The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has put in an order for 46,000 rounds of .40-caliber hollow-point bullets.

This follows the order of 450 million rounds of hollow-point ammo by the Department of Homeland Security.

The NOAA order was originally attributed to the National Weather Service, but once the news got out, the NOAA said the ammo and 500 paper targets were intended for its Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement. The online order still says National Weather Service, however.

Hollow-point bullets are designed to flatten and spread out on impact, causing a larger wound than ordinary ammunition and increasing the likelihood of a fatal injury.

It’s not the sort of thing you would normally waste on shooting paper targets. Or on fish. Or on rainclouds.

All of which raises a few questions. …

Meanwhile, back at the Department of Homeland Security, officials have been making preparations for what looks like a civil war.

In addition to the millions of rounds of bullets, the DHS has been ordering riot gear, bulletproof traffic-stop booths and even more bullets — these .357-Magnum rounds capable of shooting through walls.

All this beefing up of DHS forces is ostensibly in preparation for the Democratic and Republican national conventions and the presidential inauguration.

The New Black Panther Party has threatened violence at the Republican convention. Chief of Staff Michelle Williams threatened the RNC, saying the Black Panthers’ “foot will be on you god<snip> motherf—ers’ necks.”

These are the people Attorney General Eric Holder gave a pass to in a voter intimidation case.

Occupy Wall Street, according to its website, is planning protests during both political conventions, but since OWS is manipulated by the White House, the real action will likely be at the Republican convention.

With the DHS and other agencies armed to the teeth, look for things to possibly get ugly very quickly in Tampa.