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

National Situation Update: Saturday, January 7, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

South: The threat of more fires continues.  Highs temperatures (possibly record highs) are forecast for Texas and Oklahoma. Increasing winds across the southern Plains today and over Texas and Arkansas Sunday will make an already dangerous fire situation even worse.

The following weather conditions promote ignition and rapid spread of fires:

• Low humidity
• High winds (over 10-20 mph)
• Dry thunderstorm (i.e., lightning without rain)
• Unstable air

The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) Day 2 Outlook for Saturday has a Critical Fire Weather Area for much of Texas, Oklahoma and Eastern New Mexico; while their Day 3 Outlook for Sunday indicated Critical Fire Weather Conditions likely for portions of northeastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas.

As of Friday afternoon, 16 Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, and Florida have either Fire Weather Watches or Red Flag (i.e., Fire Weather) Warnings in effect for Saturday and/or Sunday.

No rain is expected in the fire danger areas in the near future.

West: Another frontal system moving into the Pacific Northwest will bring more rain with snow in higher elevations to Washington, Oregon, and eastward to Montana and Wyoming. The Southwest will continue to be warm and dry.

Midwest: A Canadian cold front will bring a few snow showers across northern sections of North Dakota and Minnesota, and freezing drizzle, but no significant accumulations are expected.

Northeast: A low pressure system moving over the Great Lakes will produce a light snow across the eastern Great Lakes and Upstate New York. (National Weather Service, various media sources)

Oklahoma Fire Response

Widespread fires across Oklahoma kept firefighters busy on Thursday, as 30 new fires were reported totaling 1,495 acres.  Of those 27 were contained by firefighters representing multiple agencies. Since November 1, 2005, total acreage burned is 363,341.

Current Incident ground and aerial resources are provided by the Oklahoma Forestry Division, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the States of Alabama, Tennessee, and North Carolina.  Additionally, hundreds of firefighters from rural, volunteer and municipal fire departments across Oklahoma, as well as the U.S. Forest Service, have firefighters and equipment responding to fires as they occur.

The State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) remains activated and continues to work in conjunction with the Incident Command Post to support local fire departments and other first responders battling wildfires across Oklahoma. (FEMA Region VI)

Texas Fire Response

Firefighters continue to respond to fires statewide.  Since December 26th, there have been 269 fires burning approximately 248,370 acres.  For the same period, there have been 244 homes lost and 502 homes saved.

The Governor's Division of Emergency Management (DEM) and the Texas Forest Service are closely monitoring the situation.  The SOC is at Level I (Emergency Conditions) to coordinate response to the increased threat of wildfires in the state.  Coordination conference calls are being conducted with responding agencies and organizations.

The entire situation report can be found on the DEM Homepage at www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem (FEMA Region VI)

Tropical Activity

Zeta no longer meets the criteria of a tropical cyclone. This means that both it and the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season have ended.

The record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season ends with a record breaking storm. Today Zeta surpassed  Alice (1954) as the longest-lived tropical cyclone to form in December and cross over into the next year. Zeta was also the longest-lived January tropical cyclone. In addition, Zeta resulted in the 2005 season having the largest Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) surpassing the 1950 season. The ACE index reflects a combination of intensity and duration of all tropical storms during the season

The next tropical cyclone that forms, whenever that might be this year, would be considered the first storm of the 2006 season.  And should it reach Tropical Storm strength, it would take its name from the 2006 list (i.e., Alberto).

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

The most significant earthquake during the last 24 hours was a magnitude 5.5 event in the northern Pacific Ocean south of the Aleutian Islands 1480 miles west-northwest of Anchorage Alaska on  Friday, January 06, 2006 at 09:23:45 PM (EST). No Tsunami was generated. (Source: United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)