National Situation Update: Thursday, March 27, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

Midwest:
Heavy rainfall, possibly one-to-three-inches, forecast to fall along the Ohio River through March 28, 2008, with heaviest rain falling east of the flood zone.

All the water in the Ohio Valley flows to the south and west, eventually reaching the flood zone, but it is too soon to tell if this heavy rain will cause a new round of flooding.  It is forecast that the rains should keep the rivers currently in flood stage from receding March 28 - 30, 2008.

Northeast
Rain and snow move eastward into the Northeast from the Ohio Valley March 27 - 29, 2008.
Rainfall is not expected to be as heavy as the Ohio Valley, but some areas in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia could receive from one-to-two-inches.

South
A cold front will increase the threat of isolated thunderstorms, continuing March 28 - 30, 2008.  (NWS)

Midwest Flooding Update

CURRENT SITUATION The western end of a cold front extending from a low pressure system in southern Quebec will become quasi-stationary extending from the DelMarVa peninsula west- southwestward into southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma.  This front will provide the lift necessary to generate numerous showers and thunderstorms from the Midwest into the northern Mid-Atlantic States and portions of the Northeast March 27 - 28, 2008.

Some portions of the US that are expected to see significant rainfall are the same areas that saw flooding rain the week of March 17-23, 2008, and flooding may again become a concern across areas south of the front.

USGS reports 89 locations at or above flood stage; 8 gauges report major flooding; 20 gauges report moderate flooding.

State and Local Response
Illinois:

  • State EOC activated 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CDT (normal operations)
  • Counties:  19 counties declared States of Emergency.
  • Fatalities:  2
  • Shelters:  2 with 5 occupants
  • Facilities damaged:  3 waste water treatment plants
  • Major/Moderate River Flooding:
    • Ohio River at Grand Chain Dam, IL above Major Flood Stage; forecast to crest on March 28, 2008.
    • Ohio River at Cairo, IL continues to rise above Major Flood Stage; forecast to reach Moderate Flood Stage March 28, 2008.  US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) deployed to area for ramped-up flood fighting.
    • Little Wabash River at Carmi, IL at Major Flood Stage; forecast to crest on March 28, 2008.
    • Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau, MO and Thebes, IL crested at Moderate Flood Stage; forecast to be below flood stage early March 29, 2008.
    • Big Muddy River near Murphysboro, IL at Moderate Flood Stage; forecast to decrease to flood stage on March 29, 2008.
  • Grand Tower levee along Big Muddy River good; USACE placed plastic on levee for protection.
  • Voluntary evacuation for City of Grand Tower, IL, near the Big Muddy River is lifted.
  • USACE furnished three pumps to Brookport, IL and four pumps to Karnack, IL.  Three pumps were provided to Smithfield, KY.  USACE also received a request from the KY OEM to provide technical assistance for the community.  
  • Local/State PDAs ongoing.
  • No requests for Federal Assistance, issues or unmet needs.

 Arkansas:

  • Counties:  45 affected with 37 under State Disaster Declaration
  • Fatalities: 1
  • Injuries: 4
  • Missing:  1
  • Shelters:  No shelters are open
  • Homes damaged or destroyed:  Approximately 650+ homes damaged/destroyed
  • Levee at Corning had minor breach that was contained with sandbags.
  • Prairie County has issue with levee.  Barrels being used to mitigate problem and USACE is bringing in 1,000 more sandbags, which USACE states will mitigate the issue.  Levee monitoring continuing. 
  • Major/Moderate River Flooding:
    • Black River at Pocahontas - Moderate Flood stage
    • Black River at Black Rock - Moderate Flood stage
    • White River at Newport - Moderate Flood stage
    • White River at Augusta - Moderate Flood stage
    • White River at Georgetown - Major Flood stage
    • White River at Des Arc - Major Flood stage
    • White River at Clarendon - Major Flood Stage
  • Several areas experiencing water supply problems due to flooding/inoperable treatment systems; boil water orders in effect.
  • Barge traffic along the McClellan-Kerr Navigation System of the Arkansas River has stopped due to excessive water flow from flooding.
  • River flowing too fast for barge traffic, stopping commerce until excess water is flushed into Mississippi River.
  • River is flowing at 300,000 cubic feet per second (cfs); normal flows are approximately 30,000 cfs.
  • USACE expects river to be at 150,000 cfs by April 3, 2008, at which time larger tow boats will navigate the river.

Indiana:

  • State EOC activated 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. CDT (minimal staffing).
  • Counties:  6 affected with 4 declared States of Emergency
  • Fatalities:  1
  • Injuries:  8
  • Shelters:  2 with 5 occupants
  • All County EOCs returned to normal operations.
  • Three county EOCs reported flood damage to their facilities.
  • Major/Moderate River Flooding:
    • White River at Petersburg, IN at Moderate Flood Stage; will continue to recede.
    • White River at Hazleton, IN at Moderate Flood Stage; crested March 26, 2008.
    • East Fork White River near Bedford, IN at Moderate Flood Stage; will continue to recede to below flood stage by March 29, 2008.
    • The Patoka River at Princeton, IN forecast to continue to recede to Moderate Flood Stage by March 29, 2008.
  • Local and State PDAs ongoing. No request for Joint PDAs.
  • No request for Federal assistance.

