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National Situation Update: Monday, August 7, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Hazards for the Week

• Extreme heat is expected for the northern Rockies, Great Plains, and from most of the Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys to near the southern Atlantic coast.
• There is an ongoing high risk for wildfires over much of California, the interior Pacific Northwest, the Great Basin, and the northern half of both the Rockies and High Plains, with several new large wildfires already burning within these areas; Wildfires are also present over central Texas and parts of Oklahoma.
• Severe drought will persist across parts of the Southwest, Great Plains, Rio Grande Valley, upper Mississippi Valley, and South, with only spotty relief. (NWS Climate Prediction Center)
  

Significant National Weather

Northeast

Scattered showers and thunderstorms, some severe, will pass through the Northeast Monday in advance of a Canadian cold front. Gusty winds could be quite strong.

Midwest

Scattered to isolated thunderstorms will dot the lower Midwest and central Plains Monday as a cold front moves southward toward the Ohio Valley and southern Plains.

South

Sporadic showers and storms will continue in the South. Later in the week pop-up afternoon thunderstorms will continue throughout the lower Mississippi Valley and the Southeast, but will become scarce across the southern Plains.

West

Afternoon and evening thunderstorms will continue over the higher elevations of Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico, but a few will also appear in the Bitterroots as well as in southwest Oregon and northern California. Sunshine is expected to prevail from central Montana through the Great Basin into Southern California. (NWS, Media Sources)

Pacific Storm Saomai Spares Guam and CNMI

As Saomai moves farther away from Guam and the Marianas, residents can expect improving weather into this week with the possibility of isolated thunderstorms and showers, according to weather officials. However, surf conditions on the west side of the islands remain hazardous.

Guam and CNMI back to "all-clear" status.

The Saipan Tribune quoted a CNMI government spokesman Sunday as saying that no major flooding or evacuations of families were reported.

In Guam, the government's Emergency Operations Center responded to calls for debris removal and isolated flooding throughout the island.

Region IX will distribute a final Incident Report and will continue to coordinate with Guam and CNMI to evaluate the need for PDAs should they be warranted. (Media sources)

El Paso Begins Cleanup

Cleanup efforts were underway Sunday as the city slowly dried out from more than a week of flooding storms. Only a slight chance of showers is in the forecast for Monday.

More than 15 inches of rain has fallen in El Paso since July 27.

FEMA and state officials have been conducting joint PDAs since Sunday.

So far, about half of the damage has been reported on the west side of the city and county, where quickly rising waters and rock slides flooded homes and washed out roads.

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

No new activity to report.  (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Activity

Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean Sea:

For the North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico shower activity associated with the remnants of tropical depression Chris has diminished and redevelopment is not expected.

Shower activity has increased this evening with the area of low pressure located about 1500 miles east of the southern Windward Islands. The system continues to improve in organization and a tropical depression could form during the next day or so as the system moves westward at 10 to 15 mph.

Elsewhere, tropical storm formation is not expected through Tuesday, August 8.

Eastern Pacific:

Tropical storm formation is not expected through Tuesday, August 8.

Western Pacific:

Typhoon Saomai, upgraded from a Tropical Storm since leaving Guam and the Mariana Islands, continues moving northwestward, at 17 mph, 500 miles away from the Marianas, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. No U.S. interests are affected.  (USDOC/NOAA/NWS, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

No significant activity to report. (United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program, NOAA/NWS/West Coast-Alaska Tsunami Warning Center)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

 NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - 5

Fire activity remains light throughout the nation with 133 new fires reported. Seven new large fires were reported: three in Idaho; and two each in Montana and Wyoming. Five large fires were contained: one each in Louisiana, Texas, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Montana.

A Red Flag Warning is in effect for gusty winds and low humidity across central and northern Nevada.
There are 38 active large fires reported as of Sunday, August 6th. The acre of involvement from all active fires is 383,232.

Structures Threatened:

• Uncles Complex (Klamath National Forest): 9,500 acres at 10 percent contained. This complex consists of the Uncles, Rush, and Hancock fires which is 18 miles northeast of Orleans, California. Residences and outbuildings remain threatened.
• Bar Complex (Shasta-Trinity National Forest): 9,298 acres at 10 percent contained. This complex consists of four fires which is located northwest of Weaverville, California. Residences, outbuildings, power lines, and municipal watersheds. (National Interagency Fire Center)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)