National Situation Update: Sunday, September 21, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

National Weather

Midwest
An upper-level disturbance moving eastward in the Plains may trigger showers and thunderstorms, some severe, from the western Dakotas to western Kansas.  Flood Warnings continue for numerous rivers in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Michigan.  Highs will be in the 60s in the northern Great Lakes to the 80s in the Ohio Valley.
Northeast
A cold front moving through the region may bring cloudiness and light rain from New England to the Chesapeake Bay.  High temperatures will range from the 50s and 60s in Maine to the 70s in West Virginia.
South  
An upper-level disturbance over the Mississippi Valley will bring more showers and scattered thunderstorms across parts of Arkansas, western Tennessee, Louisiana and western Alabama.
Numerous Flood Watches and Warnings remain in effect for portions of Texas and Louisiana.
High temperatures will range from the 70s and 80s in the Carolinas to the low 90s in Texas.
West  
An upper-level disturbance over the high Plains will bring showers and scattered thunderstorms from Montana to Colorado and in northern Idaho and Washington.  Temperatures will range from the 40s in the northern Rockies to the 100s in the Desert Southwest. (NOAA, National Weather Service, Various Media Sources)

Federal / State Response for Hurricane Ike and Midwest Storms

Region V
Michigan

  • State EOC is not activated
  • No shelters with populations reported.
  • State PDAs are ongoing
  • No requests for Federal assistance.

Illinois

  • State EOC is not activated.
  • Joint PDAs are ongoing.
  • 1 fatality; no injuries reported
  • 1 shelter; population 7 (ESF 6 as of 9:00 a.m. EDT Sept. 20)

Ohio

  • SEMA Assessment Room is activated 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. CDT
  • 7 fatalities; 1 injury reported
  • 238,760 customers remain without power. (ESF 12 Sitrep 10:00 a.m. EDT Sept. 20)
  • 4 shelters; population 7 (ESF 6 as of 9:00 a.m. EDT Sept. 20)

Indiana

  • State EOC is activated at Level III
  • Joint PDAs are ongoing.
  • 7 fatalities; 19 injuries reported
  • 14,333 customers remain without power. (ESF 12 Sitrep 10:00 a.m. EDT Sept. 20)
  • 3 shelters; population 122.  (ESF 6 as of 9:00 a.m. EDT Sept. 20)

FEMA Region VI
Louisiana

  • GOSHEP activated at Level III
  • 5 fatalities; no injuries reported
  • 12,114 customers remain without power  (ESF 12 Sitrep 10:00 a.m. EDT Sept. 20)
  • Health and Human Services (HHS) reported its Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT) is working to secure over 100 casketed remains reported in Louisiana.
  • The Louisiana JFO in Baton Rouge transitioned the response and recovery operations to the Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office (TRO) on September 20, 2008. 
  • 6 shelters; population 352. (ESF 6 as of 9:00 a.m. EDT Sept. 20)

Texas

  • Activated at Level I, 24/7
  • 19 fatalities; no injuries reported.(JFO Sitrep #12)
  • 1,180,676 customers remain without power. (JFO Sitrep #12 as of 4:00 p.m. CDT Sept. 20)
  • There are approximately 34 PODs in Texas (National IMAT East).
  • Establishing base camps in Galveston and Orange counties
  • 1 Hospital in Houston remains on generator status (50% improvement since yesterday)
  • 8 hospitals in Texas remain on generator status (20% improvement since yesterday)
  • No public health assistance will be required in Galveston because water is back online
  • Registration intakes over 500,000 with 70% submitted online through the web
  • American Red Cross (ARC) mobile feeding sites continue; working on fixed sites
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is establishing temporary emergency power for water and waste water; future needs for generator support; and temporary power for roofing.
  • Consumers without service has dropped by 90,000; 318 cell sites are back online; all 911 centers are operational
  • 175 shelters; population 18,072. (ESF 6 as of 9:00 a.m. EDT Sept. 20)

Presidio update:  Reservoir releases out of Luis Leon reservoir will continue to next week with considerable fluctuations in water levels. Major flooding will continue; however, potential levee failure will not be a catastrophic event due to water level rising slowly. Mandatory evacuations of low-lying areas in effect; approximately 4,500 residents remain at risk. Five Army helicopters and personnel are providing support and placement of "super sacks" sandbags to add an additional foot on top of the levee.

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean:
Invest 93 - Medium Potential for Development
A tropical wave accompanied by a surface low pressure system over the northeastern Caribbean Sea is producing widespread cloudiness and showers over the Lesser Antilles and adjacent Caribbean and Atlantic waters.  This system continues to show signs of organization and upper-level winds are expected to become a little more favorable for development over the next couple of days.  A tropical depression could form during this time as the system moves slowly northwestward. 
Area 2 - Low Potential for Development
The broad area of low pressure previously over the southwestern Caribbean Sea has moved inland over Nicaragua.  No development of this system is expected.
Eastern Pacific:
Invest 90 - Medium Potential for Development
A broad low pressure area is centered about 275 miles southeast of Acapulco, Mexico.  This system has changed little in organization over the past several hours; however, upper-level winds remain marginally favorable for the development of a tropical depression during the next couple of days as the system moves slowly toward the northwest parallel to the coast of Mexico.
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

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

National Fire Activity as of  Saturday, September 20, 2008:
National Wildfire Preparedness Level: 2
Initial attack activity: Light (59)
New large fires: 1
Uncontained large fires: 6
Large fires contained: 1
States with large fires: CA, MT, OR
Predictive Fire: Thunderstorm activity today will be mainly across interior portions of the Pacific Northwest and northeastern California. These storms will be a mix of wet and dry, but this entire area should see a wetter transition to showers later today. Otherwise, it will be seasonably warm and dry across the Great Basin, Rockies, and much of the Northeast. Scattered showers and wet thunderstorms are forecast for most of the Southeast.   (NIFC, NICC)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Monday, 22-Sep-2008 08:23:48 EDT