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National Situation Update: Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

National Weather Forecast

South
Scattered to isolated showers and storms are expected in much of the South on Wednesday. Tennessee, much of Arkansas, parts of Texas, northern Mississippi, northern Alabama and far northern Georgia could escape the day dry.

High temperatures will range into the 80s and 90s for most of the area. A few triple-digit highs could pop up in portions of south Texas.

West
Showers and thunderstorms will dwindle over the Four Corners states.  In most of the West sunshine and dry conditions will prevail.

High temperatures will range from the 60s in parts of the Colorado Rockies, northwest Washington state and north Pacific beaches to over 110 in the lower Colorado River Valley. Readings in the 90s will prevail from eastern Montana southward through eastern Colorado. Parts of the San Joaquin Valley will top 100.

Red Flag Warnings and Fire Weather Watches are issued for portions of eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, Idaho, and Montana for gusty winds, low humidity and possible lightning. Parts of Nevada and Utah will also have gusty winds and low humidity.

Northeast
A relatively dry cold front will coast to a stop in the Northeast somewhere near the Mason-Dixon Line late on Wednesday. Isolated showers and storms are expected in the region, but most spots will stay dry.

High temperatures in northern New York state and northern New England will be in the 60s and the 90s in eastern Virginia.

Midwest
Locally heavy rain and a few severe thunderstorms are forecast in the Upper Midwest on Wednesday. The threat of storms, including tornadoes is expected mainly in southern Minnesota, southern Wisconsin and parts of Michigan.

Elsewhere in the Midwest and Plains dry conditions will prevail with temperatures from near seasonal means around the Great Lakes to above late August averages on the Plains.

Highs will range from the 60s in Michigan and Minnesota to over 100 in South Dakota and western Nebraska.  (NWS, Media Sources).

Suspected Botulism Incident in Pennsylvania

Several individuals have been admitted to two hospitals in Pennsylvania after opening articles of a mass mailing that may have contained botulism. Officials are currently testing and evaluating the unknown samples. The mass mailings were sent out to 71,000 addressees in several states. State and Federal law enforcement officials are investigating. (FEMA Region III)

Update on Alaska Flooding

The heavy rainfall which fell over central and south central Alaska last week shifted east over the weekend to the Prince William Sound area. In Cordova over 13 inches of rain fell in a 48 hour period causing significant high stages and flooding in many creeks and rivers. Cordova's municipal airport is flooded and the hydroelectric plant supplying 100 percent of the communities' electricity has been inoperable for three days.

Additional rainfall is expected over much of central and southeastern Alaska this week causing the Weather Forecast Offices in Juneau, Fairbanks and Anchorage to issue additional widespread Flood Advisory warnings. The Governor has issued a disaster declaration for the flooded areas.  (NOAA National Weather Service)

Tropical Activity

Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean Sea:
At 5:00 am EDT Wednesday, Tropical Storm Debby (formerly TD Four) was located near 15.9 north  30.1 west or about 385 miles west-northwest of the Cape Verde Islands with sustained wind speeds near 45 mph. Debby is moving toward the west-northwest near 16 mph and this general motion is expected to continue for the next 24 hours. 

Elsewhere tropical storm formation is not expected through Thursday.

Eastern Pacific:
At 12:00 am EDT Wednesday, Hurricane Ileana with winds about 86 mph was located at 16.6 north 109.2 west southwest of Acapulco Mexico. Ileana is expected to intensify during the next few days before weakening when it moves into cooler waters.

At 1:00 am EDT Wednesday, the NWS issued a final advisory for Tropical Depression Hector which is dissipating about 1,100 miles east-northeast of the Hawaiian Islands.

At 5:00 am EDT Wednesday, Hurricane 01C Ioke was located near 17.2 north 170.5 west or about 75 miles WNW of Johnston Island and about 870 miles WSW of Honolulu, Hawaii. The storm with sustained winds about 105 mph is moving across open waters and does not currently threaten any U.S. interests. 

Elsewhere tropical storm formation is not expected through Thursday.

Western Pacific:
No tropical storm warnings.(USDOC/NOAA/NWS, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center).

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

Alaska:  Fire August 2-3, 2006.  Individual Assistance and Public Assistance PDAs for the community of Hooper Bay began 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.  (FEMA Region X)  

Wildfire Update

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

Wildfire activity was moderate nationally with 255 new fires reported. Fifteen new large fires were reported, five each in the Eastern Great Basin and Northwest Areas, two each in the Rocky Mountain and Northern Rockies Areas, and one in the Western Great Basin Area.

Four large fires were contained in the Eastern Great Basin Area.

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

Two MAFFS C-130 aircraft and support personnel from the 153rd Airlift Wing 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 in Washington.  (National Interagency Fire Center, Inciweb-incident information system).

Disaster Declaration Activity

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