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National Situation Update: Friday, August 8, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

West:
High pressure is building over the region, allowing for hot dry conditions over the next few days.
A Red Flag Warning remains in effect until Saturday for hot, dry, and unstable conditions for the cascades of northwest Oregon and south Washington, the Willamette Valley and Clark County, and the coastal range of west-central Oregon.  High temperatures are expected to range from the 50s in Cheyenne, WY to over 100 in Las Vegas, NV.
Midwest:
An upper-level low will drop down into the central Rockies and then move eastward into the central high Plains.   High temperatures are expected to range from the 70s in the Heartland with some 60s toward the Colorado and Wyoming borders.
Flood Warnings continue for the Red River at Fargo in Minnesota and North Dakota.  The Red River at Fargo is expected to crest near 19 feet sometime today.
South:
Isolated thunderstorms are possible along the Southeast Coast and scattered thunderstorms may move across the Florida Peninsula.  Some severe thunderstorms are likely with locally heavy rain over the southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley.  A Flood Warning remains is in effect for the St. Marks River in Florida.  High temperatures will be 5 to 15 degrees below average from the lower Mississippi Valley westward with 90s mainly in the Rio Grande.
Northeast:
More scattered showers and thunderstorms are forecast throughout the region today.  Some of the storms could produce significant rainfall, hail and strong wind gusts.  High temperatures are forecast to range from the 70s in Buffalo, NY to the 90s in Washington, DC. (National Weather Service, Media Sources)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

Nothing significant to report.  (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean:
 Invest 92: The area of low pressure associated with a tropical wave has continued to move westward at about 15 mph and is now located over the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. This system continues to produce a concentrated area of strong thunderstorm activity but does not yet appear to have a well-defined center of circulation at the surface.  Upper-level winds are favorable for development, however, and a tropical depression could form at any time during the next day or so.

Invest 93: A broad area of low pressure located about 850 miles east of the Lesser Antilles is accompanied by disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Development, if any, is expected to be slow to occur as the system moves westward at about 10 to 15 mph.

Eastern Pacific:
Tropical Storm Iselle
At 5:00 a.m. EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Iselle was located about 380 miles south-southwest of the southern tip of Baja, California.  Iselle is moving toward the west near 8 mph, and a west-northwestward motion with a slight decrease in forward speed is forecast during the next couple of days.  Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph with higher gusts.  Gradual weakening is forecast and Iselle is expected to become a Tropical Depression later today.

Western Pacific:
Tropical Depression 11w
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is no longer issuing warnings on Tropical Depression 11w.

Tropical Storm 12w
The center of Tropical Storm 12w is located 558 miles southwest of Tokyo, Japan and is moving north at 10 mph.  Maximum sustained winds are near 23 mph with higher wind gusts. (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 Thursday, August 14, 2008:
National Wildfire Preparedness Level: 4
Initial attack activity: Light (104 new fires)
New large fires: 2 (MT; MS)
Uncontained large fires: 22
Large fires contained: 4
States with Large fires: AZ, CA, ID, MT, NM, NC, OR, TX, WA and WY
Hot and dry weather conditions will continue in the western states. Gusty winds and low humidity are predicted for southwest Wyoming. (NIFC, CAL Fire)

Disaster Declaration Activity

The President signed a Disaster Declaration for New Mexico, FEMA-1783-DR, for Severe Storms and Flooding, July 26, 2008 and continuing.  The disaster declaration grants Public Assistance for Lincoln and Otero Counties.  Lincoln County is eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.  (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Jun-2009 16:34:02 EDT