National Situation Update: Sunday, June 15, 2008
Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).
Significant National Weather
West:
High pressure over much of the West will cause hot, dry conditions over the next couple of days.
A Severe Heat Warning is in effect until 11:00 p.m. EDT Monday for southwest Arizona and southeast California.
High temperatures will range from the low 70s in San Diego and Seattle to the 100s in the Central Valley of California and across the Desert Southwest.
Midwest:
A cold front moving eastward is forecast to cause severe storms in the Great Lakes, mid-Mississippi Valley and Central Plains today. These storms have the potential to produce heavy rain, hail, and damaging winds.
High temperatures will range from the low 60s in Minnesota to near 100 in southwest Kansas.
South:
A cold front will stall across the Southeast and Gulf Coast producing heavy rain and scattered thunderstorms.
High temperatures will range from the 80s in the Carolinas to over 100 in the southern Plains.
Northeast:
A cold front moving toward the East Coast may produce scattered thunderstorms with hail and damaging winds in New England and isolated thunderstorms in the eastern Mid-Atlantic.
Highs will range from the 60s and low 70s in Maine to the mid-to-upper 80s in the Mid-Atlantic. (NWS, Media Sources)
Midwest Severe Weather Outbreak of 11-13 June 2008
A frontal system that continues to move slowly through the Midwest produced a second severe weather outbreak on 12-13 June. The National Weather Service's Severe Storm Center issued several Tornado Watches and had preliminary reports of over 22 tornado touchdowns from east-central Kansas to southeast Wisconsin.
Midwest Flooding
FEMA Region V RRCC:
- Activated at Level II 24/7
- Region V LNOs deployed to IN, WI, MI and IL EOCs
Illinois:
- Governor requested expedited Major Disaster Declaration for direct Federal assistance for 13 counties
- Evacuations ongoing in Lawrenceville due to levee leaks along White and Embarrass Rivers
- Ten trucks of water and 2-40 packs of generators have been requested for staging in Rock Island.
- ERT-A has been deployed to Rock Island, IL.
- Rock Island District USACE EOC is fully activated at a Level IV 24/7
- 6 counties affected
Indiana:
- Joint PA PDAs begin Monday; IA PDAs are ongoing
- 3 fatalities; 5 injuries
- 6 shelters; population: 144
- Flooding will likely result in Knox County's Duke Energy Plant remaining closed through next week
- State EOC Level II activation, 24/7 with full ESF support
- 45 counties affected; 30 counties declared States of Emergency Minnesota:
- PA PDAs for two counties began on June 12, 2008. Two additional counties were added to the PDAs on June 13, 2008.
- 20 destroyed properties
- 3 counties affected
Wisconsin:
- President signed Major Disaster Declaration FEMA-1768-DR for Wisconsin for 6 counties and Hazard Mitigation statewide.
- 0 injuries; 1 fatality reported
- 9 shelters; population: 116
- Joint PA PDAs begin next week; Joint IA PDAs completed in 4 counties
- EOC activated with ESFs 1, 3, 5, 6 and 8.
- Sections of I-39 and I-90/94 remain closed
- 30 counties affected; all are under State Emergency Declaration.
FEMA Region VII RRCC:
- Level II 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. CDT (Weekend)
- The Governor of Nebraska has requested a Major Disaster Declaration as a result of severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding beginning on May 22, 2008, and continuing. The Governor is specifically requesting Individual Assistance for 21 counties, Public Assistance for 53 counties and Hazard Mitigation statewide.
Iowa:
- State EOC partially activated at Level 5, 24/7.
- A FEMA State Liaison from the JFO is at the SEOC
- 16 fatalities; 78 injuries
- 12 shelters; population: 491
- Mandatory evacuation orders for Cedar Falls, City of Greene, City of Chelsea, and portions of Marion County
- Severe flooding in Madrid - significant portion of population will be evacuated
- Severe flooding Cedar Rapids; evacuation orders for 9,000 residents
- 83 counties affected
Kansas:
- The State EOC closed at 1600 today and resumed normal working hours.
- 2 fatalities; numerous injuries
- 2 shelters; population: 0
- 69 properties destroyed; 60-70 damaged
- A Rapid Needs Assessment (RNA) has been completed.
- 3 counties affected
Missouri:
- State EOC activated at Level 1, 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. CDT.
- ARC and Salvation Army is conducting feeding operations in Canton and Hannibal, and supplying food to LaGrange; on standby in Lincoln County.
- A U.S. Coast Guard LNO is on-site at the SEOC, and is pre-staging two DARTs in St. Louis.
- 10 counties affected
Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)
No new activity to report. (FEMA HQ)
Tropical Weather Outlook
Atlantic/Caribbean
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.
Eastern Pacific
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.
Western Pacific:
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.(NOAA, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)
Earthquake Activity
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Preliminary Damage Assessments
South Dakota - IA PDAs for 9 counties and 3 Tribal Reservations and Public Assistance PDAs in 28 counties as a result of severe storms and flooding are scheduled to begin on June 16, 2008 for South Dakota. (FEMA HQ)
Wildfire Update
Humboldt Fire, Butte County, CA
- 23,162 acres; 45% contained
- 8 injuries; 1 fatality
- 74 residences destroyed; 20 damaged
- 2 shelters; population: 178
Bridger Fire, Fort Carson, CO
- 42,000 acres burned; 0% contained
- No fatalities or injuries reported
- 8 residences threatened
- Type 2 IMT has been requested.
National Fire Activity as of Saturday, June 14, 2008:
National Wildfire Preparedness Level: 2
- Initial attack activity: Light (180 new fires)
- New large fires: 4
- Large fires contained: 5
- Uncontained large fires: 12 (National Interagency Fire Center, National Incident Information Center)
Disaster Declaration Activity
The President has signed Major Disaster Declaration FEMA-1768-DR for the State of Wisconsin for Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding that occurred June 5, 2008 and continuing. The Declaration provides for Individual Assistance for the counties of Crawford, Columbia, Sauk, Milwaukee, and Vernon counties; and Hazard Mitigation statewide. (FEMA HQ)