Skip to content

National Situation Update: Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant Weather

Excessive Heat Warnings
Strong, surface high pressure over the south-central U.S. is forecast to lead to hot and humid conditions until the beginning of the week of June 29, 2009.

Excessive Heat Warnings are in effect for the States of Iowa, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois and Kansas.  Excessive Heat Warnings are forecast to continue through the weekend for the States of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Illinois, with temperatures ranging 105 - 110 degrees and dewpoints in the 70s.

An Excessive Heat Warning means that a prolonged period of dangerously hot temperatures will occur.  The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity will combine to create a dangerous situation in which heat illnesses are likely.

Space Weather Outlook

Space Weather Advisory Outlook #09- 25, June 23, 2009 at 11:12 a.m. MDT (June 23, 2009 at 1712 UTC):
Summary for June 15 - 21, 2009:  No space weather storms were detected.
Outlook for June 24 - July 20, 2009:  Solar activity is expected to be very low.  No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.  Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at quiet levels during most of the period; however, there will be a chance for unsettled conditions on July 1, 2009. (NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No activity. (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic:
As of 2:00 a.m. EDT, June 24, 2009, an area of low pressure located in the western Gulf of Mexico, just east of the northeastern coast of Mexico (with associated shower activity), remains disorganized at this time.  This system is expected to move inland into northeastern Mexico or southern Texas during the next day-or-so, without significant development.  There is a less than 30% chance of this system becoming a Tropical Cyclone during the next 48 hours.

Eastern Pacific:
As of 2:00 a.m. EDT, June 24, 2009, the center of Tropical Storm (TS) Andres was located approximately 110 miles west of Manzanillo, Mexico.  TS Andres is moving toward the northwest at approximately 10 mph, and this motion is expected to continue tonight and tomorrow (June 24 - 25, 2009), followed by a gradual turn toward the west-northwest by Thursday, June 25, 2009.

Maximum sustained winds are estimated to have decreased to 70 mph with higher gusts, and some additional weakening is forecast during the next 24 hours.

Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the center and TS Andres is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 3 - 6 inches, with isolated totals of 8 inches.  Coastal storm surge flooding of 1 - 3 feet above normal tide, along with large and dangerous battering waves, are possible.

Western Pacific: 
No activity affecting U.S. Territories.  (NOAA, HPC, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

At 9:19 a.m. EDT, Tuesday, June 23, 2009, an earthquake measuring 6.7 in magnitude occurred at a depth of 21.7 miles, approximately 60 miles southeast of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.  There were no reports of damages or injuries and no tsunami was generated.

At 10:27 a.m. EDT, Tuesday, June 23, 2009, an earthquake measuring 4.1 in magnitude occurred at a depth of 33.2 miles, approximately 59 miles northwest of Anchorage, AK.  There were no reports of damages or injuries and no tsunami was generated.

At 2:15 a.m. EDT, Wednesday, June 24, 2009, an earthquake measuring 4.1 in magnitude occurred at a depth of 2.7 mile, approximately 70 miles east-southeast of Akutan, AK (approximately 752 miles southwest of Anchorage, AK).  There were no reports of damages or injuries and no tsunami was generated.  (USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

National Preparedness Level:  1
National Fire Activity as of Tuesday, June 23, 2009:

  • Initial attack activity:  Light (99 new fires)
  • New large fires:  4
  • Large fires contained:  3
  • Uncontained large fires:  5
  • States affected:  AK, AR and FL

Predictive Services Discussion:  In Alaska, scattered wet thunderstorms are expected over the central and northern interior with cool, showery weather in the south.  The Southwest will see scattered, mostly wet thunderstorms, except for dry weather in western Arizona.  Elsewhere, most of the West will be dry and warmer, except for widely-scattered wet thunderstorms in the Great Basin and central Rockies.   (National Interagency Fire Center, National Incident Information Center, NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center, NGB)

Disaster Declaration Activity

On June 23, 2009, the President approved an Emergency Disaster Declaration for the State of Oklahoma (FEMA-3305-DR) as a result of Snow occurring March 27 - 28, 2009.  Specifically approved was Category B (Emergency Protective Measures) under the Public Assistance Program, including Snow Removal Assistance.  This emergency assistance will be provided for any continuous 48-hour period during, or proximate to, the incident period for Beaver, Ellis, Woods and Woodward Counties.  The FCO is Douglas G. Mayne of the National FCO Program.  (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Wednesday, 24-Jun-2009 10:12:04 EDT