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National Situation Update: Friday, August 22, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Weather Activity

West:
A stalled front moving from central Nevada to Colorado may bring thunderstorms and a few showers to the area.  The rest of the region should be rain free.  High temperatures will range from the 70s in Washington and Montana to over 100 in the Desert Southwest.
Midwest:
Remnants of an upper-level low may trigger thunderstorms from Michigan to Missouri and western Kentucky.  A cold front over the northern Plains may produce severe thunderstorms from Minnesota to Nebraska.  High temperatures will range from the 70s in North Dakota to the mid 90s in western Kansas. 
South:
Heavy rainfall is occurring across northern Florida, southern Georgia and southern Alabama. Flash flood watches remain in effect.  A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect for the gulf coast of Florida from Aripeka north-westward to Indian Pass and a Tropical Storm Watch remains in effect for the gulf coast of Florida from west of Indian Pass to Destin.  A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect from Sebastian Inlet, Florida northward to the Savannah River at the border between Georgia and South Carolina.  Flood Warnings remain in effect for portions of southeast Arkansas, Florida and Texas.
High temperatures are forecast to be in the 80s and 90s for most of the region.
Northeast:
High pressure over the Northeast will continue to bring comfortable, rain free weather to the region.
High temperatures will mainly be in the 80s with some 70s in coastal New England. (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 located near Gainesville, Florida.
Fay is moving toward the west near 6 mph and this general motion is expected to continue for the next day or two.  On this forecast track, the center of Fay is expected to cross the northern Florida Peninsula sometime today.  Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph, with higher gusts. Gradual weakening is forecast during the next 24 hours but Fay is forecast to remain a tropical storm into Saturday.

 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.
  • PA PDAs have been completed in Martin County, FL.  Additional PDAs are being conducted in Monroe, Brevard, St. Lucie, Highlands, and Okeechobee Counties.

State Response:
Georgia:  

  • SOC activated at Level III (Normal Operations), monitoring TS Fay
  • Regional Liaison released from the EOC.
  • There are no reported injuries.

Florida:

  • An Emergency Declaration (FEMA-3288-EM) was issued for all 67 counties in the State of Florida
  • The Governor of Florida declared a State of Emergency for all counties
  • EOC activated at Level I (Full Activation)
  • 2 fatalities; 2 injuries reported
  • The FL DEM is reporting 46 shelters open with 834 occupants as of 3:00 a.m. EDT, August 22, 2008.
  • As of 3:00 a.m. EDT, August 22, 2008, Region IV is reporting that 67,699 customers are without power. (FEMA Region IV

)Invest 94
A broad area of low pressure located about 600 miles east of the Windward Islands is producing scattered showers and thunderstorms.  Environmental conditions are forecast to gradually become more conducive for slow development of this system during the next couple of days as it moves westward or west-northwestward at 15 mph.

Eastern Pacific:
Area 1
A broad area of low pressure located about 300 miles south of Acapulco, Mexico is producing a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms.  This system is forecast to move toward the west-northwest at 10 to 15 mph and development, if any, is expected to be slow to occur due to strong upper-level winds.

Western Pacific:
Tropical Storm Nuri
At 5:00 a.m. EDT, Tropical Storm Nuri was located about 23 miles southeast of Hong Kong moving northwestward at 10 mph.  Maximum sustained winds are 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 21, 2008:
National Wildfire Preparedness Level: 4
Initial attack activity: Light (133 new fires)
New large fires: 3
Uncontained large fires: 25
Large fires contained: 4
States with Large fires: CA, ID,  KY, MT, NV, NM, OR, VA, WA and WY
Gusty winds will continue across the southern Great Basin, Montana, and Wyoming. Showers and thunderstorms are predicted in Montana. The northwestern states are expected to have cooler temperatures.  (NIFC, CAL Fire)

Disaster Declaration Activity

The President has signed Emergency Declaration FEMA-3288-EM for the State of Florida for Tropical Storm Fay. The incident period is August 18, 2008 and continuing.  (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Jun-2009 16:33:44 EDT