National Situation Update: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).
National Forecast Summary
Midwest: More rain is forecast for the Great Plains and parts of the Dakotas for Wednesday, May 30, 2007. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will dominate from the northern Plains and Upper Midwest southward into Missouri and the eastern half of Kansas.
South: Downpours and thunderstorms will focus on the south-central U. S. Wednesday, May 30, 2007. The heaviest rain is expected over Louisiana and southwest Mississippi, but scattered showers and storms are forecast in much of Oklahoma, Arkansas and far western Tennessee southward to the Gulf Coast (roughly from Houston to Pensacola).
West: An upper-level trough will deliver widely scattered showers and thunderstorms to Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. Isolated storms could strike the Sierra Nevada during the afternoon of May 30, 2007.
Northeast: Scattered showers and storms are expected in Maine and extreme northern New Hampshire and Vermont as a weak storm center moves into Maine from the west. (NWS, Media Sources)
CDC Health Alert – XDR TB - Issued Tuesday, May 29, 2007
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working with a number of international, state, and local partners on an investigation involving a U.S. citizen recently diagnosed with Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR TB).
CDC learned that a patient with XDR TB traveled to Europe via commercial airline departing Atlanta on May 12, and returned to the United States after taking a commercial flight on May 24 from Prague, Czech Republic to Montreal, Canada. The patient re-entered the U.S. on May 24, 2007. Since May 25, the patient has been hospitalized in respiratory isolation.
CDC is collaborating with U.S. state and local health departments, international Ministries of Health, the airline industry, and the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding appropriate notification and follow up of passengers and crew potentially at risk for exposure to XDR TB. Each country involved in the investigation is determining the most appropriate guidance for its residents. (US Centers for Disease Controland Prevention)
Fl. Lake Set To Sink To Lowest Level
Lake Okeechobee was expected to drop this week to its lowest level on record, threatening a key source of water for nearly 5 million people and the Everglades during South Florida's worst known drought.
The nation's second-largest freshwater lake held at 9 feet on Tuesday, May 29, 2007, less than a half-inch above the previous record of 8.97 feet, set May 24, 2001, after another long drought. The average water level for this time of year should be around 13 feet.
Lake Okeechobee is a backup drinking water source for millions of people in South Florida and the lifeblood of the Everglades. The region is largely dependent on the lake during dry periods, when it can be used as a reservoir.
Only isolated showers were forecast over the lake until the weekend, when more substantial rain was expected, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters said any rain would only stabilize its levels temporarily because more rain was still needed farther north in the Kissimmee River valley, which feeds the lake.
The last time the lake rose was after Tropical Storm Ernesto brushed past Florida in August, according to the Jacksonville district of the Army Corps of Engineers. The lake level rose 1.5 feet to 13.5 feet after that storm, said a corps hydraulic engineer. (Media Sources)
Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)
FMAG-2696 for the Okeechobee Fire Complex in Florida was issued on May 29, 2007 at 11:32 EDT. The fire is burning in Glades, Hendry Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, and St Lucie Counties. The fire is composed of 20-25 fires, with the main fire in Glades County. There are two subdivisions threatened; Buckhead Ridge, 200 Homes threatened, 300 people; and Roberson Drive, 20 homes, 60 people. Evacuations are now voluntary, but mandatory evacuations are iminent. The fire jumped a canal, and there is nothing to stop it from spreading and is 1-2 miles from structures. (FEMA HQ)
Tropical Weather Outlook
Atlantic/Caribbean: No significant activity to report.
Eastern Pacific:
Tropical Storm Alvin was located near 13.0n 114.6w (about 1,366 miles almost due south from San Diego, CA.) at 5:00 am EDT, May 30, 2007. The direction of Alvin is taking the storm over slightly cooler waters and Alvin's overall environmental conditions are forecast to become less favorable.
Alvin is currently moving toward the west (285 degrees) at about 5 mph.
Estimated minimum central pressure 1005 mb.
Max sustained winds 35 mph with gusts to 46 mph.
Tropical Depression 2E (TD-2E) is located near 14.1n 97.4w (about 1,784 miles south-southeast from San Diego, CA) at 5:00 am EDT, May 30, 2007. The depression does not appear to be getting any better organized and is still too early to justify an upgrade to Tropical Storm status.
Estimated minimum central pressure 1006 mb.
Max sustained winds 35 mph with gusts to 46 mph.
Elsewhere, tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.
Western Pacific: No significant activity to report. (NOAA, National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center)
Earthquake Activity
On Tuesday, May 29, 2007 at 2:35pm (EDT) a magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 78 miles south from False Pass, Alaska at a depth of 14 miles. There was no Tsunami generated. There were no reports of damage or injuries. (NOAA, USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program, Alaska Earthquake Information Center, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Centers)
Preliminary Damage Assessments
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Wildfire Update
National Preparedness Level: 2 as of 6:30 am EDT Tuesday, May 29, 2007.
National Fire Activity:
Initial attack activity 148 (Light)
New large fires: 1
Large fires contained: 2
Uncontained large fires: 13
Year to Date Totals Fires: 35,593 Acres: 1,261,462
Fire Weather Discussion: Dry weather continues today over the Southeast, California, Arizona and the Great Basin. Portions of northern California will see gusty winds and low humidity mainly during the morning hours. A strong warming trend is expected in the West this week. Also, thunderstorms are possible over the Sierra Mountains on Wednesday and may spread further north later this week. Interior Alaska will have partly cloudy skies with a few thunderstorms today. (National Interagency Fire Center, National Incident Information Center )
Disaster Declaration Activity
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Last Modified: Wednesday, 30-May-2007 07:54:50 EDT