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National Situation Update: Friday, June 9, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

More New England Rain

Northeast:  Storms will develop off the coastal Carolinas overnight and will race up toward New England on Friday. Significant rainfall across much of New England will cause more areas of flooding. Parts of New Hampshire and eastern Massachusetts have had 20 to 25 inches of rain in the past 5 weeks. Boston has just set a record for the most rainfall in any May/June period.

Midwest:  Severe thunderstorms are possible late Friday afternoon and Friday evening from South Dakota and Nebraska through Iowa. Large hail, isolated tornadoes and damaging straight-line winds are possible. The threat of severe thunderstorms moves into the Ohio and Missouri Valleys on Saturday, but additional thunderstorms are likely along the stalled front from the Dakotas southeast to Missouri and Illinois.

South:  Increasing heat and humidity across the South. Precipitation will be isolated, mainly over the Gulf region and southern Appalachians.

West:  Calm weather across the Southwest from Friday through the weekend. The heat will remain over the Southwest with highs in the 100s and 110s through the weekend. The Northwest will be mostly dry and mild.  (NWS, Media sources)

Tornado Damages Homes in Southern Indiana

At least seven homes were destroyed in Jackson County, Indiana, said a spokesman for the county's emergency management on Thursday. The tornado, which had winds up to 110 mph, was responsible for tearing roofs off of some homes and the Crothersville police station, the National Weather Service said. Thousands of homes and businesses lost power in Wednesday night's storm. The heaviest damage appeared to be around Seymour. (Media sources)

Cotton Mill Fire Still Burning

An old cotton mill in Great Falls, South Carolina, Chester County continued to burn Thursday, keeping residents out of their homes. Chester County Emergency Management spokesman said the evacuation could last up to a week as the fire continues to burn.

The governor of South Carolina declared a state of emergency for Chester County after touring the scene of a mill still burning three days after it caught fire. The blaze at the former J.P. Stevens number three mill started Tuesday morning and firefighters decided to let it burn itself out.

The agency and the federal Environmental Protection Agency are taking air and water samples near the fire. Low levels of hydrochloric acid that did not exceed safe levels were found in water sources just above and just below the mill,

As of 4:15 p.m. EDT Thursday, FEMA Region IV reports that the fire continues to burn and the toxic fume cloud is still causing problems for the surrounding area.  The total evacuation is now estimated to be between 3,000 and 4,000 people. No federal assistance has been requested as of this time. (FEMA Region IV, media sources)

Officials Prepare Florida's Levee for Hurricane Season

Construction work is being done to strengthen the 143-mile earthen dike along the southern perimeter of Lake Okeechobee. Problems with sand entering repair work, has put the project on hold for about ten days according to an official with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Engineers were trying to fortify the dike by cutting into it and inserting a clay material called bentonite, which expands when wet to form a barrier. But the Corps' chief of engineering says the dike's sandy nature created problems that weakened work being done.

Government officials are now also putting together a system that will pinpoint the flow of floodwaters in case a hurricane causes a gap in the dike. (Media sources)

Tropical Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

A small earthquake was reported near Cabazon, CA, about 16 miles west-northwest of Palm Springs.  The 3.8 magnitude struck at 3:45 p.m. PDT. There are no immediate reports of damage or injuries.(USGS)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

Initial attack activity was moderate nationally with 248 new fires reported. Eleven new large fires were reported, four in the Southwest Area, three in the Southern Area, two in the Rocky Mountain Area and one each in the Southern California, Eastern Great Basin and Western Great Basin Areas. Six large fires were contained, two in the Southern Area, two in the Southwest Area and one in the Eastern Great Basin Area. Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Montana, Utah and North Dakota.

A wildland fire in Stagecoach Nevada has burned 75 to 100 acres near the Talapoosa mountain range Thursday. No structures are threatened, according to the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch. Two air tankers, two water tenders, one hand crew, four commanders, 50 personnel and 11 engines are responding.

A wildfire reported early Thursday south of Delta Junction Alaska had grown to 200 acres by Thursday afternoon, according to the state's Division of Forestry. Several homes are located in the surrounding area, although as of early Thursday afternoon they were not threatened by the fire, however the Forestry Service has notified the home owners to be ready for a possible evacuation

National Preparedness Level is 2 (On a scale of 1 to 5) (National Interagency Fire Center, NWS, Storm Prediction Center, media sources)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)