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National Situation Update: Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

Northeast: Another cold front will push through the Northeast overnight and on Tuesday. The front will keep temperatures close to seasonable norms and humidity levels will be comfortable.

South:  Scattered to isolated thunderstorms are forecast across much of the region. The greatest concentration will be from North Carolina through the southern Appalachians into Alabama. A few of these storms could be severe, with gusty winds. Showers and thunderstorms will set up over Arkansas, Oklahoma, and perhaps far west Texas. Most of Texas and Louisiana, however, are likely to remain dry.

Midwest: Good weather will dominate the Great Lakes, Upper Midwest and northern Plains tomorrow. A few morning showers from Kentucky to far southern Kansas will give way to afternoon sunshine.

West: Scattered to isolated showers and storms will dot the Southwest and Rocky Mountains tomorrow while most of the Far West remains dry. Gusty winds are forecast for the northern California coast (NWS, Media Sources)

FEMA Region Activity

The Joint Field Office (JFO) for FEMA-1645-DR-ND will close effective COB August 25, 2006. (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Activity

Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean Sea:  A low pressure area, extending from just north of the northern Bahamas northeastward over the Atlantic Ocean for a few hundred miles changed little in organization Monday night.  The system could become more favorable for slow development over the next couple of days as the system remains nearly stationary or drifts northward.  An Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft is scheduled to investigate the system Tuesday, if necessary.

A well-organized tropical wave is located just east of the Cape Verde Islands.  Some slow development of this system is possible over the next day or so as it moves west- northwestward at 15 to 20 mph.
Elsewhere, tropical storm formation is not expected through Wednesday.

Eastern Pacific:  A low pressure area located about 500 miles south-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico became a little better defined Monday night.  Additional development is possible over the next couple of days, as it moves west-northwestward at 15 mph.

Elsewhere, tropical storm formation is not expected through Tuesday.

Western Pacific: Tropical Storm (11w) Wukong and Tropical Storm (12w) Sonamu, are tracking towards the coast of Japan and continue to move away from U.S. interests. Elsewhere, no tropical cyclones are expected through Tuesday.(USDOC/NOAA/NWS, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

A moderate 5.0 magnitude earthquake was reported in the Atlantic at 9:09AM EDT Monday, 50 miles north-northeast of the U.S. Virgin Islands. No tsunami warnings were generated and no reports of damage were received. (United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program, Alaska Earthquake Information Center)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

Public Assistance PDAs for two counties in Arizona were scheduled to begin on August 14, as a result of heavy rains and flooding July 27, 2006 and continuing.

Public Assistance PDAs for two counties in Nebraska are scheduled to begin August 16, as a result of wildfires on July 27, 2006 and continuing.  (FEMA HQ) 

Wildfire Update

National Preparedness Level - 5
Initial attack activity was moderate nationally with 211 new fires reported.

Four new large fires were reported: one each in California and Montana; and two in Texas. (Large wildland fires are classified as 100 acres or larger in timber fuel types, 300 acres or larger in grass fuel types or when a type 1 or 2 incident management team is assigned).

Six large fires were contained: one each in South Dakota, Idaho, Oregon, and Montana; and two in Nevada.

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

Several teams of international firefighters from Australia and New Zealand arrived this week to shore up fire lines stretched thin.

Significant Fires - Structures Threatened
A lightning caused wildfire began in Natrona County, about 10 miles south of Casper, Wyoming Monday.  The Jackson Canyon Fire is on state and private land and threatens three subdivisions south of Casper.  Two hundred primary residences have been evacuated.  A major public safety city and county communications facility is also threatened and is within ½ mile of the fire.  Extreme fire conditions exist in the area. A Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) was requested by the State of Wyoming and approved by FEMA HQ Monday night. (FEMA Region VIII)

Washington State Tripod Complex Fire Update: 83,436 acres at 25 percent contained. This complex, consisting of the Spur Peak and Tripod fires, is located seven miles northeast of Winthrup, Washington. Residences and structures are threatened. A U.S. Army 500 soldier Task Force has been deployed to the Tripod Complex Fire.

There are currently 40 large fires reported on the Situation Report, of these 15 are still posing a significant threat to structures and other improvements.  The remaining fires have either mitigated the structure threat or are in remote areas not currently a threat to improvements.

Ten year average total acres burned year to date: 3,596,117. The 2006 season total acres burned year to date: 6,192,932(National Interagency Fire Center, InciWeb - Wildland Fire and Incident Information Center, YubaNet Fire News).

Disaster Declaration Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)