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National Situation Update: Friday, December 30, 2005

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

National Weather Summary

West
The Pacific storms will continue for awhile. A new storm will impact the West Coast overnight and Friday. Potentially damaging winds gusting to 70 mph along coastal Oregon and 55 mph over northwest California will precede a cold front. Heavy rains mean more flooding and possible mudslides from western Washington the northern California. Parts of southwest Oregon and northern California may pick up rainfall totals of 6 to 12 inches by early Saturday. On Saturday, rain will move southward toward the Los Angeles Basin. Rain and mountain snow will spread across the Great Basin and into the northern and central Rockies over the weekend. Sunday and Monday will bring another storm into the West Coast, impacting California. Rainfall in the coastal mountains of central California and in the lower elevations of the Sierra could locally reach 7 to 10 inches, with snow measured in many feet in the higher elevations of the Sierra. Heavier rain will push into Los Angeles and San Diego by early week.

Northeast
A new storm will track from the southern Great Lakes to off the New Jersey Coast Saturday and early Sunday, bringing a possible 3-to-6-inch snow event to Upstate New York, extreme northern Pennsylvania and both central and southern New England. The central Appalachians will experience rain changing to snow while the remainder of the Mid-Atlantic plus New York City will deal with rain.

Midwest
Look for snow accumulations of 3 to 8 inches from the North Dakota-South Dakota line to Lower Michigan. A mix or rain or snow showers will be limited in southern sections of the region as the system will be somewhat moisture deprived. Another storm will take a similar track New Year's Day and Monday but snow will fall farther north and there is a possibility of severe thunderstorms from the Middle Mississippi valley on eastward.

South
It continues to be dry across the southern Plains and Texas and nothing will change anytime soon. Warm temperatures, dry conditions and gusty winds generated by systems passing by to the north will keep the fire danger extremely high. A weekend storm moving through the Midwest and Northeast could bring scattered showers to the Southeast Saturday. A stronger storm moving by to the north on Monday could bring severe thunderstorms across the Southeast. (Source: NOAA/NWS and various media outlets)

Severe Storms in California

The National Weather Service reports that the storm track remains active across the Pacific with two more major storm systems expected to hit northern California over the weekend. Northern California will see a brief break in the wet weather pattern today, but more rain is expected late tonight as the next in a series weather systems moves into the area. Light precipitation tonight will change to heavier precipitation on Friday. Strong winds will accompany this weather system with south wind gusts likely to reach 35 to 45 mph at the lower elevations with gusts up to 55 mpg over the mountains.

In northern California, all rivers have fallen below flood stage with the exception of the Eel River at Fernbridge. There is flooding reported on the Klamath River, along with some infrastructure damage. In Sonoma County, Hwy 1 north of Jenner remains closed.

Eight evacuees are being sheltered at local motels in the Meyer's flat area and an unknown number being sheltered in the Rio Dell area at this time. American Red Cross (ARC) is overseeing sheltering. Twenty-two evacuees are being sheltered by the ARC at local motels. In Mendocino County, ARC is sheltering 17 evacuees at local motels in Fort Bragg.

State EOC is at Duty Officer Status. California OES announced it will activate the state, coastal, and inland EOCs at 0700 (1000 EST) tomorrow on a 24-hour basis. The following state agencies have been requested to report: California National Guard, Highway Patrol, Conservation Corps, CalTrans, Social Services, and Department of Forestry. Locally, the Del Norte and Humboldt County EOC remains activated.

All immediate response requirements are being met at the local level. No request for State or Federal assistance has been received. FEMA Region IX will activate the RRCC at 0700 PST on Friday 29 December (0700 to 1900) at level 3, with Duty Officer Watch. A FEMA Liaison will be reporting to the state EOC for coordination purposes. (Source: Incident Report)

Texas Wildfire Situation

Governor Perry issued a statewide disaster declaration on December 27th. Yesterday Governor Perry requested that the President declare an emergency for the State of Texas. Effective December 29, 2005, the State of Texas Operations Center (SOC) raised their level of activation to Level I (Emergency Conditions) the highest level of activation. Governor Perry has ordered the maximum deployment of state firefighting resources.

