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National Situation Update: Saturday, August 26, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Commercial Aviation ORANGE

National Weather

South
Thunderstorms, some severe and with heavy rain, will develop across Oklahoma, northern Texas, Arkansas and western Tennessee today. Thunderstorms are also expected in the lower Mississippi Valley, Florida and the Southeast Coast over the next 3 days.

West
Showers and thunderstorms are expected from southeast Montana to New Mexico.

Northeast
Showers and thunderstorms will continue over the weekend between Maine and Virginia.  Some of the thunderstorms over southern Upstate New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia could turn severe tomorrow.

Midwest
Rain and thunderstorms will abound from Kansas and Missouri to Michigan at first, then Ohio and finally Kentucky. Some of the storms will be severe with damaging wind gusts and hail. (NWS, Media Sources).

Chemical Leak-Evacuations in DE

At approximately 7:00 pm EDT, August 25, 2006 a leak occurred at the Reichold Chemical Plant in Cheswald, DE, approximately 3 miles north of the Dover City Limits (Kent County).  An evacuation of the 5 mile radius surrounding the area has been ordered by local authorities. 

The leaking chemical is Styrene and it is leaking from a rail car. Styrene is used to make products such as rubber, plastic, insulation, fiberglass, pipes, automobile parts, food containers,  and carpet backing.
As of 11:10 pm EDT, August 25, 2006 injuries were reported, but details on the number and type of injuries is unknown.

The Incident Command Post is located at 144 Fork Branch Road, Cheswald, DE.  A decontamination unit has been established in Dover, DE.

US RT 13 is closed in both directions but US RT 1 remains open.
The initial action was to shelter in place with a shelter open at the Dover High School for anyone wishing to leave their home. 

Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) has not increased staff levels.  Assistance from FEMA has not been requested.  (FEMA Region III, DEMA)

Minnesota Tornadoes

Reported 5:00 pm EDT, August 25, 2006

Between 6:30 pm EDT and 8:30 pm EDT, Thursday, August 24, 2006 severe weather spawned several tornadoes in southeastern Minnesota.  The hardest hit areas were in Nicollet and Le Sueur Counties along a line from Mankato in Nicollet County northeast through Cleveland in Le Sueur County. 
There are reports of 12 injuries and one fatality in Le Sueur County. 

Early reports indicate that there are 60 homes with varying degrees of damage in Nicollet County.  Damage assessment is ongoing in Le Sueur County with no figures currently available.  The State, however expects to find more damage than that found in Nicollet County. 

All roads in the affected area are reported to be passable.  No damage to critical facilities has been identified.  Both affected counties activated their Emergency Operations Centers.  Local first responders provided security, search and rescue, and emergency debris removal.  The State EOC is monitoring the situation and State Emergency Management staff is assisting with damage assessments.

FEMA Region V has offered to provide a FEMA Liaison to the State EOC, however the State declined the offer at this time.  There have been no requests for Federal assistance at this time.  Once additional damage information has been developed, the State may request a PDA.  (FEMA Region V, MN EOC, Media Sources)

Columbia Complex Fire, WA

Reported at 12:10 pm EDT, August 25, 2006, firefighters from Arizona, Oregon and New Mexico joined the battle against fires covering more than 100 square miles near Dayton, WA.  Two homes have been destroyed, 35 outbuildings have been lost or damaged, hundreds of other structures remain threatened and more than 300 people have been evacuated.  More than 500 firefighters were assigned to the Columbia complex, and a plea was issued for more firefighters from other states in the region.  

The state Department of Natural Resources generally keeps several firefighting teams free for initial attack on new blazes however, those teams have been busy for weeks, and the state has nearly exhausted its resources.  State Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland arranged on Thursday, August 24, 2006 for a DC-10, owned by a private contractor, to drop retardant on large fires at a cost of $26,000 per hour with a minimum of three hours per day. 

Gov. Chris Gregoire declared a statewide wildfire emergency Wednesday, freeing state agencies to spend money and resources to help local jurisdictions fight wildfires.  All local & state resources committed.  (FEMA Region X)

Tropical Activity

Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean Sea:
At 5:00 am EDT, August 26, 2006 the center of  Tropical Storm Debby was located about 1450 miles southwest of the Azores.  Tropical Storm Debby is no longer any threat to U. S. interests.

At 5:00 am EDT, August 26, 2006 the center of Tropical Storm Ernesto was located about 1025 miles southeast of Miami.  Ernesto is moving toward the west-northwest near 16 mph and this motion is expected to continue during the next 24 hours.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 45 mph with higher gusts.  Additional strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours.  Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 115 miles - mainly to the northeast from the center.

Estimated minimum central pressure measured by an Air Force reconnaisance aircraft is 999 mb (29.50inches).  Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches are expected in association with Ernesto across portions of Puerto Rico the Dominican Republic and Haiti, with possible isolated amounts of 8 inches. 

Eastern Pacific:
At 12:00 am EDT, August 26, 2006 the eye of  Hurricane Ileana has completely disappeared and Ileana will probably weaken to a Tropical Storm in a short time, and becoming a remnant low within 48 hours.
Hurricane Ioke poses no threat to any U. S. Territories or interests. (USDOC/NOAA/NWS, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center).

Earthquake Activity

An Earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale occurred 184 miles from Fairbanks, Alaska, at a depth of 24.9 miles at 8:50 pm EDT, August 25, 2006.  There have been no reports of damages or injuries and no requests for Federal assistance. 

Nine minutes after the 4.7 quake a 4.1 magnitude earthquake occurred 163 miles from Fairbanks, Alaska, at a depth of 9.3 miles.  There have been no reports of injuries or damages for that quake either and no requests for Federal assistance.. (FEMA Region X, United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program, Alaska Earthquake Information Center, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

National Preparedness Level 5 (on a scale of 1-5)

Initial attack activity was light nationally with 157 new fires reported. Seven new large fires were reported, two each in Texas and Wyoming, and one each in Montana, Nevada, and Utah.

Fourteen large fires were contained, three each in Idaho and Utah, two each in Oregon and Texas, and one each in Montana, Nevada, Washington, and Wyoming.

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Two MAFFS C-130 aircraft and support personnel from the 153 rd Airlift Wing ANG, Cheyenne, Wyoming are deployed to Klamath Falls, Oregon.  Two MAFFS C-130 aircraft and support personnel from the 146th Airlift Wing ANG, Channel Islands, California are deployed to Boise, Idaho.

The U.S. Army Task Force Blaze is assigned to the Tripod Complex in Washington. (National Interagency Fire Center, Inciweb-incident information system)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)