National Situation Update: Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).
Commercial Aviation ORANGE
National Weather Update
South: Look for increasing showers and some wind in southern Florida as a result of Tropical Storm Ernesto. Most of the southern US will see will see scattered afternoon thunderstorms.
Northeast: Rain and flooding problems may strike parts of the Northeast. The ground is already saturated in many areas and any more rain could produce flooding. Parts of southern New York, northern and eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and southern Connecticut are under flood watches.
West: The fire danger will remain extremely high over the Great Basin, Montana and Wyoming - ahead of a Pacific cold front. Despite the front, most of the region will see little or no rain. To the south, scattered thunderstorms are possible over parts of southeast Arizona and southern New Mexico. Temperatures will be above average in the areas of high wildfire danger, but below in western Washington and western Oregon. Look for a high of over 110 in the lower Colorado River Valley. Much of eastern Montana and the southern Great Basin will be hot with highs in the 90s.
Midwest: After a bout of rain and strong thunderstorms, weather conditions across the Midwest will improve. Temperatures will be a touch on the cool side, as well. (NWS, Media Sources)
Coordinated Actions for Tropical Storm Ernesto
Region IV
RRCC activated at Level I (24/7)
DMAT teams are on stand-by/en-route
Two FIRST teams arrive in Atlanta (RRCC)
One rapid assessment team in Thomasville
ERT-A (back-up) to report to Atlanta
Region III
Two operational JFO's in PA and VA
Two others can be operational in NJ and MD
No shortfalls have been identified
Region VI
RRCC continues at Level III
All ESF's alerted but not activated
TX is back to normal operations
NORTHCOM
Plan to stage FEMA urban Search and Rescue at Maxwell AFB
Processing FEMA requirement of 1M MRE's due by tomorrow
LNO's have been sent to FL
Logistics
Transportation needs are being met and tracked
Working with Region IV for contingency planning efforts
Seeing backfilling efforts
North Carolina
C130 to Monroe County, FL to assist with special needs evacuations
South Carolina
In monitoring mode
Texas
80 responders are deploying to Atlanta
Florida
Mandatory evacuations for mobile homes and low-lying areas of Broward and Monroe counties
Pet shelters in Broward, Palm Beach, and Highlands counties
About 3,500 occupying FEMA trailers in projected storm path
Special Needs shelter open in Miami-Dade county supporting Monroe Co for special needs evacuation
Other shelter data unclear at this time
Lake Okeechobee has begun water management to lower water levels within the lake in order to make room for storm water run-off.
At 1700 Tuesday navigation locks on Lake Okeechobee, the Kissimmee River and Kissimmee Chain of Lakes will be closed and unmanned until the storm has passed and it is safe to resume operation.
Boaters will not be allowed to initiate any trips onto Lake Okeechobee on Tuesday.
State does not anticipate any unmet needs - Counties able to handle the initial response. (FEMA HQ, FEMA Region IV)
Hazmat Fire in Detroit
On 28 August at 2:30 pm EDT, a fire ignited at the PetroChem Processing facility in Detroit, MI.
A shelter-in-place for all residents within a 1/2 mile radius from the plant has been implemented.
Hazardous materials released consist of acetone, potassium hydroxide, potassium iodide and toulene.
The Detroit Fire Department is monitoring the air surrounding the plant.
The cause of the fire is unknown but resulted from an explosion in the aerosol depressurization unit. No critical infrastructure is located within a 1/2 mile radius.
The PetroChem Processing facility is a local, state and federally permitted processing and transfer facility for hazardous and non hazardous waste and has been operating in the Detroit area since the 1970's. PetroChem Processing Group is a Detroit-based company with approximately 50 employees.
Impacted Sectors:
Emergency Services: A 1/2 mile evacuation has been ordered. Chemical and Hazardous Materials: PetroChem Processing plant fire. (National Response Center/National Infrastructure Coordination Center)
Possible Contamination UPS Delivery Point
On August 28, 2006 at 5:00 pm EDT, the Arkansas EOC reported to the Denton MERS MOC that an individual picked up a package ordered from Ebay that was shipped from Music Muse in Decatur, TX..
When he opened it at an unknown location he was contaminated with a white powder. He began vomiting and was taken to the county hospital in Camden AR. He was decontaminated and administered CIPRO. He is in the hospital under observation.
The white powder is being evaluated at a state laboratory. (FEMA RegionVI)
Placerita Canyon Wildfire
The California Office of Emergency Services reports a wildfire burning in Placerita Canyon near the town of Santa Clarita. The fire started late morning on August 28, 2006 and has consumed over 200 acres with only 10% containment.
