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National Situation Update: Sunday, June 22, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

Midwest:
Thunderstorms are forecast across the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Missouri and eastern Kansas today.  Some storms will be severe with damaging wind gusts and hail.  Numerous Flood Warnings remain in effect along the Mississippi River.  This coming week, the jet stream will flatten out from west to east across the northern part of the region as a weak cold front slowly moves through the Dakotas, northern Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes, stalling out from Lower Michigan to northern Nebraska by late week. Thunderstorms will develop over a large portion of the region each day. At this time, the thunderstorms are forecast to be scattered enough not to worsen the lingering flooding.  Weather across the Plains will be predominately dry today, but a few strong thunderstorms are possible over the western Dakotas and western Nebraska late in the day.  Highs today will range from the cool 60s in northern Michigan to the low 90s in western Kansas.
South:
Thunderstorms will be increasingly confined to the Southeast Coast, Florida and the Gulf Coast today and Monday. The storms over Florida will continue to be locally heavy.  High temperatures will range from the 80s and low 90s in the Carolinas to the 90s and low 100s in Texas.
Northeast:
Showers and scattered thunderstorms will be possible today and Monday across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.  The Northeast should be almost rain free by midweek with high temperatures ranging from the mid-to-upper 70s along the Canadian border to near 90 in Virginia.
West:
As reported by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, a swarm of dry lightning storms across northern California Saturday may have resulted in as many as 500 new fire starts. The Desert Southwest will remain hot today, but a Pacific disturbance moving into the Northwest will help to blunt the heat over parts of California.  Cool westerly winds will return to San Francisco Sunday, with highs in the upper 60s rather than the 90s. Temperatures in coastal southern California will lower from the 90s to the upper 80s.  Scattered thunderstorms will linger over the high Plains from Montana to New Mexico Monday.  A Red Flag Warning is in effect from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. MDT for southwest Utah as a result of gusty southwest winds and very low relative humidity.  An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect through 8:00 p.m. PDT Monday for southeast California and southwest Arizona.(NWS, CAL FIRE, Media Sources)

Midwest Severe Weather and Flooding

Moderate to Major flooding continues to impact areas along the Mississippi River from Cammanche, IA downstream to Thebes, IL.  USACE, State and local partners are still in a very active floodfight and are monitoring numerous levees along the River.  As a result of several recent levee breaks/failures (and subsequent diversion of water from the mainstem Mississippi River), there are actually two river crests moving down the Mississippi.  According to the North Central River Forecast Center, the first crest reached St. Louis on Friday, June 20, 2008, and the second crest is expected to arrive in St. Louis in about four days.  The second crest reached Canton, Missouri on Saturday morning and was higher than originally anticipated but still over a foot lower than the record set during the Great Flood of 1993 and well below the top of the city's levee.  No significant rainfall is expected for the remainder of the weekend, however, models are suggesting some heavy rains over western IA early next week. (NOAA NWS North Central River Forecast Center, USACE)

FEMA Region V RRCC:

  • Activated at Level II 24/7
  • Region V LNOs deployed to IN, WI, MI and IL EOCs
  • Activated Mississippi River Planning Cell to prepare for impacts of record flooding

Illinois:

  • EOC closed at 5:00 p.m. CDT and will reopen at 7:00 a.m. this morning
  • 3 shelters; population: 32
  • Destroyed:  unknown; Damaged:  1,150
  • Unified Area Commands (UACs) established in Alton and Quincy
  • FEMA Region I ERT-A on site at Rock Island, IL
  • FEMA Region V IMAT conducting operations in IL
  • Denver-MERS team on site at IL EOC
  • Joint IA PDAs ongoing

Indiana:

  • EOC is not activated
  • 4 fatalities; 42 injuries(Reported by JFO)
  • 1 shelter; population: 0
  • Destroyed:  281; Damaged:  4,895
  • A "Mission Planning Team" has been deployed to JFO to scope housing issues with the State as part of a Joint Housing Task Force.
  • Joint IA/PA PDAs ongoing; IA has completed PDAs in 40 counties requested by the state; PA has completed 20 of 50 PDAs requested.

Wisconsin:

  • EOC activated at Level I, 24/7
  • 1 fatality; 0 injuries
  • 4 shelters; population: 25
  • Destroyed:  42; Damaged:  1,535
  • Joint IA PDAs completed in 5 counties; 25 counties ongoing
  • Joint PA PDAs ongoing
  • FEMA Region II ERT-A on site in Madison
  • JFO established in Madison, WI
  • 6 FEMA Disaster Centers opened (Reedsburg, Columbus, Soldiers Grove, Viroqua, St. Portage, and Milwaukee) (FEMA-1768-DR-WI SITREP #5)

FEMA Region VII RRCC:

  • Level III, 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. CDT
  • Region IV IMAT deployed to Cedar Rapids, IA

Iowa:

  • EOC partially activated 7:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m. CDT this weekend
  • 17 fatalities; 106 injuries
  • 7 shelters; population: 410
  • Destroyed:  405; Damaged:  24,970
  • PA PDAs ongoing; PA has completed 72 PDAs as of June 21, 2008(FEMA-1763-DR-IA SITREP #22)

Missouri:

  • EOC activated at Level II, 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. CDT this weekend
  • 4 shelters; population: 43
  • Destroyed:  154; Damaged:  694
  • USCG Liaison at State EOC
  • NLSA (National Logistics Staging Area) established at Lambert Field, St. Louis

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No new activity to report. (FEMA HQ)    

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.
Eastern Pacific
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.
Western Pacific:
No threat to US territories. (NOAA, 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 as of Wednesday, June 20, 2008:
National Wildfire Preparedness Level: 2

  • New large fires:  9
  • Active large fires:  17
  • Fires contained since 6/19/08:  6
  • Large fires contained: 0  (National Interagency Fire Center, National Incident Information Center)

Disaster Declaration Activity

  • FEMA-1766-DR - Indiana, Amendment #9, adds 26 counties for PA.
  • FEMA-1763-DR - Iowa, Amendment #9, adds 1 county for IA and 5 counties for PA.
  • FEMA-1768-DR - Wisconsin, Amendment #5, adds 3 counties for IA. (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Jun-2009 16:35:18 EDT