Ohio

  • State EOC assessment room operational from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CDT.
  • Counties:  8 affected with 4 declared States of Emergency
  • Fatalities:  2
  • Shelters:  All shelters closed
  • Road Closures:  26 closures and 15 restrictions for State and US highways
  • State damage assessments continue.
  • No Major or Moderate river flooding in Ohio.
  • Zoarville Levee (part of the Dover Dam, located approximately 10 miles from Zoarville Levee), in Tuscarawas County, experiencing seepage and threatens at least 50 homes.
    • Original scope of filter blanket construction completed March 26, 2008.
    • All additional work to be completed March 29, 2008.
    • Blanket construction is first step to bring project to the same interim operating level of the Dover Dam.
    • Inspection of ball field side of levee revealed several ant-sized boils, with significant boils already covered.
    • Two remedial alternatives being considered for ball field side of levee are an approximately four-foot-thick filter blanket or a modification to the current piezometer wells to reduce uplift pressure.
    • No voluntary or mandatory evacuations ordered.
    • Residents advised to move belongings to a higher level.
  • No requests for federal assistance other than Corps of Engineers.  

Missouri:

  • SEOC activated at Level III, 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. CDT.
  • Counties:  70 counties and City of St. Louis affected
  • Fatalities:  5
  • Injuries: none reported
  • Shelters: all shelters closed
  • Homes damaged or destroyed:  530 - 580
  • Businesses damaged or destroyed:  50 estimated, along with 2 wastewater lift stations
  • Major/Moderate Flooding
    • Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau, MO and Thebes, IL crested at Moderate Flood Stage; forecast to be below flood stage March 29, 2008.
  • Two Black River levees are reported breeched with one damaged.  Officials have requested State assistance for repairs.
  • Joint IA PDAs began March 25, 2008.
  • PA PDAs will begin the week of March 31, 2008.

Oklahoma

  • Counties:  27 affected
  • Flood Warnings in effect for small portion of east Oklahoma.
  • Moderate Flooding is reported/forecast for the Poteau River at Panama.
  • National Infrastructure Coordination Center (NICC) reported no significant impact to national or regional dams/levees.

Louisiana

  • State EOC operational 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. CDT (normal operations)
  • Risk of flooding increases along Mississippi River through April 6, 2008.
  • River flooding reported in Louisiana.
    • Mississippi River at Red River Landing forecast to rise to Moderate Flood Level; forecast to crest April 07, 2008.
    • Mississippi River at Baton Rouge forecast to rise to Moderate Flood Level; forecast to crest April 7, 2008.
    • Mississippi River at Donaldsville forecast to rise to Minor Flood Level; forecast to crest April 7, 2008.
    • Mississippi River at Reserve forecast to rise to Minor Flood Level; forecast to crest April 7, 2008.
    • Atchafalaya River at Morgan City forecast to rise to Moderate Flood Level; forecast to crest April 1, 2008 or later.
    • New Orleans District USACE and Jefferson Parish Levee Board inspecting levee systems in Jefferson Parish as a precautionary measure to ensure no potential problems exist that need to be addressed prior to potential flooding.
    • No problems identified, and there are no request(s) for State assistance.
  • Louisiana National Guard augmenting local community leaders of Morganza, Louisiana (Pointe Coupee Parish) with soldiers, equipment and material along a 2-mile section of the Potato Levee to help control Mississippi River flood waters.
  • Potato Ridge Levee, across the fore bay to the Morganza Flood Control Structure and adjacent to the Mississippi river, forecast to be overtopped based on current river stage forecasts.  Forecast is for the river to rise 2.5 ft above the crown.

Texas

  • TX SOC activated at Level I (24/7) for wildfires and severe weather.
  • Three counties affected.
  • No major or moderate flooding reported in Texas.
  • Flood warnings in effect for small portion of northeast Texas.
  • No requests for Federal assistance.

FEDERAL RESPONSE
FEMA Region V

  • RRCC at Level III, 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CDT. (M-F)
  • State Liaison Officers have departed the Illinois and Indiana EOCs. FEMA Region VI
  • RRCC at Level III, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CDT (M-F). 
  • Defense Coordinating Element is on standby/prepared to deploy.
  • FEMA liaison officers deployed to Arkansas and Texas EOCs
  • 6 PA PDA Teams and 3 IA PDA Teams begin Joint PDAs in Arkansas
  • Joint PDAs for PA for 35 counties and IA for 18 counties will begin in Oklahoma

FEMA Region VII

  • RRCC at Level III, 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. CDT (M-F)
  • State Liaison Officer deployed to Missouri State EOC in Jefferson City.
  • FIRST Chicago operating from Bollinger County, MO. 
  • MO - Joint IA PDAs ongoing.
  • PA PDAs will begin the week of March 31, 2008.  (Region V, Region VI, Region VII, NWS, NSS, NGB, NICC, ADEM, TX SOC, IL EOC, ARC, MEMA, NOAA, USACE)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

Nothing significant to report.  (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Preliminary Damage Assessments

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Wildfire Update

Texas Wildfire
Texas EOC Activated at Level I, 24/7 (Emergency Conditions)
Cumulative fire information (as of 2:00 p.m. CDT March 26, 2008)

Total Acres Burned:  1,028,002
Total Homes Threatened:  7,564
Total Homes Saved:  7,412
Total Homes Lost:  152
Total Homes Damaged:  36  (TX SOC)

Disaster Declaration Activity

On March 26, 2008 the President signed a Major Disaster Declaration FEMA-1751-DR for the State of Arkansas for Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding that occurred March 18, 2008 and continuing. The declaration designates Public Assistance for 35 counties for emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to Direct Federal Assistance, under the Public Assistance Program.  The FCO is Kenneth Riley of the National FCO Program. (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Thursday, 27-Mar-2008 08:43:12 EDT