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National Situation Update: Sunday, August 17, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

Nothing significant to report.  (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean:
Tropical Storm Fay
At 05:00 a.m. EDT the center of Tropical Storm Fay was about 125 miles south-southeast of Camaguey, Cuba and about 445 miles southeast of Key West Florida.  TS Fay is moving toward the west-northwest near 13 mph. A gradual turn towards the northwest with a decrease in forward speed is expected during the next 24 hours.  On this track the center of Fay will continue to move near or over the southern coast of eastern and central Cuba today and will cross central Cuba this evening.  Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours and Fay could be approaching hurricane strength as it nears central Cuba.  Tropical Storm force winds extend outward up to 105 miles from the center.

Eastern Pacific:
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.

Western Pacific:
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours. (NOAA, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

At 10:57 PDT August 16, 2008 a 4.6 mb earthquake occurred offshore 27 miles north of Eureka California at a depth of 10.6 miles.  There were no reports of injuries, damage and the magnitude is such that a tsunami was not generated.(USGS, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

National Fire Activity as of Saturday, August 16, 2008:
National Wildfire Preparedness Level: 4
Initial attack activity: Light (91 new fires)
New large fires: 6
Uncontained large fires: 21
Large fires contained: 3
States with Large fires: AZ, CA, ID, MT, NM, NC, OR, TX, WA and WY
Hot and dry weather over California, Northwest, Idaho and Western Montana.  Mostly dry thunderstorms are expected over the Sierras, northern California and portions of the Northwest. (NIFC, CAL Fire)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)