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National Situation Update: Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Tropical Depression Gustav

At 5:00 am EDT the center of Tropical Depression Gustav was about 135 miles northwest of Lafayette Louisiana.  Gustav is moving toward the northwest near 10 mph and a decrease in forward speed with a turn toward the north is expected over the next couple of days.  This motion would bring the center of Gustav across western Louisiana and into northeastern Texas later today and tonight.
Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph with higher gusts.  Slow weakening is forecast during the next 24 hours.  Gustav is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 6 to 12 inches over portions of Louisiana, western Mississippi, Arkansas, southern Missouri, southeast Oklahoma and northeastern Texas with isolated maximum amounts of up to 20 inches possible through Thursday.
A few tornadoes are possible over portions of the lower Mississippi valley today.
This is the last public advisory issued by the National Hurricane Center on Gustav.  Future information on this system can be found in public advisories issued by the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. (NOAA, HPC,  National Hurricane Center)

Federal / State Preparations

FEMA NRCC:
NRCC is activated to Level I, 24/7 operations (Watch and all Emergency Support Functions).
National IMAT-East deployed to Baton Rouge, LA.
The Hurricane Liaison Team (HLT) is activated and deployed to the National Hurricane Center.
National Emergency Family Registry and Locator System has been activated.(SLB)
FEMA Region IV:
RRCC is activated at Level I, 24/7 with all ESFs reporting.
Region IV ERT-A deployed to AL EOC in Clanton, Alabama.
Initial Operating Facility (IOF) remains operational at the State Logistics Warehouse in Orlando, Florida.
The Joint Field Office (JFO) for DR-1785-FL is operational in Orlando, FL.
Region IV-IMAT in place at the EOC in Jackson, Mississippi.
ESF 8 is in the process of activating three Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT's); four Medical Strike Teams; and one Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Response Coordination Team, and placed an additional DMAT on alert.
14 flights arrived in Nashville, Tennessee from New Orleans with a total of 1,842 passengers.
6 flights arrived in Knoxville from New Orleans with a total of 710 passengers.
3 trains arrived in Memphis, Tennessee from New Orleans with a total of 1,972 passengers.
Mississippi:
The President has declared FEMA-3291-EM for the State of Mississippi.
EOC is activated to Level 1 (full activation).
70 shelters with 6,158 occupants. (Reg IV)
Alabama:
The President has declared FEMA-3292-EM for the State of Alabama. (SLB)
State EOC is activated to Level I with 24/7, with all ESFs on site.
60 buses arrived in Birmingham, AL from New Orleans with 2,855 occupants.(Reg IV)
63 shelters with 5,404 occupants. (Reg IV)
Florida:
EOC is now at Level I operations.
Monitoring Tropical Storm Hanna.
14 shelters with 892 occupants, including TS Fay residents.(Reg IV)
Georgia:
EOC is now activated at Level I.
21 shelters with 271 occupants. (Reg IV)
Kentucky:
EOC is activated at Level I (monitoring).
Two State LNOs are deployed to the LA Warm Cell.
9 flights arrived in Louisville, KY from New Orleans. (Reg IV)
1 shelter with 1,418 occupants. (Reg IV)
Tennessee:
Tennessee EOC is activated at Level IV (highest). (SLB)
13 flights arrived in Nashville, TN from New Orleans. (Reg IV)
5 flights arrived in Knoxville, TN from New Orleans. (Reg IV)
3 trains arrived in Memphis TN from New Orleans with approximately 2,400 passengers. (Reg IV)
26 shelters with 2,479 occupants. (Reg IV)
Missouri:
Has capacity to accept 4,000 evacuees.

