christian Church, 125 Front street in Whatcom County.

Specialists will help survivors of the Dec. 5th to 19th storms and flooding apply for FEMA assistance in Chelin, Grays, Harbor, King, Lewis Pacific, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston and Whatcom counties, along with eligible federally recognized tribes.

The federal application deadline is June 10.

All other states have no significant updates in the last 24 hours.

Territories Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Governor David M. Apatang's Super Typhoon Sinlaku major disaster declaration request is with the president after DHS Secretary Mark Wayne Mullins sign off.

The package seeks individual assistance, public assistance with direct federal assistance, hazard mitigation and 100% federal cost share for debris removal and emergency protective measures across Saipan, Tinian, Rota and the Northern islands.

FEMA damage assessment teams continue work on the ground and the CNMI is requesting additional labor support as power, water and communications restoration continues.

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

That's your EM morning brief for Wednesday.

Stay safe.