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National Situation Update: Saturday, August 5, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

El Paso's Flooding Fears Ease

An earthen dam that threatened to burst and send more than 6 million gallons of water into downtown El Paso was stabilized yesterday after crews worked overnight to lower water levels, officials said.  Nearly 1,000 El Paso residents who had sought refuge in the city's convention center Thursday were allowed to return home.

Officials said the aging dam across the U.S.-Mexico border became dangerously close to breaking and sending a tidal wave into the city of 580,000 after nearly a week of heavy showers swelled the Rio Grande.

Mexican officials said the dam was not at risk of overflowing, but authorities in Ciudad Juarez ordered more than 4,000 families to evacuate earlier this week as a precaution. An El Paso spokesperson, said crews were able to reduce water levels at the dam by 10 to 20 feet since Thursday night with the help of heavy-duty pumps and the construction of drainage culverts to divert overflow.

Damage in El Paso could reach $250 million, Rep. Silvestre Reyes said.  Gov. Rick Perry, Reyes and Texas' U.S. senators have asked the federal government to declare a disaster area.

The El Paso area has received more than 8 1/2 inches of rain this year, almost all of it this week.  The rain swamped mountainside neighborhoods, caused flash floods and rocks slides, and led to the death of a construction worker hit by an out-of-control tractor-trailer on a flooded roadway in El Paso.

Yesterday, another rainstorm flooded neighborhoods in central El Paso near Interstate 10 and forced some residents to evacuate their homes.  (Media Sources)

NRCC/NHC Tropical Depression Chris Response Posture

As of August 4, 2006
NHC: 
At 5:00 am EDT the center of Tropical Depression Chris was located near latitude 21.5 north longitude 75.6 west or about 150 miles east of Camaguey, Cuba. Satellite images and surface observations indicate that Chris has weakened and is becoming a broad area of low pressure.

The depression or the remnant low is expected to move toward the west near 13 mph today.

Maximum sustained winds are near 25 mph  with higher gusts. This system will likely dissipate later today.

Region II:
ERT-A in VI is standing down
Region RRCC is standing down today at noon.

Region IV:
No change in status
RRCC will stand down to a duty officer but will participate in any teleconferences.

Region VI:
RRCC will continue to operate at Level 3 with no ESFs present
The State of LA has started calls with their coastal localities today but the EOC is not activated; only a watch staff is present.
RVI Logistics continues to identify commodities for potential shelter requirements.
All Denton MERS equipment is ready.  (FEMA NRCC)

FEMA Region IV Tropical Depression Chris Response Posture

R4-RRCC Level III is activated and will continue monitoring the progress of Tropical Storm Chris. 

The decision to activate to RRCC Level 2 will depend on the future track and strength of the storm.

Objectives:
The RRCC (Thomasville) will stand down operations at 7:00 PM, August 4. 2006.  Normal Region IV duty officer operations will be conducted throughout the weekend.  Other Thomasville staff will remain on call.
Region IV staff will continue to monitor event costs.
Region IV Liaisons and Teams remain on standby.
Region IV FIRST Team remains on Alert.

ESF 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, NDMS, DOD and the CG remain on standby until further notification from the RRCC. 

Florida Emergency Management continues to monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Chris.

Mississippi Emergency Management continues to monitor TS Chris. (FEMA Region IV)

Region VI Tropical Depression Chris Response Posture

Louisiana: 
The State EOC will have a crisis action team on duty 24/7 to monitor TS Chris.

Texas: 
The SOC, activated at a Level 1 (Emergency Conditions) due to supporting Border Security Operations, continues to monitor Tropical Storm Chris.
Texas continues to plan for a "worst case" scenario and ready resources to respond.

FEDERAL STATUS:
FEMA Region VI continues to coordinate with the States of Louisiana and Texas and the TROs in both States.
FEMA Region VI has notified all ESFs of current status.
The RRCC will continue to operate at Level 3 throughout the weekend.   Hours of operation are 9:00 am -9:00 pm EDT.    (FEMA Region VI)

Hooper Bay, AK Fire

As of August 4, 2006 at 3:30 pm EDT, the State Fire Marshall's Office reports 35 structures were destroyed by the fire including the City's school, Teachers Housing, 12 residences and the ANICA Store.  Two Hundred and Fifty people were evacuated to a safe part of town and one person suffered minor injuries.  Power and telephones lines are now operational in the Old Town.  The Red Cross is sending an assessment team today to determine sheltering and recovery needs.  Fire crew continues to mop-up the fire.

STATE/LOCAL RESPONSE:  The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHS&EM) State Emergency Coordination Center continues to coordinate resources and support for fire efforts for the City of Hooper Bay.  The National Guard, Department of Public Safety and the State Fire Marshal, the Division of Forestry and the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center continue to support the cleanup. 
There is no request for federal assistance at this time.  (FEMA Region X)

New Tropical Depression Forms in the Pacific

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) has issued Warning #1 for newly formed Tropical Depression (TD) 08W in the Western Pacific Ocean.  As of 8:00 pm EDT, the cyclone is centered near 8.9°N, 150.2°E, or approximately 430 nautical miles southeast of the U.S. Territory of Guam and 490 nm southeast of the island of Saipan, U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.  The storm is moving north-northwest at 8 mph with sustained winds of 28 mph and intensifying. 

