National Situation Update: Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).
National Weather
Northeast: Low pressure located around the Georgia-Florida area, will continue to pump tropical moisture along a stalled frontal boundary, threatening parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. Some locations around Washington, D.C., have already picked up over 10 inches of rain and more is predicted. The axis of heavy rain will shift westward allowing more rain to fall from the Middle Atlantic region, back through the Appalachians, to eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania and Upstate New York. Look for flooding to occur over a wide area through Thursday. Much of New England will probably see little if any precipitation.
West: Mountain areas of the Interior West may get some temporary relief from isolated thunderstorms, but in adjacent lower elevations, only gusty winds and dry lightning may result. High temperatures should to range from the 60s in the high Rockies to the triple digits in the Columbia Basin, parts of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, and the normally hotter deserts of Arizona, Nevada and California.
South: Low pressure will keep showers and thunderstorms in today's forecast from the Florida Peninsula through the Carolinas. The rip current threat will remain high off the coastal Carolinas as well. The rest of the South should be sunny and dry. High temperatures will range from the 70s in much of North Carolina to a little over 100 in the lower Rio Grande Valley. Hot 90s will remain across the Deep South where drought conditions continue in many areas.
Midwest: A good part of the Midwest, from the Ohio Valley northward will be unsettled due to a trough of low pressure aloft. Scattered thunderstorms will prevail in these areas. Look for a few stronger afternoon thunderstorms from eastern Iowa to western Michigan. The Plains will remain dry with increasing heat through the midweek period. (NWS, Media Sources)
Region III Severe Weather and Flooding
Heavy rains caused flooding across the mid-Atlantic region, washing out roads, disrupting Amtrak service and forcing some evacuations.
The State of Maryland requested a State Liaison and assistance with preliminary damage assessments (PDA) on Monday, June 26, 2006. Rain drenched portions of the Eastern Shore yesterday morning, damaging roads, small bridges, railroad beds, and forcing evacuations of dozens of residents in southern Caroline and northern Dorchester counties. The Town of Federalsburg declared a local emergency and voluntarily evacuated 45 residents. Rains also soaked Central Maryland, and resumed with another round of storms last night - closing roads in the Baltimore area, and dropping more than 3 inches of rain at the Inner Harbor. Heavily impacted areas in Maryland include the middle-Shore counties where the weather service estimated 9 to 12 inches had fallen.
In the Commonwealth of Virginia, Arlington County, Manassas Park City and Fairfax County activated their Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) on June 25, 2006 due to Flash Flooding. Arlington County declared a Local Emergency and Fairfax County opened a shelter for evacuees. Fairfax County reported that they had 20 residents in the shelter on the morning of June 26, 2006. Arlington County and Manassas Park closed their EOC June 26, 2006; Fairfax County remains open. Thirty thousand (30,000) homes were reported without power at one point during the night and currently 2,613 Dominion Power customers in Northern Virginia are without power. The Virginia Department of Transportation reported at 4:30 am EDT, June 26, 2006, that Interstate 495 at Telegraph Road, Interstate 66 at Exit 75, 3 Primary Roads and 23 Secondary Roads were closed.
The District of Columbia also received substantial rainfall causing flooding on roadways and low lying areas. The District continues to evaluate the situation; however the majority of the impact does not appear to be beyond the capabilities of the District. The Capital Beltway highway was closed for a mud slide near Alexandria, Va., that sent debris piling as high as 5 feet on the roadway. The National Archives was closed after workers discovered the moat surrounding their building on Pennsylvania Avenue had flooded. All records and treasures are "safe and dry."
Road flooding was reported in Dauphin, York, Armstrong, Indiana, Jefferson, Franklin and Carbon counties. Emergencies were declared by Armstrong County and Manor Township and Ford City in Armstrong County. Basement flooding was reported in Jefferson and Indiana counties. The Armstrong County EOC was partially activated but is now closed.
Portions of the State of Delaware, particularly Sussex County, received approximately 10-12 inches of rain causing road closures. Information pertaining to Delaware will be provided as it becomes available.
State Emergency Management Offices continue to monitor the situation and compile damage reports for impacted counties. The State of Maryland received a request from Dorchester County to provide National Guard assets to assist with emergency response operations. Flooded roadways hindered normal emergency vehicle operations. Maryland has requested a FEMA State Liaison and four PDA teams. All other States continue to compile information and have not requested Federal assistance at this time.
FEMA Region III is in contact with all other State EMA offices monitoring the event. Regional Management is involved with contingency planning to support additional requests for assistance in other states, if necessary.
