• Emergency Managers and Personnel
• Situation Reports
• National Incident Management System
• Grants & Assistance Programs
• Training
• Contacts
• Planning
• Best Practices

National Situation Update: Sunday, August 20, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Hot in the South and West – Cool in the Northeast

West:
In the West highs on Sunday will be in the 90s across the interior sections of the Pacific Northwest and the Great Basin, with 100s across the Desert Southwest.

Clouds and rain across New Mexico and Colorado will keep afternoon highs in the 60s and 70s. The Pacific Coastline will have highs in the 70s.

Midwest:
Clouds and scattered thundershowers will remain in the forecast from southeastern Colorado, across Kansas, southern Missouri and into the Ohio River Valley.

Highs in the Great Plains and Midwest are expected to return to the 80s and 90s.

South:
Scattered showers and thunderstorms are in the forecast for southern Georgia and parts of Florida. Some of the slower moving storm cells could produce large amounts of rain resulting in localized flooding across the entire South. The increasing clouds and unsettled weather will help keep the temperatures below 100 degrees across Oklahoma and Arkansas on Sunday.

So far this summer the Dallas metro area has experienced 35 days of high temperatures over 100 degrees. Highs on Sunday are forecast to range generally in the 90s across the entire region with a pocket of 100s in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. The Virginias, Carolinas, Tennessee, and Southern Florida will reach temperatures from mid to upper 80's.

Northeast
Rain will move into and through the Northeast overnight into Sunday. The track of the heaviest rainfall will occur from central to northern New York through central to northern New England. 

Afternoon highs on Sunday will be in the 60s in Maine. Farther to the south afternoon highs will top out in the 70s from Cape Cod to Pittsburgh, with the 80s from Long Island to Southeastern Pennsylvania.  (NWS, Media Sources)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean Sea:
A small and weak low pressure area moved inland over southeastern Georgia. Tropical storm formation is not expected through Monday.

Eastern Pacific:
Hurricane Hector is located 1,500 miles east of the Hawaiian Islands where the system continues to deteriorate. Hector is forecast to dissipate during the next four days. Based on the current warning this system poses no threat to the U.S.

Western Pacific:
A new tropical cyclone has formed (Tropical Depression 01C) at latitude 10.2 north and longitude 158.4 west or about 690 miles SSW of Hilo, Hawaii. Maximum sustained winds are currently 29 miles per hour. This system does not currently pose any threat to the U.S. or its territories, however forecasters will continue to monitor this system. 
(USDOC/NOAA/NWS, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center).

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

FMAG-2667-TX was issued for the Caddo Fire II in Caddo, Texas where 4,300 acres are involved that are threatening 200 homes with a population of 300, of which 186 have evacuated.   (FEMA HQ)

Heavy Rains Close Main Highway and Rail Line in Alaska

Severe flooding and mud slides resulted in the closure of the main rail line between Anchorage and Fairbanks Alaska, the state's two largest cities. About 33 miles of train tracks were affected. The main highway connecting the two cities, Parks Highway, was also closed due to two bridge abutments that were undermined by flood waters.

The Governor of Alaska has issued a state of emergency to provide state assistance to the areas affected by the flooding. (media sources)

Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDA)

ALASKA: Fire August 2-3, 2006.  Individual Assistance and Public Assistance PDAs for the community of Hooper Bay are scheduled to begin on August 21, 2006.

IDAHO: Levee Impacts May 17-June 28, 2006. Public Assistance PDAs for an undetermined number of counties are scheduled to begin on August 23, 2006.

NEW MEXICO: Flash Flood July 31, 2006, and continuing.  Individual Assistance PDA for Dona Ana County began on August 18, 2006, and Public Assistance PDAs for 15 counties are scheduled to begin on August 21, 2006. (FEMA Region VI)

Tropical Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

No significant activity during the last 24 hours. (United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program, Alaska Earthquake Information Center, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

National Preparedness Level 5 (on a scale of 1 to 5).

August 19, 2006 wildfire activity was light nationally with 129 new fires reported.

Eight new large fires were reported, four in the Southern Area, three in the Eastern Great Basin Area and one in the Northern California Area.

Ten large fires were contained, four in the Rocky Mountain Area, two in the Northern Rockies Area and one each in the Eastern Great Basin, Northwest, Northern California and Southern Areas. 

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arkansas, California, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

There is an enhanced threat for wildfires across all of North Texas on Sunday. Relative humidity values will drop into the 25-35 percent range as temperatures approach 100 degrees. Wind speeds will generally be 5-15 miles per hour.

Unstable conditions and low relative humidity will bring a potential for large fire growth across eastern Oregon and southeast Washington on Sunday and Monday. The Haines Index, an indicator of the dryness and instability of the atmosphere will be a 6, the highest category in the Haines Scale. The afternoon relative humidity will range from 5-15 percent over most of the region.

Two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) C-130 aircraft and support personnel from the 153 rd Airlift Wing Air National Guard (ANG), Cheyenne, Wyoming are deployed to Klamath Falls, Oregon. Two other MAFFS C-130 aircraft and support personnel from the 146th Airlift Wing ANG, Channel Islands, California are deployed to Boise, Idaho.

The U.S. Army Task Force Blaze is assigned to the Tripod Complex wildfire in Washington. As of Saturday afternoon, the fire has burned 111,200 acres and is 30 percent contained. The fire poses a potential threat to about 845 structures consisting of:  300 houses, 120 commercial structures, and hundreds of outbuildings.  (National Fire Information Center, media sources)

Disaster Declaration Activity

FEMA-1654-DE will close on August 22, 2006.
FEMA-1645-ND will close on August 25, 2006.  (FEMA HQ)