The closest point of approach to U.S. interests is forecast for 2:00 pm EDT Sunday, August 6, 30 nm to the south of Tinian, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI), 35 nm to the south of Saipan, CNMI and 67 nm to the northeast of Guam.  At closest approach, maximum sustained winds are forecast to reach 63 mph, gusts to 80 mph, with maximum onshore waves on Saipan four feet above high tide.  The 58 mph wind radius is forecast to be 25 nm at its closest approach. 

The TD 08W system is then forecast to intensify to a Category 1 Typhoon (winds 75 mph) within 24 hours following its closest approach and continue northwest.  A less than high confidence in the system's current position indicates this forecast may adjust significantly in the next 24 hours.

State & local actions:  Civil Defense officials from Guam and CNMI are evaluating the risk and response options.  The Territory of Guam is at Typhoon Readiness Level 4 (lowest).

Potential federal involvement: FEMA Region IX, the FEMA Pacific Area Office and the Bothell MERS Operations Center will continue to monitor the system in coordination with Guam Civil Defense.  (FEMA Region IX)

Tropical Weather Update

Satellite images and surface observations indicate that Chris has weakened and is becoming a broad area of low pressure. At 5:00 am EDT the center of Tropical Depression Chris was located near latitude 21.5 north longitude 75.6 west or about 150 miles east of Camaguey, Cuba.

The depression or the remnant low is expected to move toward the west near 13 mph today.

Maximum sustained winds are near 25 mph  with higher gusts. This system will likely dissipate later today.

Estimated minimum central pressure is 1011 mb (29.85 inches).

There is no other activity in the North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico.

At 11:00 pm EDT, August 4, 2006 Tropical Depression (TD) 08w, located approximately 310 nm southeast of Guam, has tracked northwestward at 11 knots over the past six hours.

Recent multispectral satellite imagery reveals that the low level circulation center has moved further west than previously forecast. This initial shift westward has resulted in a forecast track shift southward.

Maximum sustained winds are 35 mph with higher gusts.  Tropical Depression (TD) 08W is forecast to gain Typhoon strength on August 8, 2006 by 8:00 pm EDT.  (National Hurricane Center, Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No new activity to report.  (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

There was a moderate (5.6) earthquake 105 miles west-southwest of the island of Attu, AK.  There were no reports of damage or injuries, and there was no tsunami generated.  (United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program, NOAA/NWS/West Coast-Alaska Tsunami Warning Center)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

Public Assistance PDAs for four counties in Colorado are complete.

The PDAs for Individual and Public Assistance in Missouri are complete.

Individual and Public Assistance PDAs for the El Paso area are scheduled to begin on Sunday August 6, 2006. (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - 5

Current Situation:
Initial attack activity was light nationally with 104 new fires reported.  Five new large fires were reported, two in the Eastern Great Basin Area, and one each in the Northwest, Northern Rockies, and Southern Areas. 
Fourteen large fires were contained, seven in the Southern Area, two each in the Western Great Basin, Eastern Great Basin and Rocky Mountain Areas, and one in the Northern Rockies Area.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arkansas, Arizona, California, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.

A representative from Austria and one from New Zealand have arrived today.  They will be briefed in preparation for the possibility of fire personnel being ordered from these two cooperating countries.  This will depend on the outcome of the predicted lightning event for the Northwest portion of the country.

Critical resource needs:
Type 1 Hotshot Crews.

Fire Weather Watches: 
In effect Friday afternoon (August 4, 2006) and evening across northwest and west central Montana for gusty winds and low humidity. 
Across south central Montana for very low humidity and increased thunderstorm activity, and during the afternoon and evening for south central North Dakota for low humidity and breezy south winds. 
And for central South Dakota for winds and low relative humidity. 

A low pressure system will set up off the California coast with another weather disturbance moving across southwestern Canada.  Thunderstorms will develop across much of the West with isolated dry storms extending from California to Montana/Wyoming.  Windy and dry conditions will develop over Montana and the northern Plains.

Major Evacuations/Structures Threatened:
There are currently 39 large fires reported on the Situation Report, of these 12 are still posing a significant threat to structures and other improvements.  The remaining fires have either mitigated the structure threat or are in remote areas not currently a threat to improvements.  (National Interagency Fire Center)

Disaster Declaration Activity

• FEMA-1657-DR, Alaska, was declared August 4, 2006 due to Snow Melt and Ice Jam Flooding. The Incident Period is May 13-30, 2006. The FCO is Lee Champagne.
  
  • Individual Assistance: None
  • Public Assistance: The lower Kuskokwim Regional Education Attendance Area, the Lower Yukon Regional Education Attendance Area and the Yukon-Koyukuk Regional Education Attendance Area
  • All boroughs and Regional Education Attendance Areas in the State of Alaska are eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
• The Joint Field Office (JFO) for FEMA 1654-DR-DE Delaware  will close on August 22, 2006 (FEMA HQ)