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National Situation Update: Thursday, September 18, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Presidio, Texas Levee Concerns

Agencies responding are Texas Forest Service IMT, CBP, US International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) and FEMA Region VI Liaison Officer.

Mexico is releasing water from Luis Leon Reservoir, the only reservoir not above flood control capacity; these releases cannot be turned off or slowed.

Mexico intends to continue releases from Luis Leon of up to 1,400 cubic meters per second (cms).

Levees downstream only have capacity to withstand flows of 1,000 - 1,200 cms.

International Bridge closed due to high water.

Mandatory evacuation order issued for low lying areas; 500 people have been evacuated, approximately 20 families refuse to leave Town of Redford.

State Highway 170 was shut down and traffic re-routed.

Up to 2,000 citizens (approximately 1/3 of population) could be affected if the levees fail.

Federal / State Response for Hurricane Ike and Midwest Storms

Region IV
Kentucky
Activated at Level II (Partial Activation) (Region IV OPS Report, Sep 17)
1 fatality; 26 injuries reported
3 shelters; unknown occupants. (NSS)
231,800 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 impacted by power outages
No request for Federal assistance

Region V
Michigan
State EOC partially activated
Local assessments are ongoing.  (Region V Operations Report, Sep 17)
2,000 customers are without power. (Region V Operations Report, Sep17)
No requests for Federal assistance

Illinois
1 fatality; no injuries reported.
7 shelters; population 104 (NSS)
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.
The Illinois River rose in Grundy County causing evacuation of 40 residents.(Region V Operations Report, Sep17)
Kaskaskia Lock and Dam in Modoc, Illinois closed September 17 because of an expected crest on the Mississippi River on September 19 (Randolph County).

Ohio
OH EOC Assessment Room activated at 6:00 a.m. CDT September 15 with 24 hour operations
5 fatalities; 1 injury reported.
14 shelters, population 122. (NSS, Sep 17)
There are 742,050 customers without power across the state.
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
7 fatalities; 19 injuries.
0 shelters, population 0. (Region V Operations Report, Sep17)
There are 52,600 residents without power. (DOE, Sep 17)
Local officials estimate there are approximately 1,050 homes with basement flooding and 62 businesses affected by flooding or power outages. Damage assessments are ongoing.  (Region V Operations Report, Sep17)
6 counties have declared States of Emergency.  (Region V Operations Report, Sep17)
FEMA Liaison Officers 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)
24,515 customers without power as a result of Gustav and Ike.
16 shelters; population 905.  (NSS, Sep 17)
4 fatalities

Texas
Activated at Level I, 24/7
8 fatalities; no injuries reported.
1,897,901 customers remain without power.
226 shelters; population 28,582. (NSS Report, Sep 17)
Search and rescue operations completed throughout the impact area.
556 medical special needs patients at Federal (FMS) or State Medical Stations
15 hospitals on back up generators, with 35 closed (1 in Houston) (FEMA Region VI)
16 counties under mandatory evacuations; 6 counties under voluntary evacuations
The ports of Freeport, Galveston, Houston, Port Arthur-Beaumont, Lake Charles, and Texas City open, with restrictions (FEMA Region VI).
USS Nassau to Galveston for emergency healthcare/humanitarian aid, sustainment for emergency response force, and deployment of heavy equipment/workforce to address most immediate public works needs.

Region VII
Missouri
Most rivers have crested and levels are falling or in the process of cresting.
4 fatalities, 2 injuries reported.
Current focus is on monitoring water levels along the Mississippi, Missouri and Meramec Rivers.
1 shelter; 6 occupants.(NSS, Sep 17)
Damage assessments are ongoing with State and Local resources.
No requests for Federal assistance.  (FEMA Regional Situation Reports and SPOTREPs)

Tropical Weather Outlook

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

Eastern Pacific:
A broad area of disturbed weather is located several hundred miles south-southeast of the Gulf of Tehuantepec.  Slow development of this system is possible over the next couple of days as it moves slowly westward.

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

Joint PDAs begin September 18, for seven (7) counties in Illinois (FEMA HQ, FEMA Region V)
Joint PDAs begin September 18 in Indiana(FEMA HQ, FEMA Region V)

Wildfire Update

National Fire Activity as of Wednesday, September 17 2008:
National Wildfire Preparedness Level: 2
Initial attack activity: Light (70)
New large fires: 5
Uncontained large fires: 7
Large fires contained: 0
States with large fires: CA, ID, NV, OR, UT, WY
Predictive Fire: A weak low pressure system moving out of northern California into Oregon will generate mainly isolated dry thunderstorms in eastern Oregon, southeast Washington, and northern portions of Nevada today.  Mixed thunderstorms will develop further to the south and east of the low pressure center.  Temperatures will cool along the West Coast with windy conditions in northeast California, southeast Oregon and Nevada.  (NIFC, NICC)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)