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National Situation Update: Wednesday, September 6, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Commercial Aviation ORANGE


National Weather Forecast

South:
Showers and thunderstorms will linger along the Carolina coasts, in southeast Georgia and throughout Florida. Isolated thunderstorms will be sporadic along the Gulf Coast, in extreme south Texas and far West Texas. Most of the South, however, will be dry conditions with plenty of sunshine and seasonable temperatures.

Northeast:
Showers and thundershowers will be sporadic in the Northeast but not the soaking rains some areas received Tuesday.

Midwest:
Showers and thunderstorms are expected over the Great Lakes and lower Midwest tomorrow, but rainfall amounts should be insignificant.

West:
Scattered to isolated thunderstorms will be light in the interior West Wednesday, mainly south of Idaho and Montana, but most of the western U.S. will remain dry with a generous supply of sunshine.   (NWS, Media Sources)

Coast Guard to Assess Damage on Wake Island

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Sherman from Alameda, Calif., is expected to arrive September 7 with members of the Coast Guard Pacific Strike Team.

As part of its mission the team responds to potential oil and hazardous-material spills. The team will conduct a detailed survey of the island and check the integrity of island structures, the Coast Guard said.

Ioke hit Wake Island August 31 with 150 mph winds. All 188 island residents had been evacuated on two C-17 Globemaster IIIs from the 15th Airlift Wing at Hickam AFB.

An earlier U.S. Coast Guard aerial assessment of Wake Island Sept. 2 showed less destruction than expected.

Illinois Officials Assessing Rockford Flood Damage

Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today offered state assistance to the Rockford area following severe flooding that struck Rockford and Winnebago County Monday.

Parts of the Rockford area (Keith's Creek) was the hardest hit. The high water mark in the area is at three feet in some homes. There are reports of foundation failures and basement flooding. A large number of homes and businesses are anticipated to be impacted\affected by this urban flood event (access problems, basement flooding, sewer back-up and overland flooding to streets and first floors of homes). Most water has receded, and local assessments should be completed by tomorrow.

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) also is sending personnel to the area to provide technical assistance to county officials as they assess the damage and determine if additional assistance is needed.

The FEMA Region V Duty Officer continues to monitor the situation.  No determination on PDA's pending evaluations by State and locals officials.(FEMA Region V, media sources)

North Carolina Flooding Continues after Ernesto

Gov. Mike Easley sent teams to 13 counties along the coast to assess damage of the storm as sporadic rain fell across the region. In coastal Washington County, up to three inches of rain fell in three hours and a flash-flood warning was issued east of Rocky Mount when about two inches of rain fell in an hour, the National Weather Service reported.

Flooding in Duplin and Pender counties has already forced about 140 people from their homes, and many were unable to return Tuesday because of flooded roads and homes.

Flood warnings were in effect for Burgaw, a Pender county town about 100 miles southeast of Raleigh, where 2 inches of rain was expected to fall through Wednesday. Water levels had rose to 16 1/2 feet Tuesday _ more than 6 feet above flood stage for the river _ and could rise several more inches another 6 inches by Thursday before slowly receding, according to the Weather Service. (Media sources)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean Sea:
As of 5:00 AM EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Florence was located about 845 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands, and 2,000 miles from Miami, Florida.

Florence is moving toward the west-northwest near 13 mph, and this motion is expected to continue during the next 24 hours.

Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph, with higher gusts.  Some strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours.

Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 145 miles, mainly northeast from the center.

The official forecast will show strengthening and indicates that Florence could become a hurricane in about 2 days. 

Late in the forecast period the global models suggest that Florence will be approaching the southwestern periphery of the high and begin turning northwestward.

A tropical wave located several hundred miles west of the Cape Verde Islands continues to show signs of organization.  Environmental conditions appear somewhat favorable for a tropical depression to develop during the next couple of days as the system moves west-northwestward at about 10 mph.

Elsewhere, tropical storm formation is not expected through Thursday.

Central and Eastern Pacific
The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Tropical Storm Kristy, located about 1,468 miles east of the Hawaiian Islands.

Elsewhere, tropical storm formation is not expected through Wednesday
 (USDOC/NOAA/NWS, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center).

Western Pacific
There are no threats to U.S. Territories or Possessions.   (USDOC/NOAA/NWS, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center).

Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

National Fire Activity

  • Initial attack activity: Moderate (211 new fires)
  • New large fires: 12
  • Large fires contained: 4
  • Uncontained large fires: 53
  • Area Command Teams: 1
  • Type 1 IMTs committed: 10
  • Type 2 IMTs committed: 24
  • Fire Use Teams: 4

2006 Season: 8,220,516 acres burned to date (9-5-06)
Structure Loss 2006 Season year to date: Primary 258, Commercial 16, Outbuildings 517 (9-4-06

Critical resource needs: (as of 9-4-06

  • Mid-level fireline and aviation management personnel
  • Type 1 Hotshot Crews
  • Type 2 Initial Attack Crews
  • Type 2 Crews

Outlook: 
Storms are forecast to become wetter over the southern Great Basin by Thursday.
Hot, dry, and unstable conditions (high Haines Index) will exist from eastern portions of Washington and Oregon into western Montana through mid-week. Wet thunderstorms are expected in Southern California through Wednesday.

Major Evacuations/Structures Threatened:
There are 15 fires still posing a significant threat to structures and other improvements.  The remaining large fires have either mitigated the structure threat or are in remote areas not currently a threat to improvements (National Interagency Fire Center, National Infrastructure Coordination Center)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Jun-2009 16:21:29 EDT