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National Situation Update: Saturday, August 8, 2009

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

West:
The only significant weather for the region will be along the Pacific Northwest coast where an approaching front will produce rain. A deep trough will produce a few showers and thunderstorms in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and northern Utah. Very dry conditions persist across the Desert Southwest.
Midwest:
A complicated frontal system draped across the Upper Midwest will produce widespread precipitation. There is a possibility for severe thunderstorms from the Dakotas to the Great Lakes. The precipitation will be beneficial in relieving the Upper Midwest drought across east-central Minnesota and northern Wisconsin. Temperatures will be dropping across the central Plains this weekend but highs in the 90s are forecast across the Mid-Mississippi Valley, central and southern Great Lakes and Ohio Valley.
Northeast:
Much of the region will be dry this morning. Late in the day, an approaching warm front will produce showers and thunderstorms in western New York and northwest Pennsylvania. Afternoon thunderstorms are possible in the Delaware Valley and Chesapeake Bay area. Tomorrow, additional precipitation including more widespread thunderstorms, are forecast as the warm front becomes better defined.
South:
Onshore flow will produce scattered thunderstorms from the Texas Gulf Coast to the Florida Peninsula. The most significant activity will be in southern Louisiana, southern Mississippi and the Florida Peninsula. As highs drop into the 90s across the Southern Plains this weekend, temperatures will be approaching 100 from South Carolina to the Mid-Atlantic.  (NOAA, National Weather Service, media sources)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No activity.

Tropical Weather Outlook

Eastern / Central Pacific
Hurricane Felicia:
At 5:00 a.m. EDT, the center of Hurricane Felicia was located about 1,030 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii.
Felicia is moving toward the west northwest near 14 mph and a gradual turn toward the west is expected today. The maximum sustained winds are near 90 mph with higher gusts. Felicia is a Category One hurricane on the saffir-simpson scale. Gradual weakening is forecast during the next 24 hours. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 115 miles. 
Atlantic
Tropical Cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.
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 6:49 a.m. EDT, August 7, 2009 a magnitude 4.9 earthquake occurred approximately 18 miles west of Petrolia, California (208 miles northwest of Sacramento, California) at a depth of 10.2 miles.  There were no reports of damage or injuries.  No tsunami was generated.(USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

National Preparedness Level 3
National Fire Activity as of Friday, August 7, 2009:
Initial attack activity: Heavy (329 new fires)
New large fires:  12
Large fires contained:  3
Uncontained large fires:  39
States affected:  AK, AZ, CA, CO, ID, NC, NM, OR, TX, UT, WA & WY, (NIFC)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Monday, 10-Aug-2009 07:39:43 EDT