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National Situation Update: Friday, January 6, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

West: A front moving ashore will produce precipitation from northern California to Washington. Snow levels will start out at 6500 feet in CA and fall to 2500 feet near the Canadian border. Winds will be gusty over the east slopes of the Rockies and the high Plains of Montana and Wyoming. It will be warm across Southern California with an offshore flow continuing and gusty canyon and mountain peak winds in the morning.

Midwest : Unseasonably mild conditions will continue for much of the Midwest, However, northerly winds and snow showers are forecast for the Great Lakes and eastern Ohio Valley.

South: Temperatures will remain above average in the southern Plains and Arkansas as the drought continues.

On Saturday, near record highs, gusty southwest winds, low humidity and no rain will bring the fire danger back to extreme levels.

Northeast: Light snow showers are forecast for the Great Lakes and northern New England. (National Weather Service, various media reports)

Wildfires in Texas and Oklahoma

Texas

• Since December 26, there have been 224 fires burning approximately 245,957 acres.  For the same period, there have been 239 homes lost (reduced from 278 previously reported due to more detailed investigation of damaged areas) and 260 homes saved.
• Multiple local and state agencies (Texas Department of Transportation and Texas Forest Service are providing direct fuel and maintenance support to Volunteer Fire Departments), Civil Air Patrol (CAP), US Forest Service (USFS), National Weather Service (NWS).  The American Red Cross (ARC), and the Salvation Army (SA) are supporting operations.  
• Unofficial deaths reported in Texas is four. The State of Texas in the last 24-hour period responded to 27 fires statewide. Texas aircraft were not required to drop fire retardant 4 January. No citizens were evacuated.  Texas has received out of state support from Wisconsin, Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana, Florida and the US Forest Service. 

Oklahoma

• Local responders, Oklahoma Military Department (OMD), Oklahoma Department of Agriculture (ODA), Food and Forestry (OFF), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and US Forest Service.  Firefighting teams from Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee.  The Oklahoma CAP is providing radio relay.  State Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOADs) are assisting. The American Red Cross and the Salvation Army are operating canteens and Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs) to support first responders.  The ARC is also assisting those displaced with hotel rooms and vouchers. Oklahoma Southern Baptist Disaster Services are providing meals and Methodist Care Teams are providing assistance.  
• Thirty-three (33) Oklahoma Counties have experienced wildfires since last Tuesday. There were 23 reported fires 4 January, burning 10,500 acres.  The BIA reported 16 fires and 561 acres burned.  Since 1 November 2005, more than 353,139 acres have burned and more than 220 houses and businesses have been destroyed.
• The State is reporting one fatality since 27 December as a result of wildfires.  The State has had a total of four fatalities since November due to wildfires.  There have been reports of minor injuries to firefighters with one injury requiring hospitalization. (FEMA Region VI)

California Storm Update

Work crews continued flood fighting operations along weakened levees, restoring utility services, and gaining access to isolated areas.   Twenty three counties have been declared by the Governor.  Additional requests for a State declaration have been received from Amador, Kings and San Luis Obispo counties.  On January 3 California OES requested PDAs for both Public (PA) and Individual Assistance (IA) in Marin, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties.  Federal-State PDA teams prepared for their first joint assessments to begin today.  County emergency management offices have estimated damages – private, public and commercial – to exceed $500 million statewide.

California Office of Emergency Services (OES) reports increased potential for mudslides in hilly terrain due to saturated soil.  The National Weather Service forecasts most of California to remain dry through the weekend; an exception being the far northern end of the state which expects a chance of rain beginning Thursday night as another Pacific storm approaches Oregon and Washington.

Remaining response activities include: restoration of wind-damaged power transmission lines in Humboldt County (State declared) and San Luis Obispo County (requesting declaration) where approximately 12,000 customers remain without power and with final restoration expected by Sunday; delivery of emergency food and water to Humboldt County residents isolated by damaged roads and service outages; and sandbagging and maintenance of several Delta levees including Twitchell Island in Sacramento County where 25 residents await lifting of evacuation orders.

The State Operations Center is operating during routine business hours, 0800-1700 PST (1100-2000 EST), with 24-hour duty officer availability. (FEMA Region IX)

Fire Management Assistance Grants

#2609 approved January 5, 2006 for the Bulverde Texas fire. 1 home destroyed, 50 homes threatened, Indian Hills Subdivision threatened, 137 people to evacuate, population is 3700.

#2610 approved January 5, 2006 for the Rosewood Fire in Bell County, Texas, which has burned 250 acres and is threatening the city of Killeen. 540 homes are threatened and 250 people have been evacuated. 

# 2611 approved January 5, 2006 for the Mill Creek Fire Nacogdoches County Texas, which  is threatening the city of Nacogdoches and has burned 150 acres.  45 homes are threatened and 111 people have been evacuated.(FEMA HQ)

Tropical Activity

Tropical Storm Zeta is about 960 miles east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands. The system is expected to become a Tropical Depression later today. TS Zeta is moving to the west-northwest at 7 miles per hour this motion is expected to continue with some increase in forward speed during the next 24 hours. TS Zeta poses no threat to land.

There is no tropical activity in the Pacific Ocean. (Source: USDOC/NOAA/NWS, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

No significant activity to report affecting the Unites States or its territories.

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake occurred Thursday, January 05, 2006 at 10:39 p.m. (EST) in the Pacific Ocean about 250 miles southwest of Panama City, Panama. No tsunami was generated. (Source: United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

Due to storm flooding and high winds between December 27 and January 3 in Nevada - Joint Federal-State PDAs are scheduled today for the counties of Carson, Douglas, Lyon, Storey and Washoe, and for Tribal lands including the Washoe Nation and four sites of the Paiute Nation – Pyramid Lake, Walker River, Yerrington, and the Reno-Sparks Colony.

Due to wildfires in Texas, PDAs were completed on January 3 and 4 for Callahan, Cooke and Hood, Eastland, Erath, and Montague Counties.  PDAs were being completed January 5 for Tarrant, Wise, and Palo Pinto Counties.

PDAs are also scheduled to start today due to wildfires in Oklahoma and severe storms in California. (FEMA Region VI, IX)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)