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National Situation Update: Thursday, September 6, 2007

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

National Weather Summary

South
Showers and thunderstorms over areas of eastern Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and western Tennessee. West Texas could see scattered to isolated thunderstorms and high temperatures are expected to reach the 80s and 90s.
Northeast
Dry day is in store for the northeast and temperatures will range from the 60s in far northern Maine to the 90s in south-central Virginia and western West Virginia.

Midwest
Severe thunderstorms late in the day from Minnesota southward through eastern South Dakota and Nebraska into northern Kansas. Scattered showers and storms from Missouri and the lower Ohio Valley into the Great Lakes. High temperatures will range from the 60s in North Dakota to the 90s in Kansas and the upper Ohio Valley.

West
The West can look forward to rather showery weather tomorrow: southeast Montana and northern Wyoming and far southeast Arizona and southwest New Mexico. Sunshine to dominate the Far West and high temperatures are forecast to range from the 50s in and around Yellowstone N. P. to near or over 100 in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts.

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No significant activity to report (FEMA HQ)   

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico:
Remnants of Felix
The remnants of Felix are located over northern Guatemala and is moving west-northwestward and re-development is not expected. This system continues to produce heavy rains over portions of Central America and eastern Mexico that could result in life-threatening flash floods and mud slides.

Low pressure
A non-tropical area of low pressure is centered about 360 miles West-southwest of Bermuda.
Most of the associated shower activity remains east and northeast of the center where winds to near gale force are occurring. The system is interacting with an upper-level trough, and upper-level winds are currently not favorable for development. However, conditions are forecast to become more favorable as the low moves slowly and erratically, and a subtropical or tropical cyclone could form during the next couple of days.

Eastern Pacific:
Tropical Depression Henrietta
Henriette expected to bring rains to portions of the southwestern United States.
At 5:00 am EDT the center of weakening Tropical Depression Henriette was located over the state of Sonora Mexico and about 250 miles west-southwest of El Paso Texas.
Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 35 mph with higher gusts. The depression is expected to dissipate during the next 24 hours.

Central Pacific:
Tropical cyclone activity is not expected during the next 48 hours.

Western Pacific:
Typhoon Fitow
Located approximately 265 miles south-southwest of Tokyo, Japan, has tracked northwestward over last 6 hours.
Tropical cyclone activity impacting US interests is not expected during the next 48 hours. 
(NOAA, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

Illinois:  Individual Assistance (IA) PDAs began on September 4, 2007; and Public Assistance (PA) PDAs will begin on or about September 9, 2007 for Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Lake, LaSalle, and McHenry Counties.  Region I providing staffing support for the IA PDAs.

Indiana:  IA PDA for Lake County began September 5, 2007.

Ohio:  PA PDAs for Allen, Crawford, Hancock, Hardin, Putnam, Richland, and Wyandot Counties began on September 4, 2007.  Region II is assisting. (FEMA Regions, FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

National Preparedness Level:  4
States Most Affected:  Montana, Idaho.
National Fire Activity as of Wednesday, September 05, 2007:

• Initial Attack Activity:  Light with 162 new fires.
• New large fires:  3
• Large fires contained:  2
• Uncontained large fires:  41
• 2007 acres burned to date:  7,142,645

Weather Discussion:  Cooler temperatures are forecasted across the West with offshore winds in northern California. Behind a cold front, cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity will spread across much of the West today. Showers and thunderstorms will be common across Idaho, southern Montana, northeast Nevada and Wyoming. Offshore winds will develop in northern California and windy conditions will continue in southern Nevada and southwest Utah. The Southeast will remain dry with low relative humidity. (National Interagency Coordination Center)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)