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National Situation Update: Thursday, June 26, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

Midwest:  Severe storms will linger over the Midwest and Great Plains today with severe storms expected over the northern Plains late today and this evening.

The storms will likely produce large hail and possibly some tornadoes.  After forming into a large cluster or two during the evening, the storms will move eastward producing widespread wind damage.

Northeast:  Scattered showers and storms will move over the northeast today in advance of a cold front.  By afternoon, some storms in New England, New York and Pennsylvania will turn severe with the potential to produce tornadoes.

West:  The Far West will be sunny and dry tomorrow, but farther inland, isolated, mainly afternoon and evening, showers and thunderstorms will cross from Montana southward to New Mexico and eastern Arizona.

Temperatures will be slightly above average ranging to well over 100 in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts.  The northern end of the Sacramento Valley will reach 100 and much of New Mexico and eastern Colorado will reach the 90s.  (National Weather Service, Various Media Sources)

Midwest Severe Weather and Flooding

The Mississippi River crest continues to proceed slowly downriver.  The revised forecast calls for moderate, not major, flooding, and no significant rainfall is forecast until June 26 or 27, 2008.

USACE, State and local partners are still in a very active flood fight and are monitoring numerous levees along the River.

The Mississippi River at St. Louis is expected to crest June 29, 2008, at 38.7 feet (well below the 1993 flood level of 49.58 feet).   (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 PA and IA PDAs in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin are ongoing Joint PDAs for PA in Michigan are ongoing in 20 counties

Illinois:

  • EOC is activated 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. CDT
  • 2 shelters; population: 17
  • 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
  • 2 shelter; population: 6
  • 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, 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 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: 264
  • Destroyed:  405; Damaged:  24,970
  • 16 DRCs open
  • IA and PA PDAs ongoing (FEMA-1763-DR-IA SITREP #24)

Missouri:

  • EOC activated at Level I, 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. CDT (FEMA RVII)
  • 3 shelters; population: 27
  • 0 fatalities; 1 injury (lightning, June 23, 2008)
  • Destroyed:  154; Damaged:  694
  • Mississippi River at St. Louis expected to crest June 29, 2008, at 38.7 feet
    • Elm Point Levee Breach (St. Charles County) not expected to cause forecasted crests to change, with impacts affecting only a small area.
  • USCG Liaison demobilized from State EOC  
  • NLSA (National Logistics Staging Area) established at Lambert Field, St. Louis   (FEMA Region V, VII, NWS)

California Wildfires

CA OES is going to full activation of the SOC 26 June at 7:00 am- 7:00 pm PDT.
FEMA Region IX liaison officer was sent to the SOC.

No fatalities reported

6 injuries; 3 in Basin Complex Fire, 1 in Mendocino fire and 2 in SHU Lightning Complex fire

Walker Fire - Lake County

  • 14,000 acres
  • 5% contained
  • 25 residences threatened
  • 20 homes evacuated
  • Rapid rates of spread

BTU Lightning Complex - Butte County

  • 27 fires; 5,000 acres
  • 5% contained
  • 1,000 residences and 1,000 outbuildings threatened
  • 791 residences evacuated
  • Highway 70 closed
  • State Responsibility Area (SRA)

SHU Lightning Complex - Shasta County

  • 157 fires; 12,000 acres
  • 5% contained
  • 220 residences and 20 commercial properties  and power transmission lines threatened
  • 58 residences evacuated

Mendocino Lightning Complex - Mendocino County

  • 107 fires down from 131; 19,200 acres
  • 5% contained
  • 600 residences threatened
  • 800 residences evacuated

