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National Situation Update: Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Another Mild Day

Midwest: A strengthening storm system over the Ohio Valley will spread rain, showers and thunderstorms over a large area of the Midwest and northern Plains. The heaviest rains are likely in the lower Midwest/Ohio Valley with lesser amounts in parts of the eastern Dakotas and western Minnesota. Severe storms, with the potential for tornadoes, could erupt in the afternoon from southern Michigan to the Ohio Valley.

South: Showers and thunderstorms will cover the mid-South, most of the Deep South, Arkansas, and coastal Texas with severe thunderstorms possible except in the Carolinas. Gusty winds are expected in Oklahoma and Texas.

Northeast: Showers are forecast for much of New England and Long Island into New Jersey and eastern New York State. Winds will be gusty in most of Maine. A storm center over the Ohio Valley may spread a few showers or thundershowers into West Virginia and Virginia later in the day.

West:  Outside of a chance of a shower or thundershower in eastern Montana and northeast Wyoming, the West will be dry with temperatures above seasonal averages from the Pacific Northwest to the Desert Southwest. (NWS, media sources)

Florida Wildfire Update

Several wildfires blazing through parched central Florida caused closures in I-95 Tuesday but no homes were in immediate danger of the flames, officials said Tuesday. Around the state, there are 90 active fires with 22,662 active acres according to the Florida Division of Forestry.

Significant items are as follows:

• Ten new wildfires for 1,812 acres were reported on Tuesday.
  
• The largest new fire is the Berg Fire: Palm Beach County, 1,800 acres.
  
• Hillsborough County: 4 acres, contained, mandatory evacuation of 40 homes, 4 homes saved.
  
• Powell Fire, Hillsborough County: 450 Acres, 90 percent contained.
  
• Big Bend Fire, Osceola County: 1,325 acres, 60 percent contained.  No threat to life or property at this time.
  
• Last Year Fire, Highlands County:  975 acres, 90 percent contained.   No threat to life or property at this time.
  
• Lincoln and 6th (Lehigh) Fire, Lee County:  1,875 acres, 90 percent contained.  No threat to life or property at this time.
  
• Corbett Trail Fire, Palm Beach County: 4,200 acres, 70 percent contained.  No threat to life or property at this time.
  
• New Smyrna Beach Fire, Volusia County: 1,320 acres and 75 percent contained.
  
• Rasley Road Fire, Volusia County: 1,070 acres and 75 percent contained.
  
• Areca Fire, Brevard County: 6,000 acres, 80 percent contained.

From 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. for the foreseeable future, officials plan to shut down a 20-mile stretch of I-95 from Rockledge north to Titusville and another 20-mile stretch of the BeachLine Expressway, a popular east-west artery that runs from Orlando to the Atlantic coast. Also smoke from the Volusia County will shut down a 12-mile stretch of I-95 from Port Orange to Edgewater from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Gov. Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency and deployed aviation units from the Florida National Guard to help battle the blazes. The State EOC is at a Level 3 - Monitoring. An Operations Cell is also functional in the Mobile Command Vehicle at the Governor's Hurricane Conference in Fort Lauderdale.

The FEMA Regional Duty Officer continues to monitor the situation and report as necessary.  (FEMA Region IV)

FEMA Regional Activity

FEMA-1633-DR-IL Joint Field Office will close on or about May 20, 2006.  (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

The National Preparedness Level remains at Level 2. Initial attack activity was light nationally with 57 new fires reported. Five new large fires were reported in Florida. Two large fires were contained, one in Virginia and one in Arizona. Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

High pressure will continue to bring dry weather and low humidity to most of central and southern Florida and from the eastern Great Lakes into New England. Hot and dry weather is on tap for most of the Southwest.

No Critical Fires Areas are predicted for today. (National Interagency Fire Center, media sources)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)