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National Situation Update: Friday, October 3, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

West:
A Winter-like storm system moving in off the Pacific will produce rain and gusty winds across western Washington, western Oregon and northern California. Later today precipitation will push southward to  Southern California and spread eastward across the Great Basin into the northern and central Rockies. Over the weekend, rainfall accumulation in the Olympics and the coastal range of Washington and Oregon, may reach 3 to 4 inches and in northwest California near 5 inches.  Snow levels will drop to 6000 feet across the Cascades, Sierra and Great Basin with significant accumulations above 7000 feet. Winds will be gusty across the Southwest this weekend producing limited visibilities due to blowing dust and sand.
Midwest:
Behind a dry cold front draped across the region, Northwesterly winds will bring showers to parts of Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. Behind the front, temperatures will drop across the Great Lakes. Temperatures will drop into the 20s across northern Minnesota and Wisconsin.
South:
High pressure will produce dry weather over much of the region. Isolated thunderstorms are forecast for southern Florida, central Texas to eastern Oklahoma, and western Arkansas. Low temperatures will range from the 40s in Tennessee and interior North Carolina, to the 70s in southern Florida.
Northeast:
The cold front will produce showers from Maine to West Virginia. A few thunderstorms, and even waterspouts, are possible around the Great Lakes due to cold air passing over warmer lakes. (NOAA, National Weather Service, Various Media Sources)

Federal / State Response for Hurricane Ike

FEMA Region VI

  • As of 2 Oct 2008, it is estimated that approximately 55.0 percent of the oil production in the Gulf is shut-in, 714,501 BPD. (NICC)

Louisiana

  • GOSHEP activated at Level III (Emergency Operations).
  • 5 fatalities; no injuries
  • 5 shelters; population 205 (NSS)
  • 11 DRCs and 10 MDRCs (7 open) located throughout affected areas.

Texas

  • SEOC activated at Level I, 24/7
  • 47 fatalities; no injuries
  • 15 Shelters; population of 1,831 (NSS)
  • 4,425 customers remain without power. (DOE  as of 6:00 p.m. EDT Sep 30)
  • 3 state-run PODS remain open; FEMA continues to supply product to State run Resource Staging Areas (RSAs).
  • 14 DRCs and 22 MDRCs (including 3 MRICs) are open. (FEMA DAD)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

Nothing significant to report.  (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean:
A broad area of low pressure over the northwestern Caribbean Sea is producing disorganized cloudiness and showers. Upper-level winds are only marginally favorable for any further development to occur as the system moves little over the next few days.

Eastern Pacific:
Tropical Storm Marie
At 5:00 am EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Marie was located about 855 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Marie is moving toward the west near 6 mph.  A slow and erratic motion toward the West is expected during the next couple of days. Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 60 mph with higher gusts.  Some additional strengthening is forecast during the next 12 to 24 hours. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 85 miles from the center.

Elsewhere, shower activity associated with a nearly stationary area of low pressure centered a couple of hundred miles south of Acapulco, Mexico has changed little during the last 12 hours.  However, this system still has some potential to become a tropical depression over the next couple of days.

Western Pacific:
No tropical cyclone activity affecting United States Territories. (NOAA, HPC,  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, October 02, 2008:
  • National Wildfire Preparedness Level: 2
  • Initial attack activity: Light (125)
  • New large fires: 1
  • Uncontained large fires: 6
  • Large fires contained: 1
  • States with large fires: CA, ID, OR and AZ  (NIFC)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Jun-2009 16:32:35 EDT