Basin Complex Fire - Monterey County

  • 2 fires; 19,100 acres
  • 3% contained
  • 500 residences, 20 commercial properties, and 75 outbuildings threatened
  • Mandatory evacuation order in place for areas north of Westport, CA
  • Landslide south of fire closed Highway 1
  • Federal Responsibility Area (FRA)
  • No Nationally Significant Infrastructure has been reported to be threatened or impacted.
  • Protective Security Advisors (PSAs) are coordinating with state and local contacts for impact information.
  • Shelters: 5; Population: 93
  • 16 residences destroyed (Basin Complex Fire - Monterey County)
  • 5 residences destroyed (Mendocino Lightning Complex - Medocino County)
  • 525 structures destroyed  (Mendocino Lightning Complex - Mendocino County)
  • 150 structures destroyed (SHU Lightning Complex - Shasta County)
  • 200 structures destroyed (BTU Lightning Complex - Butte County)
  • 2 structures destroyed (Basin Complex Fire - Monterey County) Federal Support:  Four MAFFS C-130 air tankers have been requested in support of the State of California in Chico, California.

Two aircraft from the 145th Airlift Wing, Charlotte, North Carolina are operational. Two C-130 MAFFS units from the 302nd Airlift Wing, Colorado Springs CO have been requested to be operational Wednesday, June 25.  (Region IX, NIFC)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

A Fire Management Assistance Grant, FEMA-2777-FM, was approved for the Big Springs Fire in Torrence County, NM. 

1,500 acres are involved; less than 5% contained
No injuries or fatalities
125 homes, 2 businesses, and all resources threatened
250 people voluntarily evacuated; 1 shelter established
Fire is less than ½ mile from the homes (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 is located about 450 miles south-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico.  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

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

National Fire Activity as of Wednesday, June 25, 2008:
National Wildfire Preparedness Level: 4
(The preparedness level is raised to Level 4 when two or more regions of the country are experiencing incidents requiring Type I Teams; competition exists for resources between Geographic Areas; or when 425 crews or five Type I Teams are committed nationally. Some firefighting resources may be pre-positioned to respond to predicted incidents and liaisons are established with the military and Canadian resources.)

  • Initial attack activity:  Heavy (406 new fires)
  • New large fires:  12
  • Uncontained large fires:  52
  • Large fires contained: 8

Weather Discussion:  California will be warm and dry except for a slight chance of thunderstorms over northeast California. A few dry thunderstorms are on tap over eastern Arizona and New Mexico.  Dry weather should continue from Georgia northward to Virginia. (National Interagency Fire Center, National Incident Information Center)

Disaster Declaration Activity

On June 25, 2008, the President signed Major Disaster Declaration FEMA-1772-DR for the State of Minnesota as a result of Severe Storms and Flooding that occurred June 7, 2008 and continuing.  The Declaration provides for Public Assistance for four (4) counties (Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, and Mower) and Hazard Mitigation statewide.  The FCO is Donald L. Keldesen of the National FCO Program.

On June 25, 2008, the President signed Major Disaster Declaration FEMA-1773-DR for the State of Missouri as a result of Severe Storms and Flooding that occurred June 1, 2008 and continuing.  The Declaration provides for Public Assistance Category B (limited to Direct Federal Assistance) for twenty two (22) counties and one city (Andrew, Atchinson, Buchanan, Cape Girardeau, Clark, Holt, Jefferson, Lewis, Lincoln, Marion, Mississippi, New Madrid, Nodaway, Pemiscot, Perry, Pike, Platte, Ralls, St. Charles, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve and Scott and Independent City of St Louis).  Hazard Mitigation was not authorized in this declaration.  The FCO is Michael L. Karl of the National FCO Program.

On June 25, 2008, FEMA-1771-DR-IL (Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding) was amended adding:

Four (4) Counties for Individual Assistance and Hazard Mitigation.
Ten (10) Counties for Individual Assistance (already designated for emergency protective measures [Category B], limited to direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program.)
All counties in the State of Illinois are eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

Request for Major Disaster Declaration received June 25, 2008 from Governor of South Dakota for Severe Weather and Flooding, starting 02 June and continuing. (FEMA HQ)   

Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Jun-2009 16:35:13 EDT