Region III will continue to monitor and provide information as it becomes available.
Region III Severe Weather 6/26/2006; Report-002
The National Weather Service reports that Flash Flood Watches remain in effect for the majority of the Region through Tuesday evening, June 27, 2006 and Flash Flood Warnings for portions of the Region through this evening. As tropical moisture continues to stream northward into the Region III area, widespread showers and isolated thunderstorms can produce an additional three inches of rain with some occurring at a rate of one to two inches per hour.
In Virginia, significant impacts are beginning to occur in and around the National Capital Region and Northern Virginia. The National Weather Service (Sterling) reports four to eight inches of rain has already fallen across Northern Virginia with a forecasted three to sixes inches through Wednesday morning, June 28, 2006.
In the District of Columbia, storms overwhelmed the metropolitan area with more than seven inches of rain which affected residents, government facilities, highways and commuter rail lines. Metro subway service in the city was disrupted for high water on the electrified rails. Amtrak and CSX service in the area was also disrupted closing down MARC's Camden and Brunswick commuter lines in Maryland and all Virginia Railway Express trains. Numerous road closures exist throughout the District.
Pennsylvania continues to monitor the heavy rains, particularly in the western and central parts of the State. Anticipated rainfall amounts are expected to exceed earlier predictions as the tropical moisture moves back into the area.
Delaware attempted an initial damage assessment in Sussex County, specifically in the Town of Seaford and surrounding areas. High water and downed power lines prevented on site inspections. An additional three inches of rain is forecasted for this area over the next 24 hours. The Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) anticipates requesting a joint Federal/State PDA tomorrow once they have finished compiling local damage reports.
FEMA Region III is meeting the request to provide MEMA with State Liaisons and PDA Teams. Two FEMA Liaisons deployed and arrived at the EOC at approximately 15:00 hours. The remaining PDA Teams have been deployed with an anticipated arrival at the SEOC no later than 13:00 tomorrow. Regional Management continues with contingency planning to support additional requests for assistance in other states, if necessary. (FEMA Region III)
Maryland Emergency Management Agency, Local Officials Assess Flood Damage to Eastern Shore Communities
Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) staff and local officials from Caroline and Dorchester counties are performing preliminary damage assessments in the areas that received flood damage from weekend storms, while officials at the state Emergency Operations Center continue to monitor the storm and provide assistance to local first responders.
Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. dispatched the teams to the Eastern Shore early this morning to perform a preliminary damage assessment, the first step to see if there is enough damage to qualify for federal assistance to help with the recovery. The teams are focusing on damage in the areas of Federalsburg, Williamsburg, Hurlock, Galestown, and other communities in eastern Caroline and Dorchester counties.
While several state agencies responded to flood-related incidents over the weekend, most of Monday's storm-related activities have been handled by local first responders and the Maryland State Highway Administration. MEMA staff has been tracking local emergency responses and have coordinated conference calls with the National Weather Service and local emergency managers to discuss current response issues and to plan for activities that could be triggered by continuing storms that are forecasted through at least Tuesday.
Governor Ehrlich was briefed on current conditions and the forecast during a mid-day conference call Monday with Major General Bruce F. Tuxill, Adjutant General for the Maryland National Guard, and MEMA Director John W. Droneburg, III. The governor has directed all state agencies to provide whatever assistance is needed to help local governments around Maryland deal with the storms.
MEMA is at Level Two operational status in response to the flooding. This means that additional staff members are working in the Maryland Joint Operations Center to handle requests for assistance from local emergency managers. Mr. Droneburg urged residents around Maryland to continue to use common sense and not attempt to walk or drive in floodwater. In case of flash floods or the need for evacuations, residents should rely on local emergency managers for emergency instructions. (MEMA)
Colorado Wildfires
COOLBROTH: This 250 acre fire of unknown cause is burning in timber and grass in the Rio Grand National Forest, 13 miles north of Del Norte, CO. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (IMT) has been ordered. Twelve primary structures and two outbuildings are potentially threatened. No structures have been destroyed. Travel on Forest Road 41G has been restricted. High rates of fire spread were reported. The fire is 70 percent contained with an estimated containment date of June 27.
MATO VEGA (FEMA-2646-FM-CO): This 13,780 acre lightning-caused fire is burning in timber, logging slash, and grass, 12 miles northeast of Ft. Garland, CO on the northwest side of US Highway 160. A Type 2 IMT is assigned. Fifty primary structures are potentially threatened. No structures have been destroyed. Evacuations of remaining subdivisions have been lifted. US Highway 160 is open with warning devices and speed control in place. Creeping, smoldering and single tree torching fire behavior was reported. The fire is 50 percent contained with an estimated containment date of June 30.
