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National Situation Update: Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Presidio, Texas Levee Concerns

In Presidio, Texas, the Rio Grande River is 2-6 feet below the top of the levees and the levees have not breached.

The International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) reports that water is overtopping the levees on the U.S. side at the lower end of the project.
 
All but one of Mexico's reservoirs on the Rio Conchos River which feed into the Rio Grande at Presidio, TX, are above flood control capacity and are spilling.

Mexico is releasing water from Luis Leon reservoir, the only reservoir not above flood control capacity. These releases cannot be turned off or slowed due to the reservoir being at 96% capacity with inflows from upstream reservoirs rapidly filling the remaining capacity.

Indications from Mexico are that they intend to continue releases from Luis Leon reservoir of up to 1,400 cubic meters per second (cms).

Water has risen to between 8" - 10" of the freeboard at the Vehicle Bridge.

Mandatory evacuation order issued for low lying areas; 500 people have been evacuated.  Three to four (3-4) homes are flooded and State Highway 170 was shut down and traffic re-routed.

The city of Presidio has issued a new mandatory evacuation order for lower areas closest to the levees.  Up to 4,500 people can be affected if the levees fail.

USIBWC had to pull its crews off of the levees at 3:00 p.m. CDT due to safety concerns.

Federal / State Response for Hurricane Ike and Midwest Storms

Region IV

Kentucky
Activated at Level III (Full Activation)
There was one (1) fatality; 26 injuries reported

290,000 remain without power.
State of Emergency declared in 20 counties and 13 cities due to power outage, road closures, and damage to buildings

Eight (8) wastewater treatment systems are impacted by power outages
No request for Federal assistance

Region V
Michigan
State EOC partially activated
No fatalities; no injuries reported.
There are no shelters.
Heavy rainfall and flash flooding in central and southwest MI. due to remnants of Hurricane Ike and Tropical Storm Lowell beginning September 12, 2008
Two minor tornadoes with minor damage
Emergency Management Officials have been closely monitoring a dam along the Kalamazoo River in Plainwell, Michigan.  Authorities evacuated 40 homes south of the levee but later allowed the residents to return to their homes.
79 residents of a nursing home in Farmington Hills were evacuated due to the flooding
No requests for Federal assistance

Illinois
There was one (1) fatality; no injuries reported.
9 shelters with a population of 175
Governor declared States of Emergency in seven (7) counties
Utica, Illinois water treatment plant is being threatened by flood waters.  Residents south of the Illinois River canal have been advised to evacuate.
Kaskaskia Lock and Dam in Modoc, Illinois will be closed on Wednesday September 17, 2008 because of an expected crest on the Mississippi River on Friday September 19, 2008 (Randolph County).
One nursing home evacuated as a result of flooding on the Illinois River
Illinois Emergency Management Agency has requested a Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to begin on Thursday, September 18, 2008.

Ohio
OH EOC Assessment Room activated at 6:00 a.m. CDT September 15 with 24 hour operations
There were five (5) fatalities, one (1) injury; one (1) reported missing.
Six (6) shelters open with an unknown population.  Some shelters may be converted into resting centers or placed on standby.
There are 964,200 customers without power across the state. Mutual aid has been requested from out of state crews and they will be conducting 24-hour operations to restore power.
On September 16, 2008 the Canadian Government Operations Center (GOC) was informed by Hydro One, Ontario, Canada that the Governor of the State of Ohio had declared a state of emergency on September 16, 2008 as a result of major damages caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ike. 
Hydro One will be sending approximately 100 to 120 crew members to help with power restoration on the morning of 17 Sep. The crews will be going specifically to Columbus, Ohio.
Several public water supplies are operating on backup generator power. 
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is conducting surveys of sewage treatment facilities that have loss of power to plants and pump stations.
A FEMA State Liaison Officer is active in the Ohio EOC from 0600-1800 CDT.

Indiana
IL EOC at level III activation with selected ESFs
Severe flooding due to remnants of Hurricane Ike caused rainfall up to 10 inches in some areas and strong straight line winds up to 60 mph across central and southern IN
Seven (7) fatalities; 19 injuries reported.
3 shelters with a population of 145
170 residents of an extended care facility were relocated to other facilities
There are 72,800 without power.
Three counties have declared States of Emergency.
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security has requested Preliminary Damage Assessments from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to begin on Thursday September 18, 2008.
FEMA Liaison Officers are active in the Indiana EOC and the Lake County Incident Command Post in Munster, Indiana.

