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National Situation Update: Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

Midwest
Severe thunderstorms will occur over areas from the Great Lakes to the northern-and-central Plains June 25, 2008, accompanied by a low threat of tornadoes.
Precipitation probabilities are expected to be minimal in the Ohio Valley, Kentucky, southern Missouri and North Dakota.
West
Except for isolated thunderstorms in the mountains from New Mexico and southeast Arizona northward into Montana June 25, 2008, the West should be dry.
A few of the storms over southern Montana, eastern Wyoming and northeast Colorado are forecast to grow quite large by late afternoon, producing large hail and possible tornadoes.
Farther west, high winds will occur over the Pacific beaches, bringing moisture onshore.  (National Weather Service, Various Media Sources)

Midwest Severe Weather and Flooding

The Mississippi River crest continues to slowly proceed downriver.  This revised forecast is calling for moderate, not major, flooding, and no significant rainfall is forecast until Thursday or Friday.  USACE, State and local partners are still in a very active floodfight and are monitoring numerous levees along the River.  The Mississippi River at St. Louis is expected to crest on Wednesday, June 25 at 37.3 feet (well below the 1993 flood level of 49.58 feet).  The combination of a slow rise coming down the Mississippi River and a slow fall coming down the Missouri River should result in rather stable river levels in the vicinity of St Louis, MO during the next few days.  Plans are developed and in place for the evacuation of East St. Louis, if necessary, although officials do not expect to implement the plans. (NOAA NWS North Central River Forecast Center, USACE)

FEMA Region V RRCC:

  • Activated at Level II, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. CDT
  • Region V LNOs deployed to IN, WI, MI and IL EOCs
  • Activated Mississippi River Planning Cell to prepare for impacts of record flooding
  • Joint PDAs for PA began in Michigan June 24, 2008 for 20 counties

Illinois:

  • EOC is activated 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. CDT
  • 2 shelters; population: 19
  • Destroyed:  unknown; Damaged:  1,150
  • Initial Operating Facility (IOF) established at the State EOC in Springfield; site survey for JFO ongoing
  • MERS positioned in Springfield in support of Federal IOF
  • 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
  • IL-3, US 34 and IL 54 routes closed.
  • Joint IA and PA PDAs ongoing

Indiana:

  • EOC is not activated
  • 4 fatalities; 42 injuries (Reported by JFO)
  • 1 shelter; population: 10
  • Destroyed:  283; Damaged:  4,895
  • ESF-11 activated June 23, 2008 and deployed to JFO.
  • The "Mission Planning Team," deployed to the JFO to scope housing issues with the State as part of a Joint Housing Task Force, is progressing.
  • Two (2) Task Forces established to address concerns of City of Columbus (Bartholomew County), including Columbus Regional Hospital and City of Martinsville (Morgan County).
  • Ohio River (at mile marker 848) closed by USCG due to swift current and material coming in from the Wabash River.
  • Joint IA/PA PDAs ongoing; IA has completed PDAs in 40 counties requested by the state; PA has completed 26 of 50 PDAs requested.
  • 9 FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) open (FEMA-1766-DR-IN SITREP #09)

Wisconsin:

  • EOC fully activated 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. CDT, and partially activated 8:00 p.m. - 8:00 a.m. CDT
  • 1 fatality; 0 injuries
  • 1 shelter; population: 13
  • Destroyed:  86; Damaged:  2,245
  • Joint IA PDAs completed
  • Joint PA PDAs ongoing (completed in six counties)
  • FEMA Region II ERT-A on site in Madison at JFO
  • Six (6) FEMA Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers (MDRCs) supporting seven (7) FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) located in Reedsburg, Columbus, Soldiers Grove, Viroqua, St. Portage, Milwaukee and Juneau

FEMA Region VII RRCC:

  • Level III, 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. CDT\
  • Region IV IMAT deployed to JFO in support of FEMA-1763-DR-IA

Iowa:

  • EOC is partially activated
  • 17 fatalities; 106 injuries
  • 6 shelters; population: 247
  • Destroyed:  405; Damaged:  24,970
  • 16 DRCs open
  • IA and PA PDAs ongoing (FEMA-1763-DR-IA SITREP #23)

Missouri:

  • EOC activated at Level I, 7:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. CDT (SEMA staff only)(RVII Incident Report # 13)
  • 2 shelters; population: 25
  • 0 fatalities; 1 injury (lightning, June 23, 2008)
  • Destroyed:  154; Damaged:  694
  • Mississippi River near or at crest at most locations, and will remain at high levels and begin to drop slowly the week of June 30, 2008.
  • Elm Point Levee Breach (St. Charles County) not expected to cause forecasted crests to change, with impacts affecting only a small area.
  • USCG Liaison at State EOC
  • NLSA (National Logistics Staging Area) established at Lambert Field, St. Louis  (FEMA Incident Report #16)