FEMA Region VI:
FEMA Region VI RRCC is at Level I, with 24/7. All ESF representatives and partners are activated.
The pre-designated FCO for Texas and the Region VI IMAT is co-located with Texas DEM in Austin, TX.
The Louisiana Warm Cell (LWC) is working closely with the State regarding evacuation, sheltering and other response issues.
Two FEMA-State Liaisons are deployed to the Louisiana EOC.
The FEMA Region X ERT-A deployed to Baton Rouge.
Region VI deployed four Parish Liaisons to the LWC in Baton Rouge to pre-stage. 
All MERS equipment has been pre-staged in Austin, TX, Houston, TX, Bossier City, LA and Carville, LA.
Provide MERS Coordinator to the EM-3290 FCO.
Prepare to move support towards east Texas.
Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) teams are on stand-by.
Staff and commodities hosted at Carville, LA moved to Camp Beauregard, LA due to potential flooding from storm tidal surge.(SLB)

Louisiana:
GOHSEP activated the EOC at Level I.
LA working on contingency plan to shelter special needs patients in case they are not able to
evacuate. (SLB)
There is a shortage of gas/diesel.  State was granted fuel waiver to allow use of winterized gas and higher sulfur diesel. (SLB)
As of 9:30 a.m. (CDT), August 31, 2008, a total of 28 flights have transported 2,628 Critical Transportation Needs evacuees (CTNs). (SLB)
59 shelters are open with 11,785 population. (SLB)
Louisiana has requested support from EMAC for other non-impacted states, Pennsylvania,  Delaware and Ohio are supporting medical evacuations.(SLB)
Texas:
The President has declared FEMA-3290-EM for the State of Texas.
Texas State Operations Center (SOC) is at Level I.
IOF operational in Austin, TX.
Four FEMA State Liaisons are onsite at the Texas SOC in Austin.
82 Shelters with a population of 7,302. (SLB)
Arkansas:
DEM Level IV (Full activation) expecting evacuees.
Oklahoma:
DEM Level III (Normal Operations) expecting evacuees.
New Mexico:
DHSEM Level III ( Monitoring).

Significant National Weather

West:
The region will be generally dry, precipitation will be limited to a few showers in western Washington, northeast Montana, and southern New Mexico.  Critical wildfire conditions are forecast to develop in the coastal ranges of northwest California due to gusty winds and above-average temperatures.  High temperatures will range from the 40s in northern mountains to over 100 in the Mojave and Sonora Deserts.  With unseasonably cool conditions frost and freeze advisories have been issued for south-central Oregon, northeast California, eastern Idaho and much of northern Nevada.
Midwest:
A cold front draped across the region from Wisconsin southward across the Texas panhandle into New Mexico is moving eastward and will produce scattered showers and thunderstorms.  High temperatures will range from the mid-50s in North Dakota to the low 90s in the Ohio Valley.
South:
As discussed above Gustav will continue to weaken as it moves inland producing excessive rainfall and serious flooding over Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas region. Gustav will produce strong thunderstorms with gusty winds and the threat of tornadoes for Louisiana, western Mississippi and southern Arkansas.  High temperatures are forecast to range from near 80 in the rainy Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas to the mid- to upper 90s in the lower Rio Grande Valley.
Northeast:
Under a ridge of high pressure dry and sunny condition are forecast for the region.  Temperatures will be above average, highs are forecast to range from the 70s in eastern New England to the low 90s in central Virginia. (NOAA, National Weather Service, Various Media Sources)

Hurricane Hanna

At 5:00 am EDT the center of hurricane Hanna was 35 miles east-northeast of Great Inagua Island, about 395 miles southeast of Nassau and 575 miles east-southeast of Miami, Florida.
Hanna is drifting toward the west near 2 mph. Slow and erratic motion is possible during the next 24 hours. However, by Wednesday a gradual northwestward motion toward the central Bahamas is expected begin.
Maximum sustained winds remain near 80 mph with higher gusts.  Hanna is a category one hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.  Some fluctuations in strength are possible during the next 24 hours with gradual strengthening expected to begin on Wednesday.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 175 miles.
Swells from Hanna are expected to increase the risk of dangerous rip currents along portions of the southeastern United States coast during the next couple of days. (NOAA, HPC,  National Hurricane Center)

Federal / State Preparations

FEMA NRCC:
Coordinating pre-landfall asset deployments and overall Federal support to facilitate post landfall response, and any unmet needs.