The Texas Army National Guard has provided six helicopters. Four UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters are based in Austin. Two CH-47 Chinook helicopters are based in Grand Prairie. The Louisiana has provided 3 UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, Wisconsin has provided 6 dozers with crews, and Alabama and Tennessee have each provided 4 dozers with crews. US Forest Service has deployed 4 Single Engine Air Tankers, 4 Heavy Air Tankers, 2 Skycrane Helicopters, 3 Medium Helicopters, 2 Light Helicopters, and1 Overhead Team. Other resources requested include: 13 medium or light helicopters; and 1 Type 1 Overhead Team;

Walnut Bend Fire, Cooke County, No major problems encountered on this fire yesterday. Crews were able to make good progress. Twenty fire structures were destroyed, and 5 damaged.

Crossroads Fire, Callahan County, Firefighters will continue to mop up and monitor this fire today after improved wind conditions enabled 100% containment yesterday. Sixty structures, one church and numerous vehicles were lost.

Canyon Creek Fire, Hood County, Forty seven structures and 38 vehicles were lost. The Red Cross is conducted an assessment of losses and damage.

Chisholm Hills Fire, Wise County, fire in southeast Wise County, located north of State Highway (SH) 287 in the Chisholm Hills Subdivision. The United States Forest Service (USFS) helicopter provided air attack. One house and one out building have been destroyed. Air attack knocked down the head of the fire.

Oklahoma Wildfire Situation

The State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) remains activated to support local fire departments and other first responders. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) has received reports of wildfires occurring in 22 counties – Bryan, Canadian, Carter, Cherokee, Choctaw, Cotton, Garfield, Garvin, Grady, Hughes, Johnston, Love, McCurtain, McIntosh, Muskogee, Oklahoma, Okmulgee, Pontotoc, Pushmataha, Rogers, Seminole and Tulsa.

OEM is working with the Oklahoma Military Department (OMD) and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry to coordinate the delivery of fire suppression equipment and personnel.

More than 15,000 acres have burned across the state since wildfires broke out on Tuesday, December 27, 2005. Statewide more than 80 homes and businesses have been destroyed and many more have sustained damage due to the wildfires. Another 50 outbuildings have been destroyed. The largest ongoing fires are in Bryan, Love, Oklahoma and Seminole counties.

A Chinook helicopter was deployed to northeast Oklahoma City early this afternoon to provide aerial fire suppression. Additionally, a U.S. Forest Service air tanker, equipped with fire retardant, was deployed to a fire north of Achille in Bryan County. Another Chinook stationed at Lexington, and two Blackhawk helicopters, equipped with 660 gallon buckets, stationed at the Army Aviation Facility in Tulsa, remain on standby.

State forestry officials have also deployed ground crews, brush pumpers, bulldozers and engines to the fires in Oklahoma City, Achille, Marietta (Love County) and near Wewoka (Seminole County)

Seminole County Emergency Management reports more than 9,000 acres were burned in the fire that damaged a southern portion of the City of Seminole on Wednesday. All total, 23 homes were destroyed and 3 damaged, 27 trailer homes were destroyed and three damaged and 6 businesses were destroyed. One church, one well house and 19 outbuildings were also destroyed. Additionally, 14 cars, 2 trucks, 1 tractor, 2 stock trailers and 10 very large hay stacks.

Tropical Activity

There is no tropical activity in the Atlantic, Caribbean, or Gulf of Mexico.

There is no tropical activity in the Eastern, Western or Central Pacific Ocean. (Source: USDOC/NOAA/NWS, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

A light earthquake occurred at 20:57, Thursday, December 29, 2005. The magnitude 4.5 event was located in Southeastern Alaska approximately 80 miles SW of Haines AK and 105 miles W of Juneau AK.  The magnitude was such that a tsunami was not generated.  There have been no reports of damages or injuries and no requests for Federal assistance. (Source: United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

Eastern Oklahoma County Fire Complex – OK: The FMAG request for The Eastern Oklahoma County Fire Complex was approved on December 29, 2005. There are three fires, the large one is 70% contained and the two smaller fires are 0% contained. 12 homes destroyed, 680 residents threatened. The current resources are very stretched to be able to fight this fire. (Source: FMAG 2595 and Incident Report)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)