National Situation Update: Friday, March 28, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

West:
A storm system will move through the Northwest into the Rocky Mountains March 28 - 29, 2008 with more rain and snow.

Elevations above about 3,000 feet could pick up over twelve inches of new snow from the Cascades through the Rockies.

Initially, the precipitation could start as snow in Seattle and Portland, WA, but should quickly change over to rain.  (NWS)

Midwest Flooding Update

CURRENT SITUATION
A frontal boundary, extending from the DelMarVa peninsula to the Kansas/Oklahoma border, will have showers and thunderstorms March 28-30, 2008.  Precipitation is forecast along the front from Missouri into the northern mid Atlantic states and New England by March 29, 2008.  Up to two inches of precipitation will fall in the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys.

State and Local Response
Illinois:

  • Counties:  19 declared States of Emergency.
  • Fatalities:  2
  • Shelters:  1 with 0 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 at Major Flood Stage; forecast to reach Moderate Flood Stage March 28, 2008.  US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) personnel 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 March 29, 2008.
  • Grand Tower levee along Big Muddy River is functional.  USACE placed plastic on levee for protection.
  • Local and State PDAs ongoing.
  • No requests for Federal Assistance.

Arkansas:

  • State EOC activated at Level III (Limited Activation), 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. CDT
  • Counties:  45 affected, 37 under State Disaster Declaration
  • Fatalities: 1
  • Injuries: 4
  • Estimate of 650+ homes damaged or destroyed
  • Levee at Corning had a minor breach that was contained with sandbags.
  • Major/Moderate 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 are experiencing water supply problems due to flooding/inoperable treatment systems; boil water orders in effect.

Indiana:

  • State EOC activated 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CDT
  • Counties:  6 affected, 4 declared States of Emergency
  • Fatalities:  1
  • Injuries:  8
  • Major/Moderate River Flooding:
    • White River at Petersburg, IN at Moderate Flood Stage; will continue to recede.
    • East Fork White River near Shoals, IN at Moderate Flood Stage; will recede to below flood stage by March 28, 2008.
    • Patoka River at Princeton, IN at Major Flood Stage; forecast to recede to Moderate Flood Stage by March 29, 2008.
  • Local and State PDAs ongoing.
  • No request for Federal assistance.

Ohio:

  • Counties:  8 affected, 4 declared States of Emergency
  • Fatalities:  2
  • 50 homes threatened
  • Road Closures:  26 closures and 15 restrictions for State and US highways
  • Zoarville Levee in Tuscarawas County experiencing seepage.
    • USACE successfully installed filter blanket on the backside of the levee near Zoar, OH along the Tuscarawas River; work on additional length and depth of blanket scheduled to be complete March 29, 2008.  

Missouri:

  • SEOC activated at Level III, 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. CDT.
  • Counties:  70 affected and City of St. Louis
  • Fatalities:  5
  • Homes damaged or destroyed:  1,243
  • Businesses damaged or destroyed:  50 estimated 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 reported breeched; one damaged.  Officials requested State assistance for repairs.
  • Joint IA PDAs to be completed March 28, 2008.
  • Joint 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 reported or forecast for the Poteau River at Panama.

Louisiana

  • Risk of flooding increases along Mississippi River March 24 - 31, 2008.
  • River flooding reported in Louisiana.
    • Mississippi River at Red River Landing forecast to rise to Moderate Flood Level; crest April 7, 2008.
    • Mississippi River at Baton Rouge forecast to rise to Moderate Flood Level; crest April 7, 2008.
    • Mississippi River at Donaldsville forecast to rise to Minor Flood Level; crest April 7, 2008.
    • Mississippi River at Reserve forecast to rise to Minor Flood Level; crest April 7, 2008.
    • Atchafalaya River at Morgan City forecast to rise to Moderate Flood Level; crest April 1, 2008 or later.
  • St Martin received 20,000 sandbags from St. Bernard Parish through Mutual Aid agreement on March 27, 2008.
  • Pointe Coupee Parish and residents placing sandbags along a two-mile stretch of the Potato Levee near Morganza to mitigate flooding.
  • Louisiana National Guard augmenting local community leaders of Morganza, Louisiana (Pointe Coupee Parish) with soldiers, equipment and material along the 2-mile section of the Potato Levee; to continue until April 7, 2008.
  • 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 to rise 2.5 feet above the crown.

Texas

  • TX SOC activated at Level I (24/7) for wildfires and severe weather.
  • Counties:  3 affected.
  • Flood warnings in effect for small portion of northeast Texas.
  • No requests for Federal assistance.

FEDERAL RESPONSE
FEMA Region VI

  • RRCC at Level II, 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CDT (M-S). 
  • FEMA liaison officers deployed to Arkansas and Texas EOCs
  • Four Joint PDA teams for IA for 11 counties ongoing 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.
  • PA PDAs will begin the week of March 31, 2008. (Region V, Region VI, Region VII, NWS, NSS, NGB, NICC, USACE, USCG, FEMA HQ, Denton MOC, ADEM, TX SOC, IL EOC, ARC, MEMA, NOAA)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

FMAG-2757-TX was issued at 10:35 p.m. EDT, March 27, 2008, for the Silver Heels Fire in Big Spring, TX (population 25,000).

The fire has burned 1,000 acres and is not contained.

120 homes threatened, 2 confirmed destroyed.

58 individuals have evacuated.

Red Flag conditions expected to continue in the area.  (FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

No new activity (FEMA HQ)

Earthquake Activity

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake occurred at 7:07 p.m. EDT, March 27, 2008, located 26 miles south-southwest of Nanwalek, Alaska (172 miles south-southwest of Anchorage, AK), at a depth of 42.4 miles, with no report of damages or injuries received.  No tsunami was generated. (USGS/NEIC/WDC)

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 27, 2008)

Total Acres Burned:  1,029,856
Total Homes Lost:  152
Total Homes Damaged:  36(TX SOC)

Disaster Declaration Activity

Amendment No. 1 to FEMA-1749- DR for Missouri was issued March 27, 2008.  The amendment includes Individual Assistance (IA) for 19 counties (already designated for PA) and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program statewide.

Amendment No. 2 to FEMA-3284-EM for Texas was issued March 27, 2008.  The amendment adds 13 counties for emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct Federal Assistance, under the Public Assistance program. (FEMA HQ)

Last Modified: Friday, 28-Mar-2008 08:05:47 EDT