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National Situation Update: Saturday, June 21, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

Midwest:
Scattered showers and thunderstorms are forecast across the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley on Saturday, from Missouri to Ohio.  Another disturbance will bring additional scattered thunderstorms to the region on Sunday.  High pressure will follow the front, creating drier weather across the Plains this weekend.
High temperatures through the weekend will generally range from the 60s and 70s over Michigan to the 80s and possibly some 90s in the Plains.
South:
Drought conditions continue across the Southeast, but scattered thunderstorms are forecast this weekend, with more concentrated thunderstorms possible along the Coast.  This morning, a thunderstorm complex will shift southward across western Oklahoma and western Texas. Later today, scattered severe thunderstorms are possible across the southern high Plains.  High temperatures will range from the 80s and low 90s in the Southeast to between 95 and 105 in the Rio Grande Valley of southern Texas.
Northeast:
Thunderstorms are forecast today over parts of western New York, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia.  Some storms may be severe with large hail and strong winds.  By Sunday, the severe weather threat will stretch from New England to the Mid-Atlantic Region.  Temperatures will be milder than last week, with seasonable to slightly below average readings expected.
West:
An Excessive Heat Warning will be in effect for the Los Angeles area from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. PDT today, with high temperatures of around 105 degrees expected.  A Heat Advisory is in effect from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. PDT today along the California coast, from the San Francisco Bay area to the southern Monterey Bay and Big Sur Coast.  A Red Flag Warning is in effect until 8:00 p.m. PDT today for the Santa Clarita Valley, foothills of the Los Angeles and Ventura County Valleys, and Interior Valleys of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties due to periods of northerly winds and low humidity.  Excessive Heat Warnings and Advisories are also in effect for southern Arizona from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. MST today. (NWS, Media Sources)

Midwest Severe Weather and Flooding

Moderate to major flooding continues to impact areas along the Mississippi River from Cammanche, IA downstream to Chester, IL.  Forecasts along the Mississippi River are being complicated by several levee failures.  As a result of the levee breaks, there are actually two crests moving down the Mississippi River.  According to the North Central River Forecast Center, the first crest reached St. Louis on Friday, June 20, 2008, and the second crest is expected to arrive in St. Louis in about five days.  No significant rainfall is expected over the weekend, however, models are suggesting some heavy rains over western IA early next week. (NOAA NWS North Central River Forecast Center)

FEMA Region V RRCC:

• Activated at Level II 24/7 (Planning, Watch, DCE, USCG, ESFs 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12 and 15)
• Region V LNOs deployed to IN, WI, MI and IL EOCs
• Activated Mississippi River Planning Cell to prepare for impacts of record flooding

Illinois:

• IL EOC activated, 24/7 operations with ESF support
• 3 shelters; population: 29
• Destroyed:  unknown; Damaged:  1,150
• FEMA Region I ERT-A on site at Rock Island, IL
• FEMA Region V IMAT conducting operations in IL
• Unified Area Commands (UACs) established in Alton and Quincy
• Denver-MERS team on site at IL EOC
• Joint IA and PA PDAs ongoing

Indiana:

• EOC at watch level and staffed by public safety, law enforcement and Homeland Security representatives
• 3 fatalities; 5 injuries
• 3 shelters; population: 26
• Destroyed:  281; Damaged:  4,895
• A "Mission Planning Team" has been deployed to JFO to scope housing issues with the State as part of a Joint Housing Task Force
• Joint IA/PA PDAs ongoing

Wisconsin:

• EOC activated at Level I, 24/7, with ESFs 1, 3, 5, 6 and 8
• 1 fatality; 0 injuries
• 5 shelters; population: 57
• Destroyed:  42; Damaged:  1,535
• Joint IA PDAs completed in 5 counties; 25 counties ongoing
• Joint PA PDAs ongoing
• FEMA Region II ERT-A on site in Madison
• JFO established in Madison, WI
• FEMA Disaster Centers opened in the towns of Reedsburg, Columbus, Soldiers Grove and Viroqua(FEMA-1768-DR-WI SITREP #5)
• WI Department of Natural Resources monitoring dams in southern WI

FEMA Region VII RRCC:

• Level III, 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. CDT
• Region IV IMAT deployed to Cedar Rapids, IA

Iowa:

• EOC partially activated at Level 5, 24/7
• 17 fatalities; 106 injuries
• 7 shelters; population: 299
• Destroyed:  405; Damaged:  24,970
• PA has completed 52 of 67 Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDAs) as of June 19, 2008 (FEMA-1763-DR-IA SITREP #21)
• 2 USCG DART Teams in Iowa City

Missouri:

• State EOC activated at Level II, Partially Activated (7:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. CDT, Su - Sa), with ESF support (ESFs 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 13, 15 and 16)
• 4 shelters; population: 28
• Destroyed:  154; Damaged:  694
• USCG Liaison at State EOC
• USCG DART Team from Ohio River Valley deployed east of Hannibal, with one (1) team enroute from New Orleans, LA.
• National Logistics Staging Area (NLSA) established at Lambert Field, St. Louis

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

A Fire Management Assistance Grant, FEMA-2775-FM, was approved on June 20, 2008 for the Trabing Fire in Santa Cruz County, CA. 

• 500 acres are involved
• 300-400 homes threatened, power lines, watershed, and the Watsonville Airport
• 1,000 people were evacuated
• Watsonsville, Corralitos, and Aptos (California) are threatened
• On scene weather 105 degrees F, humidity 3 percent, and winds 8-10mph.  (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:
No threat to US territories. (NOAA, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)

Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

National Fire Activity as of Wednesday, June 20, 2008:
National Wildfire Preparedness Level: 2

• New large fires:  9
• Active large fires:  17
• Fires contained since 6/19/08:  6
• Large fires contained: 0  (National Interagency Fire Center, National Incident Information Center)

Disaster Declaration Activity

• The President has signed Major Disaster Declaration FEMA-1770-DR for the State of Nebraska for Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding that occurred May 22, 2008 and continuing.  Specifically, the declaration provides for Individual Assistance for 13 counties, Public Assistance for 53 counties and Hazard Mitigation Statewide. 
  
• The Governor of Illinois submitted an addendum to his request dated June 13, 2008, for an expedited major disaster declaration as a result of severe storms and flooding on June 1, 2008, and continuing.   The Governor is specifically requesting Individual Assistance and Public Assistance for 21 counties and Hazard Mitigation statewide.  The 21 counties requested include the 13 counties previously requested for direct Federal assistance in his initial letter.  (FEMA HQ)