• Emergency Managers and Personnel
• Situation Reports
• National Incident Management System
• Grants & Assistance Programs
• Training
• Contacts
• Planning
• Best Practices

National Situation Update: Saturday, March 18, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Heavy – Wildfire extinguishing - Rain for Texas and Oklahoma

South: Heavy rains will develop over central and eastern Oklahoma, north-central and northeast Texas, Arkansas, and northern Louisiana this weekend. Severe thunderstorms will be mostly confined to Texas Saturday and Sunday where hail, damaging winds and several tornadoes are all possible. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, the heavy rain will streak eastward across the South from the lower Mississippi Valley to the Carolinas. Severe thunderstorms will shift from southeast Texas, across the northern Gulf Coast, to central and southern Georgia, South Carolina and northernmost Florida. Rainfall totals could end up in the one-to-five-inch range. Localized flooding is possible. The southern high Plains should receive enough rain to end the fires for the time being.

West: Showers and scattered strong thunderstorms will occur in Southern California Saturday and the snow levels will fall to 3000 feet. Heavy snow over central and eastern Nevada tonight and Saturday will spread to Utah and the mountains of Colorado. The higher elevations could pick up 1 to 3 feet by early Monday. Snow will also fall over the northern Rockies and the northern and central high Plains.

Midwest: A Canadian high pressure area over the Midwest will set up a cold, moist, east-to-southeast upslope flow over the Plains. Snow will be on the increase across South Dakota and Nebraska this weekend with rain changing to snow over Kansas by Monday. As the western storm emerges into the Plains, the snow will turn heavy across western and southern South Dakota, most of Nebraska and northwest Kansas. By Monday, snow accumulations could exceed 12 inches in spots.

Northeast: Temperatures will remain below average well into the coming week. Interior snow showers will be ongoing. Lake-effect snows, especially of southeast Lake Ontario, will be reenergized from time to time.

Hawaii: Flash flooding remains possible through Saturday afternoon. A slow moving band of very heavy showers and thunderstorms will linger near Kauai and Niihau through at least midday. The other islands will see more localized heavy downpours developing during the afternoon. (National Weather Service (NWS), media sources)

Hawaii Update

Casualties are 2 dead and 5 missing. Twelve homes remain voluntarily evacuated below the Morita Dam.

Water in the Morita Reservoir is continuing to be removed by pumps and a four by four opening in the spillway. The State is evaluating methods of releasing the 60 acres of water remaining in the Ka Loko Reservoir. The State is continuing to prioritize repairs to Highway 56. One lane is open and the traffic is reported to be moving smoothly through the area.

Periods of heavy rain were forecast for Friday. A Flash Flood Watch is in effect for all the other Hawaiian Islands.

The State remains under a March 2 Governor's emergency proclamation.  The Hawaii State EOC remains activated 24 hours a day.  The Kauai County EOC is activated. Six State and local search and rescue teams and four K-9 teams are searching the flood zone.  The National Guard has deployed 2 UH-60 helicopters to the area and 19 Guard personnel are assisting with debris removal, dam monitoring and traffic control.  Air crews from the State Department of Land and Natural Resources are conducting dam assessments The Department of Transportation is conducting assessments of highways and roads on Kauai and Oahu. The State will open two Disaster Assistance Recovery Centers next week.

The U.S. Coast Guard has canceled the search of the ocean off the flood zone shores. The Army Corps of Engineers continues to assess the integrity of dams and reservoirs on Kauai. The FEMA Pacific Area Office deployed a liaison to the State EOC on Tuesday and FEMA Region IX Duty Officer in Oakland, CA is monitoring. A Joint State/FEMA Preliminary Damage Assessment for Kauai and Oahu have been requested by the State The Small Business Administration which conducted an assessment Tuesday and Wednesday will remain and be available for the Joint PDA.  (FEMA Pacific Area Office)

Tropical Activity

There are no tropical disturbances in the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans. (National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

On Saturday, March 18, 2006 there was a 5.1 magnitude earthquake at 2:33 a.m. EST 272 miles east-southeast of Attu Station (Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands), AK at a depth of 10 miles.

On Friday, March 17, 2006 there was a 4.8 magnitude earthquake at 3:54 p.m. EST 27 miles west-northwest of Kenai, AK at a depth of 49.8 miles.  (U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

In Missouri Preliminary Damage Assessments are ongoing.  The last counties identified by the State for PDAs are scheduled for Saturday, March 18, 2006. (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

The National Preparedness Level remains at Level 2.

In Oklahoma, thanks in part to calmer winds, Thursday and Friday were much quieter than Wednesday for the resources assigned to Oklahoma Fire Response. The fire danger is moderate. Air and ground resources are staged throughout the state to respond if called to any new starts. Even though the forecast calls for rain this weekend, the fire danger is expected to rise again after it dries out next week.

In the last 24-hour period ending at 12 p.m. EST Friday, the State of Texas responded to 8 new fires that have burned 486 acres. There were an estimated 3 homes threatened, no homes lost and 3 homes saved. There were no persons evacuated.

The Florida Division of Forestry reported a 90 percent contained 500 acre brush fire in a populated area of Sebring that was 90 percent contained as of 8 p.m. Friday.  Evacuations earlier in the day covered an estimated 15 to 20 streets but residents were allowed to return Friday evening. There have been no reports of injuries or homes destroyed. (National Fire Interagency Center, State of Texas, State of Oklahoma, media source)

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)