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National Situation Update: Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

Northeast
Remnants of Tropical Depression Fay will produce heavy rain northward from the Virginias to Pennsylvania and localized flash flooding and isolated tornadoes may occur.

South
Parts of the South will see showers and thunderstorms on Wednesday including the Carolinas, Florida Peninsula and southern Texas.All interests along the Gulf Coast should closely monitor Hurricane Gustav over the next few days.

Midwest
Thunderstorms will be scattered on Wednesday ahead of a cold front from Lake Superior to the central Plains. Parts of southeast Ohio and eastern Kentucky will pick up some rain from remnants of Tropical Storm Fay.

West
Lingering tropical moisture will lead to the development of scattered showers and thunderstorms over parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado on Wednesday. Across the Northwest, a front associated with a Pacific storm will trigger showers over Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. Highs will range to over 100 in portions of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts.  (NWS, Media Sources)

TD Fay Response

Region IV remains in response mode due to continued potential flooding from rainfall from the remnants of Tropical Depression Fay. (FEMA Reg IV RRCC)

Federal Response:
Region IV:

• RRCC remains at Level II,  7:00 a.m. -  7:00 p.m. EDT.
• Region IV IMAT deployed to FL EOC (1person Orlando, 1 person-Tallahasee)
• Region IV ERT-A deployed to Clanton, AL.
• Pre-designated FCO & Response Liaison on site in AL.

State Actions
State of Florida:
Thirteen (13) fatalities; five (5) injuries confirmed
Shelters/Population: 5/372 ( Red Cross)
Power Outages (506)  (FEMA Region IV)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

Nothing significant to report.(FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean:
Hurricane Gustav
At 5:00 am EDT the center of Tropical Storm Gustav was located about 80 miles west of Port au Prince, Haiti and about 155 miles southeast of Guantanamo, Cuba.

Gustav has not moved much during the past few hours but is expected to resume a motion toward the west-northwest near 5 mph. A west-northwest to west track is forecast during the next day or two with a gradual increase in forward speed. On the forecast track Gustav should pass between Jamaica and the southeastern coast of Cuba on Thursday.

Maximum sustained winds remain near 60 mph with higher gusts. Slow strengthening is forecast and Gustav could regain Hurricane strength on Thursday once it moves away from Haiti.

Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 50 miles from the center.

Gustav is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 6 to 12 inches over Hispaniola, Eastern Cuba, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands with isolated maximum amounts of up to 25 inches possible. 

Coastal storm surge flooding of 1 to 3 feet above normal tide levels along with large and dangerous battering waves can be expected in areas of onshore winds.

Invest 95:  A broad area of low pressure centered several hundred miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms.  Upper-level winds are forecast to gradually become more conducive for development of this system during the next couple of days as it moves slowly northwestward.

Tropical Low #2: A large tropical wave located over the far eastern Atlantic several hundred miles southwest of the Cape Verde Islands is producing limited and disorganized shower and thunderstorm activity.  This system has some potential for slow development during the next couple of days as it moves generally westward at 10 to 15 mph.

Tropical Low #3:  Cloudiness and thunderstorms located several hundred miles south of Bermuda have diminished.

Remnants of Fay:  The surface low associated with Fay was located 10 miles east of Chattanooga, Tennessee  moving northeast at 10 mph.   The remnants of Fay will continue to move northeastward and weaken across the Appalachians tonight.     

Eastern Pacific:
There is no current tropical cyclone activity at this time.

Western Pacific:
There is no current tropical cyclone activity at this time.(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 Tuesday, August 26, 2008:
National Wildfire Preparedness Level: 3
Initial attack activity: Light (163 new fires)
New large fires: 8
Uncontained large fires: 26
Large fires contained: 2
States with Large fires: OR, WA, CA, WY, CO, NV, UT, ID, MT, TN, NJ and NM.

Dry and windy weather will continue today over portions of the Great Basin, Wyoming and Montana. Gusty winds and low humidity is also on tap for northern California and Minnesota. Heavy rainfall will continue across the Southeast.  (NIFC)

Disaster Declaration Activity

On August 26, 2008, Amendment # 1 and 2 to FEMA-1785-DR-FL was approved.  Five (5) Counties were added for Individual Assistance and eight (8) Counties were added for Public Assistance.

On August 26, 2008, Amendment # 19 to FEMA-1763-DR-IA for Iowa was approved adding four (4) Counties for Individual Assistance.

On August 26, 2008, the Governor of Vermont requested a major disaster declaration as a result of excessive rainfall that caused flash flooding during the period of July 21 to August 12, 2008. The Governor is requesting Public Assistance for seven counties and Hazard Mitigation statewide.

On August 26, 2008 the Governor of Maine requested a major disaster declaration for Public Assistance for three counties and Hazard Mitigation statewide due to Severe Weather, Flooding and Tornadoes, dated August 22, 2008.  (FEMA HQ)