California Wildfires

  • State EOC is not activated; remains at Duty Officer level.
  • Governor declared State of Emergency for Trinity and Monterey Counties on 23 Jun 08.
  • No fatalities reported
  • 3 injuries; 1 in Basin Complex Fire, 1 in Mendocino fire and 1 in SHU Lightning Complex fire.
  • Walker Fire - Lake County
    • 8,000 acres
    • 0% contained
    • 35 residences threatened
    • Rapid rates of spread
  • BTU Lightning Complex - Butte County
    • 17 fires; 3,900 acres
    • 5% contained
    • 413 residences threatened; evacuation in progress for 200 residents north of Concow Lake
    • State Responsibility Area (SRA)
  • SHU Lightning Complex - Trinity County
    • 153 fires; 8,000 acres
    • 5% contained
    • 150 residences and 20 commercial properties  and power transmission lines threatened
    • 58 residences evacuated
  • Mendocino Lightning Complex - Mendocino County
    • 131 fires; 13,000 acres
    • 0% contained
    • 525 residences threatened
  • Basin Complex Fire - Monterey County
    • 2 fires; 8,500 acres
    • 3% contained
    • 500 residences, 20 commercial properties threatened
    • Mandatory evacuation order in place
    • Landslide south of fire closed Highway 1
    • Federal Responsibility Area (FRA)
  • No Nationally Significant Infrastructure has been reported to be threatened or impacted.
  • Shelters: 4; Population: 104
  • 5 residences destroyed (Monterey)
  • 16 residences destroyed (Butte)
  • Federal Support:  Request sent to the Joint Director of Military Support (JDOMS) 24 Jun 08 for two additional C-130 air tankers capable of transporting and employing the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS), along with appropriate Command and Control and support personnel to assist in fire fighting. There are two MAFFS C-130s already deployed to the State. (Region IX)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No new activity to report.  (FEMA HQ,CA OES. FEMA)   

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean:
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours

Eastern Pacific:
An area of disturbed weather has formed about 600 miles south-southwest of the Gulf of Tehuantepec.  Slow development of this system is possible over the next day or two as it moves west-northwestward.

Elsewhere, 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

  • Michigan:  Joint PDAs for PA for 20 counties began June 24, 2008 due to severe weather June 7, 2008
  • Oklahoma:  PA PDAs ongoing due to Severe Thunderstorms, Tornadoes and Flooding in 15 counties occurring June 15, 2008 and ongoing.  State expected to request PA declaration the week of June 23, 2008
  • Louisiana:  State has requested IA and PA PDAs to begin no later than June 25, 2008 for Severe Weather that occurred May 13, 2008

Wildfire Update

National Fire Activity as of Tuesday, June 24, 2008:
National Wildfire Preparedness Level: 3

  • Initial attack activity:  Heavy (312 new fires)
  • New large fires:  14
  • Uncontained large fires:  48
  • Large fires contained: 3
  • California will be warm and dry inland today with low clouds and fog along the coast.  Isolated dry thunderstorms are expected over eastern Arizona and New Mexico.  Drier weather will be spreading into the area from Georgia northwest to Virginia.  (National Interagency Fire Center, National Incident Information Center)

Disaster Declaration Activity

  • On June 24, 2008, the President signed Major Disaster Declaration FEMA-1771-DR for the State of Illinois as a result of Severe Storms and Flooding that occurred June 1, 2008 and continuing.  The Declaration provides for Public Assistance for thirteen (13) counties (Adams, Calhoun, Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Hancock, Henderson, Jasper, Lawrence, Mercer, Pike and Rock Island) and Hazard Mitigation statewide.  The FCO is Elizabeth Turner of the National FCO Program.
  • Wisconsin: FEMA 1768-DR-WI (Severe Storms Tornadoes & Flooding June 5, 2008 and continuing) Amendment # 6 effective June 24, 2008, added Adams, Calumet, Green Lake, Jefferson, La Crosse, and Walworth Counties for Individual Assistance.
  • Arkansas:  FEMA-1758-DR-AR (Severe Storms Flooding & Tornadoes May 2 - 12, 2008) Amendment #3 effective June 24, 2008 added Phillips County for Public Assistance (already designated for Individual Assistance).  (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Jun-2009 16:35:14 EDT