FEMA Region VI
Louisiana
Activated at Level I (Full Activation)
35,997 customers without power as a result of Gustav and. Ike.
16 shelters with a population 1,096
Four (4) reported fatalities specific to Hurricane Ike

Texas
Activated at Level I, 24/7
There are eight (8) fatalities; no injuries reported.
1,961,788 customers remain without power.
Search and rescue operations estimated to be completed by September 17, 2008.
USACE has 20 crews engaged in debris removal.
556 medical special needs patients at Federal (FMS) or State Medical Stations
11 Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT) and 7 strike teams
21 hospitals on back up generators (six less than the day before)
16 counties under mandatory evacuations; 6 counties under voluntary evacuations
All airports now open except Galveston.
Six ports closed (Freeport, Galveston, Houston, Port Arthur-Beaumont, Lake Charles, and Texas City).
312 shelters with a total population of 32,942. More people are entering shelters as they become unable to sustain themselves (ESF 6)

Region VII
Missouri
Minor to moderate flooding is expected with most rivers cresting by September 18, 2008. Flood warnings are in effect.
There were four (4) fatalities; two (2) injuries reported.
Ameren UE is reporting 4,000 customers without power in Missouri.  Crews are in the field working to restore power.
There are numerous reports of water and wind damage to homes and businesses throughout the state.
Damage assessments are ongoing with State and Local resources.
No requests for Federal assistance.  (FEMA Regional Situation Reports and SPOTREPs, Hurricane Ike Senior Leadership Briefing, Department of State, USIBWC)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

FEMA-2787-FM-OR was approved on September 17, 2008 at 3:54 a.m. EDT for the Royce Butte Fire in Klamath County, OR. 

The fire has burned about 9,500 acres, and threatens about 240 residences.  300 people have been evacuated.  The fire is threatening the towns of Cresent and Gilchrist, OR.

Mandatory evacuations are in place for Cresent Lake Junction subdivision home to a population of approximately 125 people and Diamond Peaks subdivision home to a population of approximately 90 people.  (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean:
No significant activity expected for the next 48 hours.

Eastern Pacific:
No significant activity expected for the next 48 hours.

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

IA PDAs are scheduled to begin on September 18, for seven (7) counties in Illinois as a result of severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding from the remnants if Ike.

PDAs were scheduled to begin on September 16 in Beauregard, Jefferson Davis, and Jefferson Parishes, LA.

PDAs for the 14 currently-designated parishes (for all categories of work); 19 northern parishes for flooding.  (FEMA HQ, FEMA Region VI)

Wildfire Update

• National Fire Activity as of  Tuesday, September 16 2008:
• National Wildfire Preparedness Level: 2
• Initial attack activity: Light (66)
• New large fires: 2
• Uncontained large fires: 4
• Large fires contained: 2
• States with large fires: ID, CA, OR, KY

 Predictive Fire: A low pressure system will swing inland over California today for a chance of mostly dry thunderstorms over northern California, southern Oregon and western Nevada. Wetter thunder-storms will occur over portions of southern California, southern Nevada and southern Utah. Otherwise, look for very warm and dry weather to continue over much of the West.   (NIFC, NICC)

Disaster Declaration Activity

Amendment 4 to FEMA-3287-EM-CA was approved on September 16, 2008 adding the Hoopa Valley Tribe and Yurok Tribe of the Yurok Reservation for emergency protective measures (Category B), including direct Federal assistance under the Public Assistance program, for a period of up to 60 days beginning on June 20, 2008, and ending on August 20, 2008.

Amendment 6 to FEMA-1786-DR-LA was approved on September 16, 2008 for Public Assistance (already designated for emergency protective measures (category B), including direct Federal assistance.  Adding 17 Parishes for Public Assistance (already designated for Individual Assistance and debris removal and emergency protective measures [Categories A and B], including direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program). Adding six Parishes for Public Assistance (already designated for Individual Assistance and emergency protective measures [Category B], including direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance Program).  Adding All Parishes in the State of Louisiana as eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

Amendment 3 to FEMA-1791-DR-TX, authorizing adjustment of cost-sharing of Federal funds for Categories A and B, including direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program at 100 percent of the total eligible costs for a 14 day period retroactive to the date of the major disaster declaration.   (FEMA HQ)