LION CREEK: This 1,499 acre human-caused fire is burning in ponderosa pine, pinyon pine, brush and grass in the Manti-La Sal National Forest, five miles northwest of Paradox, CO. Media reports the fire resulted from a vehicle accident. Control has been transitioned back to a Type 3 IMT. No structures are threatened. No structures have been destroyed. Reduced acreage is due to more accurate mapping. The fire is 95 percent contained. There is no estimated containment date. No further information was received.
JOLLY MESA: This 581 acre fire of unidentified cause is burning in pinyon pine, juniper and grass, three miles west of New Castle, CO. No structures have been destroyed. The fire was 100 percent contained June 25. This is the final report on this fire unless significant activity occurs. (FEMA Region VIII)
Utah Wildfires
KOLOB: This 2,500 acre fire of unknown cause is burning in pinyon pine, juniper and mixed brush in Zion National Park, five miles north of Virgin, UT. A Type 2 IMT has been ordered. The evening of June 24, 2006, four storage structures were burned and people evacuated in the early hours of the fire, but no primary structures were damaged. The residents in the communities of Rockville and Springdale were notified to prepare to evacuate, however, the lack of significant wind has enabled firefighters to prevent movement of the fire into those communities. Structure protection is in place in Rockville and Springdale. Limited access into remote areas is impeding containment efforts. Extreme fire behavior with spotting, torching, and running was observed. The fire is three percent contained with an estimated containment date of June 30.
JARVIS: This 4,000 acre fire of unknown cause is burning in pinyon pine, juniper and mixed brush, eleven miles southwest of St. George, UT. No structures are threatened. No structures have been destroyed. High voltage power lines, an FAA repeater site, Joshua Tree Natural Area and desert tortoise habitat are threatened. Steep terrain is impeding containment efforts. Extreme fire behavior with spotting and running was observed. The fire is five percent contained with an estimated containment date of July 01.
POT HOLE: This 1,398 acre fire of unknown cause is burning in sagebrush, grass and timber, 25 miles northeast of Vernal, UT. Three primary structures are potentially threatened. No structures have been destroyed. Steep terrain is impeding containment efforts. Smoldering, creeping and occasional torching fire behavior was observed. The fire is 80 percent contained with an estimated containment date of June 26.
There is no request for federal assistance at this time. (FEMA Region VIII)
Ohio Severe Storms
Governor Taft toured the affected areas Saturday June 24, 2006. He visited the City of Norwalk in Huron County and Franklin Flats in Erie County. The Governor made verbal declarations for Erie and Huron Counties during his visit.
As of 4:00 pm CDT, Monday June 26, 2006, the State has declarations for Cuyahoga, Erie, Huron, Lucas and Stark Counties. Allen, Ottawa and Lorain Counties are under local declarations. Water levels have decreased dramatically in most areas and household waste disposal is the main issue at this point. In Stark County, a second storm related fatality was confirmed. The total deaths are now two.
The State requested a joint FEMA/State PDA on Monday June 26, 2006. The PDA is scheduled to commence Tuesday June 27, 2006 at 1400 EDT in Independence, Ohio. Cuyahoga, Erie, Huron, Lucas and Stark Counties were requested for Individual Assistance. Lorain County assessments are now underway after water levels dropped throughout the county. PDA inclusion should be determined in the next 24-48 hours.
The Assessment Room at the Ohio EOC will be staffed from 0700 to 1700 daily until further notice.. The State DOT is assisting Erie, Stark and Huron Counties with debris clearance.
Region V has deployed appropriate staff for the FEMA\State PDA. (FEMA Region V)
Elburz Fire, Nevada
Based on the latest ICS 209 report, the Elburz Fire is currently at 9,631 acres at 20 percent contained. No injuries or residential damage at this time. The fire is located 17 miles east of Elko, NV. Actions planned for this operational period include continued line holding and construction, with a current anticipated containment at 2000 local time, Wednesday June 28. A Type III IMT is assigned.
