National Situation Update: Monday, September 22, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

National Weather

Midwest
A cold front moving from the High Plains may bring scattered showers and thunderstorms, some severe, to the northern Plains today.  Flood Warnings continue for numerous rivers in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Michigan.  Highs will range from the upper 60s in northeast Michigan to the upper 80s in western Kansas.
Northeast
Light showers may appear in parts of southern New England but the majority of the region will enjoy dry weather today.  High temperatures will range from the mid-50s in northern Maine to the mid-80s in south-central Virginia and West Virginia.
South  
Isolated showers and thunderstorms are forecast across the Carolina coasts, southern Georgia, the Florida Panhandle and upper Texas Gulf Coast.  Numerous Flood Warnings remain in effect for portions of Texas, Florida and Louisiana.  High temperatures will range from the mid-70s in the southern Appalachians to around 90 in parts of Texas and South Florida.
West  
An area of low pressure may bring showers and thunderstorms to parts of the Pacific Northwest, Montana and Wyoming with more concentration over the Bitterroots and northwest Wyoming.  Temperatures will range from the 40s in some northern mountain locations to the 100s in the Mohave and Sonoran Deserts. (NOAA, National Weather Service, Various Media Sources)

Puerto Rico Heavy Rainfall (93L)

  • The PR EOC is partially activated 24\7 with select ESF's.
  • 2 unconfirmed fatalities; no injuries reported
  • 16 shelters; population 75
  • Puerto Rico has received more than 10 inches of rain, and the prediction is for continued rain today.
  • FEMA Region 2 Caribbean Office will have a liaison at the PR EMA at 6:00 a.m. EDT today.  The Caribbean Office will be in contact with the Director of PR EMA and a report is expected to be provided to the NRCC by about 9:00 a.m. EDT today.
  • No Federal assistance is being requested at this time.

Federal / State Response for Hurricane Ike and Midwest Storms

Region V
Illinois

  • State EOC will return to normal operations today.
  • Joint PDAs are ongoing.
  • 1 fatality; no injuries reported
  • 4 shelter; population 7 (Region V Sept. 21)

Ohio

  • SEMA Assessment Room is activated 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. CDT
  • 7 fatalities; 1 injury reported
  • 122,440 customers remain without power.  (DOE Sept. 21)
  • 1 shelter; population 2 (NSS as of Midnight EDT Sept. 21)

Indiana

  • State EOC is activated at Level III
  • Joint PDAs are ongoing.
  • 8 fatalities; 19 injuries reported
  • 6,186 customers remain without power. (DOE Sept. 21)
  • 3 shelters; population 103.  (NSS as of Midnight EDT Sept. 21)

FEMA Region VI
Louisiana

  • GOSHEP activated at Level III
  • 5 fatalities; no injuries reported
  • 3,844 customers remain without power  (DOE as of 6:00 p.m. Sept. 21)
  • 5 shelters; population 340. (NSS  Sept. 21)

Texas

  • Activated at Level I, 24/7
  • 19 fatalities; no injuries reported. (JFO Sitrep #12)
  • 867,053 customers remain without power. (DOE as of 6:00 p.m. Sept. 21)
  • 77 shelters; population 7,656. (NSS Sept. 21)
  • The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has established 18 Rights of Entry (ROE) sites for citizens to register their property for the Blue Roof Program.
  • 23 USACE Debris crews are deployed conducting emergency clearance operations on Galveston Island, Orange, Harris, and Chambers counties.

Presidio update: 
The National Weather Service Flash Flood Warning remains in effect for the Rio Grande in Presidio County, Texas.  Reservoir releases out of Luis Leon reservoir will continue into next week with considerable fluctuations in water levels; however, river flow has decreased since yesterday causing the river levels to lower temporarily.

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean:
93L - High Potential for Tropical Cyclone Development
There has been little change in organization of the broad low pressure area located near western Puerto Rico; however, upper-level winds are forecast to become a little more favorable for development and the system could become a tropical depression later today as it moves slowly north or north-northwestward during the next couple of days.  Regardless of whether this system becomes a tropical depression it will continue to produce very heavy rainfall over Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands into Tuesday.  Reports from Puerto Rico indicate that 10 to 20 inches of rain has already fallen on portions of the island and these rains have already produced flash floods and mudslides. (NWS) 

Eastern Pacific:
90L - Medium Potential for Tropical Cyclone Development
A broad area of low pressure located about 225 miles south-southeast of Manzanillo, Mexico is also producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms.  Conditions appear to be marginally favorable for development as this system moves slowly west-northwestward during the next couple of days.
Area 1 - Low Potential for Tropical Cyclone Development
A small area of low pressure located just to the southwest of the Gulf of Tehuantepec is producing limited and disorganized showers and thunderstorms.  Development, if any, of this system should be slow to occur due to strong upper-level winds. (NWS)

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  Sunday, September 21, 2008:
National Wildfire Preparedness Level: 2
Initial attack activity: Light (62)
New large fires: 2
Uncontained large fires: 7
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 late 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 08:35:13 EDT