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National Situation Update: Thursday, August 21, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Weather Activity

West:
An upper-level low may bring showers and thunderstorms to the Northwest and northern Rocky Mountains today with the potential for snow above 6,500 feet in the Cascades.  A Red Flag Warning in effect for Utah from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. MDT Thursday for gusty south winds and low relative humidity.  Highs will range from the 70s in Portland, OR to over 100 in Las Vegas, NV.
Midwest:
Strong storms containing heavy rain, gusty winds and large hail are forecast across the Midwest today.  Rainfall of 1 to 2 inches is possible across Missouri.  Damaging winds, hail and isolated tornadoes are possible in North Dakota.  Highs will be in the 80s for most of the region. 
South:
Tropical Storm Fay is forecast to move northwestward through northern Florida bringing heavy, flooding rain, gusty winds and the threat of isolated tornadoes from northeastern Florida to southeast Georgia.  A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from Fort Pierce, Florida northward to the Savannah River at the border between Georgia and South Carolina.  Flood Warnings in effect for portions of southeast Arkansas, Florida and Texas.  Regional high temperatures are forecast from the 80s to near 90.
Northeast:
High pressure over the Northeast will continue to bring comfortable weather to the region.  Highs will mainly be in the 70s and 80s throughout the Northwest.(National Weather Service, Media Sources)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

Nothing significant to report.  (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean:
Tropical Storm Fay
At 5:00 a.m. EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Fay was about 20 miles east-southeast of Daytona Beach, Florida.

Fay has moved very little over the last few hours and a slow motion toward the west-northwest is forecast to begin later today and continue for the next couple of days. On this track, Fay is forecast to move slowly across the northern Florida Peninsula today.

Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph, with higher gusts. Slight strengthening is still possible while the center of  Fay remains over water this morning but gradual weakening is forecast after Fay moves back over the Florida Peninsula.

Federal Response:

  • FEMA Region IV is activated at Level II monitoring Tropical Storm Fay
  • National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) continues activation at Level III, 24/7 
  • operations.
  • The Hurricane Liaison Team (HLT) is activated and deployed to the National Hurricane Center.
  • Region IV IMAT is deployed to the FL State EOC.
  • FEMA National Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces, Mobile Emergency Response System Detachments, Health and Human Services Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (5) and the National Incident Management Assistance Team East are on stand by.
  • The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) reports that the Ports of Jacksonville, Fernandina, Brunswick and Canaveral are closed.
  • Amtrak has canceled most of its services throughout the majority of FL.
  • Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) teams (IA, PA and SBA) started initial reviews August 20 in Martin and Monroe Counties, and are scheduled to commence on August 21 at 1300 EDT in Brevard County.

State Response:
Georgia:  

  • SEOC activated at Level III, monitoring TS Fay
  • FEMA Response Liaison and FCO on site
  • There are no reported injuries.

Florida:

  • The Governor of Florida declared a State of Emergency for all counties in the state.
  • EOC activated at Level I (Full Activation)
  •   1 confirmed fatality in Highlands County; 1 confirmed injury in Monroe County and 1 confirmed injury in Broward County
  • 32 shelters open with 75 occupants as of 3:00 a.m. EDT, August 20, 2008. (FL DEM)
  • As of 4:30 p.m. EDT, August 20, 2008, NICC is reporting 24,285 customers are without power.  As of 3:00 a.m. EDT, August 21, 2008, Clay Electrical Coop, Progress Energy, FL Power and Light are collectively reporting 26,377 customers without power.

Invest 94
An area of low pressure located about 1000 miles east of the Windward Islands remains disorganized.  Any development of this system is expected to be slow and occur during the next couple of days as it moves westward at 10 to 15 mph.

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

Western Pacific:
No current tropical cyclone activity. (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, August 20, 2008:
National Wildfire Preparedness Level: 4
Initial attack activity: Moderate (281 new fires)
New large fires: 11
Uncontained large fires: 29
Large fires contained: 2
States with Large fires: CA, ID,  KY, MT, NV, NM, OR, WA and WY
Gusty winds are predicted from northeast California to Montana. Showers will spread across northwest California, Oregon, Washington, northern Idaho, and western Montana. Thunderstorms are predicted over Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.  (NIFC, CAL Fire)

Disaster Declaration Activity

Amendment No. 1 to FEMA-1782-DR for New Hampshire added two counties for Public Assistance.
Amendment No. 9 to FEMA-1773-DR for Missouri added 3 Counties for Public Assistance. (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Jun-2009 16:33:45 EDT