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National Situation Update: Saturday, June 28, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

Midwest
Severe thunderstorms with damaging wind gusts, hail and several-inch downpours will sweep through the Great Lakes, mid-Mississippi Valley and southern Kansas and into the Northeast, Carolinas and Deep South.

Much of the worst flooded areas of southern Wisconsin, Iowa, northern and western Illinois and eastern Missouri will be completely rain free Monday and Tuesday, but more drenching thunderstorms could return by Wednesday and Thursday.

South
Scattered mainly midday and afternoon thunderstorms, a few of which could briefly turn severe and contain downpours, will continue to increase across the entire South.

High temperatures will range from the upper 80s and 90s in the Southeast to the 90s and low 100s in Texas.

West
Isolated severe thunderstorms in the northern Rockies, northern California and Oregon may produce lightning that could ignite many more fires especially in northern California and greatly heighten the fire danger in Oregon.

The Central Valley of California will see temperatures ranging from the upper 90s to near 105. Stagnant air trapped in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys along with the smoke from all the fires will produce dangerously bad air quality.

The Desert Southwest will experience highs between 105 and 120.

Much of Washington east of the Cascades, interior northern Oregon and southwest Idaho will see highs near or just over 100 degrees. A heat advisory has been issued for interior sections of southern Washington and northern Oregon Sunday and Monday. (National Weather Service, Various Media Sources)

Midwest Severe Weather and Flooding

A primary levee in Winfield, MO has breached. 100-150 homes evacuated. Population of Winfield is approximately 723. There are no reports of injuries or death. 35,000 acres have flooded with 60% of those acres being planted crop acreage. There are no livestock operations in the flooded area.

The Mississippi River crest continues to proceed slowly downriver.  The revised forecast calls for moderate, not major, flooding. Thunderstorms will continue and may produce large hail, damaging winds and heavy rainfall. One inch of rain should fall over Wisconsin and Iowa and up to 2 inches over Kansas and Missouri. From Sunday into mid-week, dry conditions across the region are forecast.

USACE, State and local partners are still in a very active flood fight and are monitoring numerous levees along the River. 18 levees are threatened and active flood fighting continues on 11 levees on the Mississippi River south of the Quad Cities.

The Mississippi River at St. Louis is expected to crest June 30, 2008, at 38.6 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.

Illinois:

  • EOC is activated 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. CDT
  • 1 shelter; population: 6
  • Destroyed:  unknown; Damaged:  1,150
  • JFO in Springfield operational by June 29, 2008
  • FEMA Region I ERT-A on site at Rock Island, IL
  • FEMA Region V IMAT transitioning back to the Region; some staff to remain at the JFO
  • Denver and Frederick -MERS teams on site in Springfield
  • IL-3, US 34 and IL 54 routes closed.
  • Joint IA and PA PDAs ongoing

Indiana:

  • EOC is activated 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. EDT June 28, 2008 and 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. EDT June 29, 2008
  • 4 fatalities; 42 injuries (Reported by JFO)
  • 0 shelter; population: 0
  • Destroyed:  283; Damaged:  4,895
  • 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.
  • Joint IA/PA PDAs ongoing
  • 9 FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) open  (FEMA-1766-DR-IN SITREP #12)

Wisconsin:

  • EOC fully activated 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. CDT
  • 1 fatality; 0 injuries
  • 1 shelter; population: 0
  • Destroyed:  86; Damaged:  2,245
  • Joint IA PDAs completed
  • Joint PA PDAs ongoing
  • FEMA Region II ERT-A on site in Madison at JFO
  • Five (5) FEMA Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers (MDRCs) supporting nine (9) FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs)

FEMA Region VII RRCC:

  • Level II, 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. CDT
  • Region IV IMAT deployed to JFO in support of FEMA-1763-DR-IA

Iowa:

  • 17 fatalities; 106 injuries
  • 6 shelters; population: 206
  • Destroyed:  405; Damaged:  24,970
  • 25 DRCs open
  • IA and PA PDAs ongoing (FEMA-1763-DR-IA SITREP #25)

Missouri:

  • EOC activated at Level I, 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. CDT (FEMA RVII) 2 shelters; population: 27
  • 0 fatalities; 1 injury (lightning, June 23, 2008)
  • Destroyed:  154; Damaged:  694
  • A primary levee in Winfield, MO has breached; 100-150 homes evacuated.
  • Mississippi River at St. Louis expected to crest June 30, 2008, at 38.6 feet
  • NLSA (National Logistics Staging Area) established at Lambert Field, St. Louis   (FEMA Region V, VII, NWS)

California Wildfires

  • CA OES fully activated as of 26 June at 7:00 am- 7:00 pm PDT with limited night staff.
  • FEMA Region IX liaison officers at SOC and North Operations Center in Redding, CA.
  • No fatalities reported
  • 58 injuries

BTU Lightning Complex - Butte County

  • 31 fires; 11,500 acres
  • 15% contained
  • Increasing fire activity
  • 1,200 residences and 1,000 outbuildings threatened
  • 791 residents evacuated
  • Highway 70 closed
  • State Responsibility Area (SRA)

SHU Lightning Complex - Shasta County

  • 158 fires; 35,000 acres
  • 5% contained
  • Extreme fire behavior
  • Shasta Dam Control Facility is threatened; evaluating potential impact
  • 2 residences destroyed
  • 230 residences and 20 commercial properties  and power transmission lines threatened
  • Evacuation orders in effect