Two abandoned buildings on an old Federal Facility have been consumed; while 10 other outbuildings (also abandoned) are threatened. Conflicting early reports indicate a large number of residences are threatened and there have been 1,600 voluntary evacuations. There is no mandatory evacuation order issued.
Other facilities threatened include Edison Power lines and the communications towers for fire Camp 9.
200 firefighters from Los Angeles County and the US Forest Service are fighting the fire along with 3 water dropping helicopters.
Low humidity and high heat indexes contribute to a heightened sense of concern.
Local resources are fully (100%) committed while the other jurisdiction resources are listed above.
FEMA Region IX will continue to monitor the system. (FEMA Region IX)
Tropical Activity
Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean Sea:
At 5:00 am EDT the center of Tropical Storm Ernesto was located about 230 miles southeast of Key West Florida and about 235 miles south-southeast of Miami Florida.
Ernesto is moving toward the northwest near 14 mph. This general motion is expected to continue for the next 24 hours. On the forecast track Ernesto will be near the Florida Keys or southeast Florida by this evening.
Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is expected and Ernesto could be near Hurricane stregnth when it makes landfall along the southern Florida peninsula.
Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 85 miles from the center.
Rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches are possible over portions of eastern and southern Florida and the Keys through Wednesday. Coastal storm surge flooding of 1 to 3 feet above normal tide levels can be expected in some areas of onshore flow.
The Tropical Storm Warning is extended northward along the Florida east coast to New Smyrna Beach. A Tropical Storm Warning and a Hurricane Watch are now in effect from New Smyrna Beach southward on the east coast including lake Okeechobee from Bonita Beach southward on the west coast and for all of the Florida Keys from Ocean Reef to the Dry Tortugas. A Hurricane Warning may be required for portions of south Florida and the Florida Keys later this morning.
Elsewhere, tropical storm formation is not expected through Tuesday.
Pacific and Indian Ocean:
Tropical Storm John continues to get better organized, and is expected to become a hurricane tomorrow.
At 02:00 am EDT the center of Tropical Storm John was located about 250 miles southeast of Acapulco, Mexico. Maximum sustained winds are near 70 mph with higher gusts. Rainfall accumulations of 2 to 4 inches, with isolated totals of 8 inches, are possible along the Mexican coast from Puerto Angel to Acapulco and Tecoman. These amounts could cause life-threatening flash floods over regions of mountainous terrain.
Tropical storm formation is not expected through Tuesday.
Western Pacific:
There are no current threats to U.S. Territories or interests.
Internationally, Super Typhoon Ioke is located approximately 552 miles east-southeast of Wake Island and is tracking westward at 8 mph. (USDOC/NOAA/NWS, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)
Earthquake Activity
A minor earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale struck off the coast of Oregon (about 350 miles west) on August 28, 2006 at 11:36 pm EDT.
There are no reports of damage or injuries, and there is no Tsunami generated as a result of this event.
There are no other significant earthquakes reported. (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
August 27, 2006
National Preparedness Level 5
Initial attack activity was light nationally with 119 new fires reported.
No new large fires were reported. Six large fires were contained, two each in California and Nevada, one each in Montana and Washington.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona, California, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, 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. New Zealand and Australia are providing 92 fire specialists and managers to assist with suppression operations. Canada is providing ten 20-person crews, 12 smokejumpers and 59 fire specialists and managers.
Red Flag Warning:
For central and eastern Oregon for high Haines Index and low relative humidity.
Weather Discussion:
Very warm and dry weather will be the rule over the West the next couple of days. A strong cold front is expected to move into the Pacific Northwest Monday and bring a chance of thunderstorms to eastern Oregon, Idaho and Montana Tuesday and Wednesday.
It will be quite windy across much of the West over the next few days. Much cooler weather will follow the cold front with a chance of showers for Idaho and Montana on Wednesday and Thursday.
Warmer and drier weather will return to the West on the weekend. Scattered showers and thundershowers are expected in Texas on Monday and Tuesday with drier weather Wednesday through Friday. (National Interagency Fire Center, National Infrastructure Coordination Center)
Disaster Declaration Activity
FEMA-1658-DR-TX is amended, effective August 28, 2006 adding Hudspeth couhty for Emergency Protective Measures under the Public Assistance Program. (FEMA HQ)
Last Modified: Tuesday, 29-Aug-2006 08:04:55 EDT