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National Situation Update: Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Tropical Storm Edouard

At 5:00 am EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Edouard was about 50 miles southeast of Port Arthur, Texas and about 85 miles east of Galveston, Texas.
A tropical storm warning remains in effect from Grand Isle, Louisiana westward to Sargent, Texas. A hurricane watch remains in effect from west of Intracoastal City, Louisiana to Sargent, Texas.

Edouard is moving toward the west-northwest near 12 mph and this motion is expected to continue today. On the forecast track the center of Edouard is expected to be near or over the upper Texas or southwestern Louisiana coasts by midday today.
Maximum sustained winds are near 65 mph with higher gusts. Some additional strengthening is possible prior to landfall and Edouard could approach hurricane strength by the time its center crosses the coast.

Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the center.

A storm surge of two to four ft above normal tide levels can be expected in the warning area in areas of onshore winds.

Edouard is expected to produce total rain accumulations of three to five inches in some southwestern Louisiana coastal parishes and southeastern Texas.  Isolated maximum amounts of 10 inches are possible over portions of southeastern Texas.
Isolated tornadoes are possible over portions of southwestern Louisiana and southeastern Texas today. (NOAA, National Hurricane Center)

Significant National Weather

West:
The summer monsoon is bringing moisture into the southwest.  Thunderstorms are forecast across the Four Corners region and will extend westward into Southern California.  Highs temperatures will range from near 60 along the coast to 90s in the interior sections of the Pacific Northwest to over 100 in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts.
Midwest:
A cold front will drop southward across the region producing precipitation from Kansas and Nebraska to the Ohio River Valley. Some areas, south of the Great Lakes, will see more than an inch of rain.  Expect scattered severe thunderstorms, especially across northern Indiana and Ohio.  High temperatures will range from the mid-70s in far northern Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to near 100 in Kansas.
South:
Tropical Storm Edouard will affect parts of the upper Texas and southwest Louisiana coasts today - see discussion above. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are forecast for the remainder of the Gulf Coast and Florida Peninsula.  High temperatures should to range from the upper 80s on the Gulf Coast, mid to upper 90s in the Deep South and over 100 in much of Oklahoma and northern Texas. Heat Advisories are in effect until tonight from Oklahoma to Mississippi and western Tennessee for heat indices over 100.
Northeast:
A frontal system moving in from the west will produce widespread precipitation across upstate New York, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia.  There will be some isolated severe thunderstorms producing hail and gusty winds.  High temperatures will range from the upper 60s in northern Maine to the 90s over Virginia.(National Weather Service, Media Sources)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

Nothing significant to report. (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean:
As discussed above the National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories for Tropical Storm Edouard (see www.nhc.noaa.gov for the latest information).   Elsewhere, 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:
Tropical cyclone activity does not threaten U.S. territories. (NOAA, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

There were no significant earthquakes in the United States or its territories during the last 24 hours.

At 4:45 p.m. EDT, August 4, 2008, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake occurred in the Banda Sea, approximately 160 miles north northwest of Saumlaki, Tanimbar Islands, Indonesia, at a depth of 98.3 miles.  There were no reports of damages or injuries, and no tsunami was generated.  (USGS)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

National Fire Activity as of Monday, August 4, 2008:
National Wildfire Preparedness Level: 4
Initial attack activity: Light (142 new fires)
New large fires: 7
Uncontained large fires: 39
Large fires contained: 4
States with Large fires: AR, AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NC, OK, TX, UT, WA and WY (National Interagency Fire Center, National Incident Information Center)

Disaster Declaration Activity

Amendment #1 to FEMA-1776-DR for the State of Kansas was approved on August 4, 2008.  Four counties were designated for Public Assistance.  (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Jun-2009 16:34:19 EDT