Mendocino Lightning Complex (MEU) - Mendocino County

  • 107 fires; 28,430 acres
  • 5% contained
  • 2 residences, 1 commercial building destroyed
  • 900 residences threatened
  • Evacuation orders in effect

Yuba River Complex -Yuba/Nevada/Sierra Counties

  • 28 fires; 3,069 acres
  • 47% contained
  • 100 residences and 10 commercial buildings threatened

Lime Complex - Trinity County

  • 53 fires; 22,195 acres
  • 15% contained
  • 1 commercial building destroyed
  • 1500 residences and 25 commercial buildings threatened
  • Voluntary evacuation orders in affect

Iron Complex - Trinity County

  • 27 fires; 10,700 acres
  • 5% contained
  • 850 residences and 50 commercial buildings threatened

Basin Complex Fire - Monterey County

  • 2 fires; 26,876 acres
  • 3% contained
  • 16 residences, 2 outbuildings destroyed
  • 500 residences threatened
  • Evacuations in effect
  • Landslide south of fire closed Highway 1
  • Federal Responsibility Area (FRA)

Oliver - Merced/Mariposa Counties

  • 2,277 acres
  • 35% contained
  • 200 residences threatened
  • Evacuation orders in effect

North Mountain - Tuolumne County

  • 1,511 acres
  • 30% contained
  • 200 residences threatened

Silver Complex - Madera/Mariposa Counties

  • 5 fires; 1,031 acres
  • 75% contained

Indians - Monterey County

  • 59,791 acres
  • 71% contained
  • 2 residences, 13 outbuildings destroyed
  • Residences and cultural resources threatened
  • AT&T Fiber Optic Station threatened with potential to impact the Emergency Services Sector for reporting, dispatching and communication

American River Complex

  • 2,570 acres
  • 5% Contained
  • 1 residence destroyed
  • 5 residences, 1 commercial building threatened
  • No Nationally Significant Infrastructure is reported as threatened or impacted.
  • Protective Security Advisors (PSAs) are coordinating with state and local contacts for impact information.
  • Shelters: 5; Population: 57
  • 23 residences, 15 outbuildings, 1 commercial building destroyed

Federal Support:  

  • Two MAFFS and two C-130 support aircraft arrived on June 23, 2008, and are staged at Chico Attack Base in Chico, CA awaiting favorable flying conditions to move to McClellan Air Park.
  • Two MAFFS arrived on June 25, 2008, and are staged at Chico Attack Base in Chico, CA.
  • Two additional MAFFS are being sent from the 153rd Airlift Wing in WY to be activated no earlier than June 30, 2008, for a total of 6 MAFFS.
  • 4 Type 1 helicopters with external buckets, meeting interagency wildland fire qualification and certification, along with appropriate Command and Control and support personnel to assist in fire fighting have been tasked to USMC units in Southern California.
  • Liaison to the Air Expeditionary Group Commander (AEG)
  • California is activating the Military Coordination Group to synchronize and coordinate military resources from all branches and components (Region IX, NIFC)

Tropical Weather Outlook

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

Eastern Pacific:
Tropical Storm Boris is located 630 miles south-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California moving west-northwest at 7 mph. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph with no significant change in strength forecast during the next 24 hours. A turn toward the west is expected over the next couple of days.

Tropical Depression Three-E is located 1080 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California and is moving toward the west-northwest near 7 mph. A gradual turn toward the west is expected within the next day or two. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph with higher gusts. The Depression has a chance of becoming a tropical storm later today.

It is assumed that Three-E and Tropical Storm Boris will remain far enough apart so as to avoid any significant interaction between their circulations.

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 Friday, June 27, 2008:
National Wildfire Preparedness Level: 4

  • Initial attack activity:  Moderate (226 new fires)
  • New large fires:  6
  • Uncontained large fires:  56
  • Large fires contained: 7

Weather Discussion:  
Scattered mostly dry thunderstorms are expected over northern California in the Sierras and western Nevada.  The thunderstorms activity may continue overnight and will expand into the Pacific Northwest over the weekend.  Southern California will see a warming and drying trend.  A mixture of wet and dry thunderstorms will continue over Arizona and New Mexico the next few days.  Thundershowers are on tap for Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia through the weekend.  (National Interagency Fire Center, National Incident Information Center)

Disaster Declaration Activity

On June 27, 2008, a Governor's Request for a major disaster declaration was received from the State of California as a result of Wildfires exacerbated by drought conditions, high winds, and lightning strikes beginning on May 22, 2008 and continuing. The Request is for Individual Assistance and Public Assistance for seven (7) Counties.

On June 27, 2008, Amendment No. 10 was added to FEMA-1763-DR-IA to include Public Assistance for 10 counties.   

On June 27, 2008, Amendment No. 7 was added to FEMA-1768-DR-WI to include Public Assistance for 14 counties.

On June 27, 2008, Amendment No. 8 was added to FEMA-1768-DR-WI to include Manitowoc County for Individual Assistance.

On June 27, 2008, Amendment No. 1 was added to FEMA-1769-DR-WV include Wetzel County for Individual Assistance, Tucker County for Individual Assistance and Public Assistance, Braxton, Calhoun, Lewis, Ritchie, Webster, and Wirt Counties for Public Assistance, and Tyler County for Public Assistance (already designated for Individual Assistance).  (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Jun-2009 16:35:11 EDT