National Situation Update: Sunday, July 9, 2006
Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).
Significant National Weather
West: The Intermountain West has been very active with thunderstorms the Sierra to the high Plains of Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. This pattern of afternoon thunderstorms across the Intermountain West will continue on Sunday and into Monday. Some of the thunderstorms will be slow moving and produce heavy amounts of rain, resulting in flood watches being posted across parts of Utah and Colorado.
Northeast: Southeast New England coastline may see clouds and showers early Sunday. Isolated afternoon thunderstorms are in the forecast Sunday from Upstate New York south along the Appalachians into the Virginias. Elsewhere around the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, partly-cloudy skies will dominate Sunday's weather.
South: Showers and thunderstorms are forecast from southern Florida to Louisiana and coastal Texas through Sunday. Across parts of Oklahoma, southern Missouri, Arkansas, western Tennessee, northern Mississippi and Alabama, sporadic afternoon thunderstorms are possible.
Midwest: Scattered showers and thunderstorms are forecast to move southward through the Great Lakes, Mississippi Valley and Plains on Sunday. Isolated severe storms are possible during the afternoon hours on Sunday from Michigan to eastern Iowa. (NWS, Media Sources)
Rain Causes Flooding in Colorado – State Disaster Emergency Declared
Colorado Governor Bill Owens has issued an order for a state disaster emergency in counties hard-hit by recent rains and flooding.
Douglas County is in the worst shape, with five homes flooded and 40 more threatened. Heavy rains Friday night destroyed at least three homes near the town of Deckers, Colorado, southwest of Denver, and more precipitation is expected in that area.
The National Weather Service is calling for more heavy rain along much of the Front Range and foothills Saturday evening.
The flooding was occurring on the South Platte River basin, where the Hayman fire, the largest wildfire in Colorado history, burned 138,000 acres in 2002. A Douglas County spokesman blamed much of flood damage on the fire, which destroyed vegetation and ground cover. (Media sources)
FEMA Region Activity
The Joint Field Office (JFO) for FEMA-1647-DR-South Dakota is approved to close on July 14, 2006.
Tropical Activity
Atlantic: No new activity to report.
Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean Sea: No new activity to report.
Eastern Pacific: No tropical storm activity.
Western Pacific: Tropical depression 05W is located 200 miles north of Yap and 300 miles west of Guam. Current track should not threaten any United States interests (USDOC/NOAA/NWS, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)
Earthquake Activity
A strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake, part of a series of quakes between 5.0 and 6.1 in the last 24 hours, were reported in the vicinity of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. No reports of damage or tsunami warnings issued. (United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program, NWS, West Coast-Alaska Tsunami Warning Center)
Preliminary Damage Assessments
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Wildfire Update
Park City Complex: 1,867 acres at 50 percent contained. The complex is located four miles northeast of Park City and consists of the Coal Creek and Benedict fires. Several residences and outbuildings are currently threatened.
Initial attack activity was moderate nationally with 246 new fires reported.
Seven new large fires were reported, three in the Rocky Mountain Area and one each in the Southern California, Northern Rockies, Southern and Eastern Great Basin Areas.
Five large fires were contained, one each in the Western Great Basin, Rocky Mountain, Northern Rockies, Eastern Great Basin and Northwest Areas.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona, California, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Disaster Declaration Activity
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Last Modified: Monday, 10-Jul-2006 08:11:54 EDT