FEMA Regions I and II:
Maintaining and coordinating a FEMA response capability on the East Coast and Caribbean in preparation for Hanna.
Combining the staff from Regions I, II, and III into one dedicated Level I - capable "East Coast Regional RRCC" to coordinate Hanna operations along the East Coast and including the Caribbean.
Supporting the establishment of three full-time ERT-A dedicated to East Coast and Caribbean response, combining the staff from Regions I, II, and III.
Roster and maintaining a limited number of PDA teams for Hanna response.
Releasing staff not rostered for Hanna to the Hurricane Gustav response. (SLB)

FEMA Region III:
Regional Response Coordination Center (RRCC) is operating at Level II from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. daily and has activated ESF-1 (Transportation), ESF-3 (Public Works and Engineering), ESF-7 (Resource Support), ESF-8 (Public Health and Medical Services) and ESF-12 (Energy) along with their Defense Coordinating Element (DCE).
Providing a Planning Unit to support Region IV Operations with a focus on Tropical Storm Hanna with support from Regions I, II, and IV.
Combining the staff from Regions I, II, and III into one dedicated Level I - capable "East Coast Regional RRCC" to coordinate Hanna operations along the East Coast and including the Caribbean.
Taking the lead in establishing three full-time ERT-A dedicated to East Coast and Caribbean response, combining the staff from Regions I, II, and III.
Roster and maintaining a limited number of PDA teams for Hanna response.
Releasing staff not roistered for Hanna to the Hurricane Gustav response. (SLB)

FEMA Region IV:
RRCC is activated at Level I, providing 24/7 coverage and has activated all ESFs.
Meridian and Maxwell Air Stations are fully activated.
Region IV IMAT deployed to Jackson, Mississippi.
ERT-A deployed to Alabama Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Clanton, AL.
JFO is operational in Orlando, Florida.
Florida, Alabama and Texas mobilized staff to coordinate EMAC activities in Region IV.
Region IV requested an American Red Cross (ARC) Liaison; otherwise, no unmet needs. (SLB)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

FMAG-2786-CA was issued for the Gladding Fire near Lincoln, California.  The Fire has burned more than 500 acres and there have been 200 mandatory evacuations with 200 residences threatened.  The Fire is 60 percent contained.  There is no estimated date for full containment. (FEMA HQ)   

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean:
Tropical Depression Gustav and Hurricane Hanna are discussed above.

Tropical Storm Ike
At 5:00 am EDT the center of Tropical Storm Ike was 1,235 miles east of the Leeward Islands or 1,500 miles west of Puerto Rico.
Ike is moving toward the west near 15 mph and a motion toward the west or west-northwest at about the same speed is expected during the next two days. 
Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph with higher gusts.  Some strengthening is forecast during the next two days.
Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 115 miles from the center.

Tropical Depression Ten:
Tenth tropical depression of the season forms over the far eastern Atlantic Ocean.
At 5:00 am EDT the center of Tropical Depression Ten was located 170 miles south-southeast of the southernmost Cape Verde islands.  The depression is moving toward the west near 16 mph.  A motion between west and west-northwest is expected for the next two days.  On the forecast track the center of the depression will remain well south of the Cape Verde islands today and move away
From the Cape Verde islands later tonight.
Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph with higher gusts.  Some strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours and the depression will likely become a tropical storm later today.

Eastern Pacific:
Showers and thunderstorms associated with a broad area of low pressure located about 325 miles south of the southern tip of Baja California have not increased in organization.  However, upper-level winds have become more favorable fordevelopment and a tropical depression could form during the next day or so as it moves slowly west-northwestward.

Western Pacific:
No tropical cyclone activity. (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 Monday, September 2008:
National Wildfire Preparedness Level: 3
Initial attack activity: Light (79 new fires)
New large fires: 2
Uncontained large fires: 11
Large fires contained: 2
States with Large fires: UT, ID, OR, MT, WY, CO, CA, NV and  NJ,

Fire Weather Discussion: Strong north to northeast winds and low humidity are on tap for northern California today with cooler and drier weather for southern California.  It will be cooler over most of the west with showers and thunderstorms over the Eastern Great basin, Rocky Mountain and Northern Rockies areas. (NIFC)

Disaster Declaration Activity

On September 1, 2008,  the governor requested an Emergency Declaration be declared for the State of Florida as a result of Hurricane Gustav to include Public Assistance for the first 72 hours (Cat B) for 15 counties.
FEMA-1785-DR-FL Amendment #6 adds Lee County for Individual Assistance in the State of Florida.  (FEMA HQ)