Today’s EM Morning Brief covers Super Typhoon Sinlaku’s devastating impact on Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, where winds up to 185 mph knocked out power and water and displaced more than a thousand residents. A multi-day severe weather outbreak has produced confirmed tornadoes across six states, including an EF-3 near Union Center, Wisconsin, and an EF-2 in Ottawa, Kansas. Florida’s extreme drought—the worst since 2012—has fueled more than 1,600 wildfires and 100,000 acres burned in the first 100 days of 2026, with multiple counties declaring local emergencies. CISA continues its active advisory cadence with new KEV additions and the ongoing Cisco SD-WAN emergency directive. FEMA housing inspectors begin property evaluations in Washington state under the newly approved disaster declaration. The national wildfire picture remains above average at 231 percent of the ten-year norm, with Red Flag Warnings active across the Southern Plains. 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

• Super Typhoon Sinlaku: Winds up to 185 mph devastated Saipan and Tinian; power and water out for potentially weeks; 1,000+ residents sheltered; presidential emergency declarations active for both Guam and CNMI.

• Multi-Day Tornado Outbreak: Confirmed tornadoes across Kansas (EF-2), Wisconsin (EF-3), Oklahoma (EF-1), Iowa, Minnesota, and Arkansas from April 13–15; three injured in Ottawa, KS; continued severe threat through April 16.

• Florida Drought Emergency: Nearly 80% of the state is in extreme drought—the worst since 2012; over 100,000 acres burned from 1,600+ wildfires in 2026; multiple county burn bans and local emergency declarations.

• Southeast Drought and Fire Risk: Georgia reports D4 Exceptional Drought in Seminole County; North Carolina’s statewide burn ban enters its third week with 554 fires; Virginia is under critical fire weather warnings.

• CISA KEV and Emergency Directive: Nine new Known Exploited Vulnerabilities added April 13–14, including Fortinet and Adobe flaws; Cisco SD-WAN Emergency Directive 26-03 hunt-and-hardening phase continues.

• FEMA Disaster Recovery: Housing inspectors begin evaluating properties in Washington state (DR-4906, $182.3M in damage); Montana disaster declaration for December storms; Guam and CNMI emergency declarations are active.

• National Wildfire Posture: Preparedness Level 2; 23 uncontained large fires; 1.72 million acres burned YTD (231% of 10-year average); Red Flag Warnings active across Southern Plains.

• Nevada Earthquake: M5.7 near Silver Springs on April 13; 43 aftershocks; 17% chance of a larger aftershock within the week; no significant damage reported.

• New Jersey Boil Water Advisory: System-wide advisory in South Brunswick Township following water main break on April 15; remains in effect until DEP testing clears the supply.

Sources

DHS / NTAS

• DHS NTAS Bulletin — Heightened threat environment amid Israel-Iran conflict

• DHS National Terrorism Advisory System overview

CISA

• CISA adds two KEVs to catalog (April 14, 2026)

• CISA adds seven KEVs to catalog (April 13, 2026)

• CISA Emergency Directive 26-03 — Cisco SD-WAN

• CISA Supplemental Direction ED 26-03 — Hunt and hardening guidance

NIFC / Wildfire

• NIFC Incident Management Situation Report (April 15, 2026)

• NIFC National Fire News

• InciWeb — Active wildfire incidents

NOAA / NWS / SPC

• SPC Day 1 Convective Outlook (April 16, 2026)

• NWS Kansas City — Hazardous weather outlook and flood warnings

• NWS — Ottawa, Kansas tornado summary (April 13, 2026)

• NWS Twin Cities — April 13, 2026 hail and tornado summary

• NWS La Crosse — April 14, 2026 severe thunderstorms

FEMA

• FEMA — Washington major disaster declaration (DR-4906)

• FEMA — Montana major disaster declaration

• FEMA — Guam emergency declaration

• FEMA — CNMI emergency declaration

• FEMA — Housing inspectors begin evaluating WA properties (April 15)

USGS

• USGS — Significant Earthquakes 2026

• M5.7 earthquake near Silver Springs, NV (April 13, 2026)

State Dept / Travel

• State Dept — Middle East travel advisory (updated April 10, 2026)

• State Dept — Worldwide Caution

CDC

• CDC HAN 00527 — Medetomidine in the illicit fentanyl supply (April 2, 2026)

Arkansas

• 5News — Severe storms and tornado warnings in River Valley

Florida

• Tampa Bay Times — Florida wildfires shattering records amid drought

• Fox Weather — Florida fire danger spikes as extreme drought reaches 25-year high

• WCTV — Burn bans issued across Big Bend, South Georgia (April 15)

• Hernando County — Burn ban effective April 14, 2026

Georgia

• WCTV — Burn bans across Big Bend and South Georgia

• WSB-TV — Barrow County burn ban (April 15)

• WALB — Decatur County burn ban (April 15)

Iowa

• KCRG — Tornado and hail damage across eastern Iowa (April 14)

• AccuWeather — Tornadoes and grapefruit-size hail in Iowa and Wisconsin

Kansas

• NWS Topeka — EF-2 tornado in Ottawa, April 13

• The Watchers — NWS confirms EF-2 tornado injured 3 in Ottawa

• KWCH — Kansas governor declares disaster emergency

Minnesota

• NWS Twin Cities — April 13 hail and tornado summary

• Fox 9 — 3 possible tornadoes in southern Minnesota

Missouri

• GovOneStop — Missouri flood warning, Big Creek at Blairstown

• KSHB — Flooding affects roads in Johnson County, Missouri

Montana

• FEMA — Montana major disaster declaration (April 11, 2026)

• Daily Inter Lake — Lincoln County disaster declaration

Nebraska

• InciWeb — Morrill Fire information

• 1011 Now — Nebraska wildfire operations wind down with full containment

Nevada

• ABC News — Magnitude 5.7 earthquake in Nevada

• MyNews4 — M5.7 earthquake near Silver Springs, Lyon County

New Jersey

• Patch — South Brunswick boil water advisory after water main break (April 15)

North Carolina

• NC Dept. of Agriculture — Statewide burn ban continues (April 14)

• WECT — 554 wildfires scorch 2,200 acres under burn ban

Oklahoma

• NewsOn6 — Storm damage in Tulsa and Muskogee

• Fox23 — NWS confirms EF-1 tornado in Tulsa Hills (April 15)

• NewsOn6 — Hilldale cancels classes after Muskogee tornado

South Carolina

• SC Public Radio — Red Flag Fire Alert as drought intensifies

Texas

• Texas A&M Forest Service — Current wildfire status

• TDEM — Governor Abbott activates emergency resources (April 10)

Virginia

• WSLS — Virginia wildfire risk grows amid April drought and early heat

Washington

• FEMA — Housing inspectors begin evaluating WA properties (April 15)

• KNKX — FEMA approves disaster funding for WA after December floods

Wisconsin

• WMTV — EF-3 tornado confirmed near Union Center, multiple homes damaged

• We Are Green Bay — Multiple tornadoes confirmed in Wisconsin

Guam / CNMI

• NPR — Super Typhoon Sinlaku pounds remote U.S. islands

• PBS NewsHour — Super Typhoon Sinlaku with ferocious winds

• FEMA — Guam emergency declaration

• FEMA — CNMI emergency declaration

• World Central Kitchen — Response to Super Typhoon Sinlaku

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