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

Good morning.

A multi day severe weather outbreak is the top national story this morning.

The Storm Prediction center carries an enhanced severe threat across the Southern and Central Plains into the mid Mississippi and Ohio valleys with tornadoes, very large hail and damaging winds all in play today.

A separate excessive rainfall threat stretches from the Texas Hill country into the upper Midwest and Great Lakes where the National Water center flags considerable flooding risk through midweek.

Confirmed tornadoes and damage reports from Kansas Monday evening continue into Tuesday as the storm system shifts east in the Pacific.

Super Typhoon Sinlaku remains the operational priority for the Mariana Islands.

The National Weather Service office in Guam continues typhoon warnings for Rota, Tinian, Saipan and the northern islands with a tropical storm warning in effect for Guam.

A Presidential Emergency Declaration For Guam signed April 12 authorizes FEMA support and direct federal assistance for the typhoon response.

Wildfire activity is elevated for April.

The National Interagency Fire center has national resources at preparedness level 2.

The daily incident Management Situation Report tracks active large fires across the Plains and southern area, including the Buffalo Gap Fire in South Dakota at roughly 5,400 acres and the Horny Toad Fire south of Borger, Texas.

The Bureau of Land Management and State Forestry Partners continue extended attack operations and New Mexico has statewide restrictions in place banning prescribed burns, fireworks, campfires and smoking on state lands.

On the volcano front, USGS reports Kilauea's Halemaumau eruption paused after episode 44 ended late last week.

The alert level remains advisory with an aviation color code of yellow.

In Alaska, Great Sitkin continues slow lava effusion at Watch in Orange while Shishaldin and the ATKA volcanic complex sit at advisory in yellow with ongoing low level unrest.

On the cyber side, CISA added a new Adobe Acrobat vulnerability to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog this week, triggering federal remediation timelines and recommended action for critical infrastructure operators.

Agencies continue to monitor the broader State Department travel advisory posture, which remains elevated across multiple regions.

Lets run through the States.

Volcanic unrest continues at multiple Alaskan volcanoes.

Great Sitkin remains at alert level watch with slow lava effusion and frequent rockfall in the Summit Crater.

Shishaldin and the ATKA volcanic complex remain at advisory with elevated seismicity.

Gas emissions and thermal signals.

Aviation operators should continue to monitor AVO updates.

Arkansas Severe weather pushed into Arkansas overnight with tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings across the state.

Reports of golf ball sized hail and damaging wind gusts accompanied the storms, with the enhanced severe threat continuing through Tuesday as the system tracks east.

A wildfire southeast of Trinidad near the Colorado New Mexico border has grown to roughly 450 acres.

Colorado has burned more than double its historical average acreage for this point in the year and local and state resources are engaged on multiple smaller starts along the Front Range and Southeast Plains.

Hawaii USGS reports Kilauea's Halemaumau Summit eruption paused after episode 44 ended.

Alert level remains advisory and aviation color code yellow.

No evacuation orders are in place, but Hawaii Volcanoes national park continues to message elevated volcanic gas and vogue risk for downwind communities.

Kansas Confirmed tornadoes and storm damage were reported in and near Ottawa late Monday evening following a tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service around 7:25pm Three minor injuries were reported in Franklin County.

Tornado watches remain in effect into Tuesday for portions of eastern and southeastern Kansas.

Maryland FEMA is conducting its biennial radiological emergency preparedness exercise at the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, which spans the Pennsylvania Maryland border region.

The evaluated exercise is a planned event and does not reflect any actual emergency.

The Storm Prediction Center's threat corridor continues into the upper Midwest today and flood watches remain in effect across parts of the region.

Missouri Severe weather moved into Missouri overnight with tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings.

Damaging winds and large hail accompanied the line of storms.

The severe threat continues into Tuesday as the system tracks toward the Ohio Valley.

New Mexico Statewide fire restrictions remain in effect.

Abnormally warm and dry conditions continue to elevate risk through April.

Oklahoma Multiple tornado watches were in effect across central and western Oklahoma Monday into Tuesday as the multi day severe outbreak continued.

Flight operations at Will Rogers World Airport experienced significant disruption.

Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and state responders remain engaged as additional storms are possible.

Today.

FEMA is conducting its biennial radiological emergency preparedness exercise at the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station.

The evaluated exercise is planned and does not reflect an actual emergency.

Local jurisdictions in York and Lancaster counties are participating in notification and response drills.

South Dakota the Buffalo Gap Fire, a type 3 interagency incident located about 3 miles north of Buffalo Gap is reported at roughly 5,400 acres.

Resources remain committed to containment as weather conditions shift A severe weather outbreak is underway across north central and East Texas.

Supercells developed along the dryline with confirmed large hail and damaging winds and tornado watches and warnings have been issued through the day.

Flight disruptions continue at DFW.

Separately, the Horny Toad Fire, which started April 12 south of Borger, remains active in the Texas Panhandle.

West Virginia the Glenn Ferris Fire is active about 1 mile southwest of Gawley Bridge with reported active fire behavior, per the NIFC situation report.

Resources are committed and local agencies are coordinating with state Forestry.

A tornado watch extended into multiple Wisconsin counties Monday night as the severe weather system tracked northeast from Minnesota.

Very large hail and damaging winds were reported along the leading edge of the storm system.

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

Territories Guam A presidential emergency declaration signed April 12 authorizes FEMA direct federal assistance for Super Typhoon Sinlaku response.

The NWS Guam office maintains tropical storm warning conditions for Guam and typhoon warnings for the Northern Mariana Islands.

Emergency managers across the region continue shelter operations and post storm damage assessments.

Northern Mariana Islands Typhoon warnings remain in effect for Rota, Tinian, Saipan and the northern islands in association with Super Typhoon Sinlaku.

In addition, the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation issued a precautionary boil water notice for the island of Rota tied to planned water system maintenance.

Residents are advised to boil all drinking water until the notice is lifted.

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

That's your EM morning brief for Tuesday.

Stay safe.