FEMA Region IX and Bothell MERS will continue to monitor. (FEMA Region IX)
Suzie Fire, Nevada
The Suzie Fire has consumed 60,000 acres in Elko County, 3 miles Northeast of Carlin, Nevada. One thousand to 1500 homes, 15 commercial properties and 15 outbuildings are threatened. Fire is threatening I 80 Nevada Fire Science Academy, City of Carlin, Carlin Conservation Camp. Fire may threaten West Elko, Maggie Ranch and California Trail. Fire is running, spotting and showing erratic fire behavior on all fronts. The Fire was 100% active today burning in grass and sage and steep terrain. Fire crews had control issues as the fire burned in heavy fuels and made significant runs throughout the burning period. I 80 was closed and heavy smoke reduced visibility to minimal levels at Elko Airport. The fire was caused by lightning strikes.
Air resources, Air Attack, Heavy Air Tankers, Helicopters and Lead Planes are being utilized. Transition to type 2 team planned for 1800. FEMA Region IX will continue to monitor wildfire activity. (FEMA Region IX)
Linehand Complex Fire, Nevada
The Linehand Complex Fire has consumed 1,800 acres in Lyon County, 5 miles East of Carson City, Nevada or 35 South of Reno, Nevada. Three hundred homes are threatened and two hundred homes have been evacuated. Historic communities of Virginia City, Silver City, Gold Hill, Moundhouse, Dayton and parts of Carson City Residential and Industrial parks are threatened. Structural protection of the Industrial park in Moundhouse is critical for hazmat issues. Old mining shafts, holes, historical chemical mining operations, abandoned leaching operations are critical concerns to the safety of fire personnel. Fire is running, spotting and showing erratic fire behavior on all fronts. The fire jumped US Hwy 50 (which is closed in the area).
FEMA Region IX will continue to monitor wildfire activity. (FEMA Region IX)
Building Collapse, Clinton Missouri
A three story building collapsed in Clinton, Missouri at 7:30 p.m. Initial, unconfirmed reports indicate several dozen people were on the second floor of the Elks building when the collapse occurred. It is reported that ten people remain in the Building. Two are pinned, seven are awaiting egress, and one has not been accounted for.
State Police, local fire department, Kansas City Fire Department, and Missouri Task Force 1 Search & Rescue have responded. There is no request for federal assistance. (FEMA Region VII)
Tropical Activity
Atlantic: A broad area of low pressure extends over the northeast Gulf of Mexico and the southeast United States including most of the Florida Peninsula and the western Atlantic with a 1010 mb low over South Georgia and a surface trough extending southwest into the Gulf. An area of scattered moderate to isolated strong convection covers the area from west of the Florida Keys to the Florida Peninsula. A broad area of showers and scattered thunderstorms covers the area inland over Georgia through the Carolinas to as far north as New England. Tropical development is not expected at this time, however heavy rains with gusty winds and thunderstorms are expected to remain over the area through today.
Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean Sea: No tropical storm activity.
Eastern Pacific: No tropical storm activity.
Western Pacific: The tropical depression is upgraded to a Tropical Storm (03W), but its position will not pose a threat to U.S. interests. (USDOC/NOAA/NWS, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)
Earthquake Activity
A strong (6.0 magnitude) earthquake struck 60 miles west of the Kiska Volcano at 9:39 pm EDT at a depth of 23 miles. The quake was initially reported as a magnitude 7.1 event. There were no reports of damage and there was no tsunami generated as a result. (United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program, NWS, West Coast-Alaska Tsunami Warning Center)
Preliminary Damage Assessments
Individual Assistance PDAs are scheduled to begin for five counties in Ohio on June 28, 2006.
Individual Assistance and Public Assistance PDAs began yesterday in eight areas in Alaska for Rapid Snowmelt and Flooding which occurred May 3 - 5, 2006.
Maryland is requesting Individual Assistance and Public Assistance PDAs for Severe Storms and Flooding beginning on June 23, 2006 and continuing. The start date and specific areas for the PDAs have not yet been determined. (FEMA HQ)
Wildfire Update
Current Situation: Wildland fire activity was light nationally with 117 new fires reported. Thirteen new large fires were reported: nine in Nevada, two in Utah, and each in California and Arizona. Eleven large fires were contained: two in New Mexico, one in Colorado, one in Wyoming, two in Nevada, one in Florida, one in Texas, and three in California.
Weather Discussion: A high pressure continues to hang over the western states bringing above normal termperatures. Thuderstorms are predicted to develop across the West with drier storms west of the Continental Divide. A warming and drying trend will begin in western Alaska with thunderstorms possible in the interior. (National Interagency Fire Center)
Disaster Declaration Activity
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Last Modified: Tuesday, 27-Jun-2006 07:39:45 EDT