• Emergency Managers and Personnel
• Situation Reports
• National Incident Management System
• Grants & Assistance Programs
• Training
• Contacts
• Planning
• Best Practices

National Situation Update: Monday, August 6, 2007

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Update – Continuation of Recovery Operations in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Recovery operations continue at the I-35W Bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Minnesota.   The State EOC remains fully activated and will be operational from 0800 - 1800 hrs CDT.   The State EOC continues to report a total of five fatalities and 104 injured.  Local dive teams continue efforts to identify those vehicles that are in the water.  Minnesota Homeland Security Emergency Management (Bill Hirte) will meet with officials from the city of Minneapolis and Hennepin County to review work Category A-G eligibility under the FEMA PA Program.

A Joint Information Center has been established at the State EOC and is located at the University of Minnesota. 

The Region V RRCC is activated at Level III from 8:00AM to 6:00PM (CDT), August 5, 2007.  FEMA Region V has a Public Assistance Officer and an External Affairs Officer in the Minnesota State EOC. (FEMA Region V, Denver MOC, NGB JOC, DHS NOC, USCG, NRCC, Media Sources)

"Structurally Deficient," Bridges

More than 70,000 bridges across the country are rated structurally deficient like the span that collapsed in Minneapolis, and engineers estimate repairing them all would take at least a generation and cost more than $188 billion US.

That works out to at least $9.4 billion a year over 20 years, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.

The bridges carry an average of more than 300 million vehicles a day.

It is unclear how many of the spans pose actual safety risks. Federal officials alerted the states to immediately inspect all bridges similar to the Mississippi River span that collapsed.

In a separate cost estimate, the Federal Highway Administration has said addressing the backlog of needed bridge repairs would cost at least $55 billion. That was five years ago, with expectations of more deficiencies to come.

Last year, 75,422 of the country's 597,562 bridges, or about 12.6%, were classified as "structurally deficient," including some built as recently as the early 1990s, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

The federal government provides 80% of the money for construction, repair and maintenance of the so-called federal-aid highway system including Interstate highways and bridges. But states set priorities and handle construction and maintenance contracts.

A bridge is typically judged structurally deficient if heavy trucks are banned from it or there are other weight restrictions, if it needs immediate work to stay open or if it is closed. In any case, such a bridge is considered in need of considerable maintenance, rehabilitation or even replacement.(Associated Press)

National Forecast Summary

South
Temperatures into the 90s with lower 100s expected this afternoon. Thunderstorms are forecast along the coastal boundaries and over the higher terrain of the southern Appalachian Mountains and isolated thunderstorms are over the Southeast late afternoon.

West
Thunderstorms are forecast during the afternoon and evening hours through the Southwest.  Thunderstorms are possible along the Rocky Mountains. West of the Rockies it should be sunny.

Midwest
Showers and thunderstorms along and north of the front with a few sever thunderstorms across South Dakota, Nebraska, southern Minnesota, Iowa and either side of the Wisconsin-Illinois line.

Northeast
Showers and thunderstorms along a front from Canada to the Mid Atlantic will produce scattered showers and keep temperatures in the 70s and 80s.

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No new information to report.  (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico:
The strong tropical wave located over the northwestern Caribbean Sea and Central America continues to move westward. Further development is not anticipated. The wave is expected to bring locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds over portions of Central America and the Yucatan Peninsula.
Elsewhere, tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.

Eastern Pacific:
There is a low pressure near 12N 116W moving West Northwest at 13mph and a larger area of scattered moderate isolated strong convection within 170-205 miles in the southeast semicircle of the low mainly along the Itcz. System remains in an environment of northeasterly shear. Should the shear abate over the next few days the system has the potential to develop into a tropical cyclone.
Elsewhere, tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours. 

Western Pacific:
No significant tropical activity to report. (NOAA, 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 Preparedness Level:  5
National Fire Activity as of Saturday, August 4, 2007:

Initial attack activity: light (136)
New large fires: 8
Large fires contained: 5
Uncontained large fires: 40
2007 acres burned to date: 5,334,411

Continued Significant Fire Activity: Structures remain threatened and evacuations remain in effect for fires in the Northern Rockies and Southern California.

California - Governor has declared a state of emergency due to wildfires.
The Zaca Fire is located in Los Padres National Forest, Santa Barbara County. 53,500 acres have burned to date and the fire is 70% contained. The estimated containment date is September 7, 2007.

Montana - Governor has declared a state of emergency due to wildfires.
The Ahorn, Skyland, Novak, Mile Marker 124, and Sawmill Complex Fires continue to threaten structures and infrastructures. Evacuations are in effect.
The Jocko Lakes Fires, located in Missoula County, MT, started by lighting Aug 3, 2007 and has consumed 8,000 acres of timber and grass. The fires are located 26 miles NE of the town of Missoula, and threatens the community of Seeley Lake, located about three miles from the main center of the fire. 400 homes are threatened and on the west side another 1,100 homes and business are threatened. An evacuation order affecting the Seeley Community has been issued. Power lines, commercial timber, and the lake area itself are also threatened. Weather conditions are extreme and the fire is currently 0% contained. The Montana governor has activated the National Guard. FMAG FEMA-2718-FM-MT was approved on August 4, 2007.
Idaho - The Rattlesnake and Echo Springs Fires currently threaten several communities, and evacuations are in effect.

Weather Discussion: Thunderstorms and winds continue over portions of the West.  Gusty winds over the Sierras to the Northern Rockies  with threat of thunderstorms, some dry, over Nevada, Idaho and Montana.  Southern California will see a little cooler weather along with slightly higher humidity. (National Interagency Fire Center, National Incident Information Center, InciWeb, NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)