National Situation Update: Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

National Weather

Midwest
A low pressure system could bring scattered showers and thunderstorms from Ohio into eastern Kentucky. 
Flood Warnings continue for numerous rivers in Illinois and Indiana.  Highs will range from near 50 in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to the low 80s in southwest Kansas.
Northeast
A cold front may bring showers and thunderstorms, some severe, from Upstate New York down to the Virginias.  High temperatures will range from the low 60s in northern Maine to the 80s in south-central Virginia.
South  
A low pressure system combined with tropical moisture will bring rain across the southern Florida Peninsula.  The rest of the South will be mainly dry.  A Red Flag Warning is in effect from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. CDT this afternoon for the eastern Florida Panhandle due to low relative humidity.  Numerous Flood Warnings remain in effect for portions of Texas, Florida, Arkansas and Louisiana.  High temperatures will range from the low 70s in the southern Appalachians to the low 90s in southern Texas.
West  
Warm and dry weather is forecast for much of the West with the exception of scattered thunderstorms over parts of Idaho, eastern Oregon and northern Nevada.  Temperatures will range from the 60s along the northern California coast to over 100 in parts of the Desert Southwest. (NOAA, National Weather Service, Various Media Sources)

Puerto Rico Heavy Rainfall

  • PREMA EOC remains activated
  • The National Guard remains activated performing debris and road clearance missions with a total of 147 guardsmen.
  • A JFO location has been identified in the Municipality of Guaynabo.
  • 5 fatalities; no injuries reported
  • 10 shelters; population 263 (Region II Sitrep, Sep 29)
  • As a result of severe storms and flooding, Cabo Rojo, Guayama, Humacao, Patillas, Ponce, and Yabucoa were the most impacted municipalities. In some locations, almost 30 inches of rain fell within a 3-day period. (Region II Sitrep, Sep 29)
  • 9,150 without sewer services due to broken pipeline; restoration unknown (Region II Sitrep, Sep 28, FEMA HQ)

Federal / State Response for Hurricane Ike

FEMA Region VI
Louisiana

  • GOSHEP activated at Level III (Emergency Operations).
  • 5 fatalities; no injuries
  • 6 shelters; population 298 (NSS as of 9:00a.m. EDT Sep 29)
  • 11 DRCs and 10 MDRCs (7 open) located throughout affected areas.
  • No critical issues or shortfalls at this time. (Region VI)

Texas

  • SEOC activated at Level I, 24/7
  • 19 fatalities; no injuries
  • 37 Shelters; population of 3,248 (NSS as of 9:00a.m. EDT Sep 29)
  • 144,902 customers remain without power.(DOE  as of 6:00 p.m. EDT Sep 29)
  • There are 37 Rights of Entry (ROE) collection sites open, and 18,687 ROEs have been received to install Blue Roofs.  (TX JFO Report as of 9:00 p.m. EDT Sep 29)
  • 3 state-run PODS remain open; FEMA continues to supply product to State run Resource Staging Areas(RSAs).
  • 14 DRCs and 30 MDRCs, including 4 MRICs, (21 open) located throughout affected areas. (FEMA DAD)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

Nothing significant to report. (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean:
Subtropical Storm Laura
At 5 :00 a.m. EDT, the center of Laura was located about 485 miles south-southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland.  Laura is moving toward the north near 13 mph.  A turn to the north-northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected over the next 48 hours.  Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph, with higher gusts.  A gradual weakening is forecast during the next couple of days and Laura may lose its tropical characteristics by Thursday.

Area 1 - Low Potential for Tropical Cyclone Development
Cloudiness and showers in the eastern Gulf of Mexico are associated with a weak surface trough of low pressure.  This activity is expected to spread eastward over Florida and into the western Atlantic over the next couple of days, but tropical cyclone formation is not expected here or elsewhere during the next 48 hours. 

Eastern Pacific:
91L - Medium Potential for Tropical Cyclone Development
A broad area of low pressure located about 400 miles south of the Gulf of Tehuantepec is accompanied by an elongated and disorganized area of cloudiness, showers and thunderstorms.  Conditions appear to be favorable for some slow development of this system as it drifts westward over the next couple of days.
Area 2 - Low Potential for Tropical Cyclone Development
A large area of disorganized cloudiness and showers is located several hundred miles south-southwest of the southern tip of Baja, California.  Slow development of this system is possible as it moves slowly westward during the next couple of days.
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

The USGS reports that a magnitude 7.3 earthquake occurred at 10:19 AM EDT offshore in the South Pacific approximately 45 miles south of Raoul Island in the Kermadec Islands and 640 miles northeast of Auckland, New Zealand. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 26.2 miles. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued a statement that a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii. (USGS, FEMA HQ)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

National Fire Activity as of Monday, September 29, 2008:
National Wildfire Preparedness Level: 2
Initial attack activity: Light (67)
New large fires: 1
Uncontained large fires: 6
Large fires contained: 0
States with large fires: CA, OR  (NIFC)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Tuesday, 30-Sep-2008 08:18:53 EDT