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National Situation Update: Friday, July 11, 2008

Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).

Significant National Weather

West:
High pressure over the Region will continue to result in above normal temperatures and dry conditions into the weekend.  A red flag warning is in effect until 11 am PDT today for the northern Sacramento valley and surrounding higher terrain due to low humidity and gusty winds. See www.nws.noaa.gov/ for the latest information.  Thunderstorms are forecast from the Four Corner States to the southern Sierra and interior southern California. The thunderstorms could also produce locally damaging wind gusts and localized flooding. A little relief is expected as afternoon high temperatures in central California fall to 100 to 105 degrees with heat index values between 104 to 108 degrees. While this no longer meets excessive heat warning criteria, there are significant health concerns with prolonged exposure to the hot and humid conditions.
Midwest:
A frontal system dropping into the region will produce severe thunderstorms with gusty winds, hail and tornadoes from the Upper Midwest to the central Plains. Behind the cold front, northwest winds could occasionally gust as high as 50 mph in the Dakotas.  High temperatures behind the front will reach the 70s; ahead of the front temperatures will reach the 90s.
South:
The tail end of a front and the humid air mass over the Region will produce showers and thunderstorms from Louisiana to the Carolinas, the heaviest rainfall, over an inch, is forecast for North Carolina.   Highs will range from the low 90s over most of the Region to 100 in parts of Texas.
Northeast:
A frontal system moving out of the Great Lakes will produce precipitation including a few thunderstorms from the eastern Great Lakes to northern New England.   Highs will range from the 70s in New England to near 90 in Washington, D.C. (National Weather Service, Various Media Sources).

California Wildfires

Summary:
California has a total of 1,781 fires, 1,458 are contained (81%); 323 total active fires. There are currently 24 fire complexes that are actively threatening life and property.  There are a total of 702,394 acres burned (519,121 acres for the 10 reported fires) and 19,706 personnel assigned.

California Wildfires
Fatalities - 1; Injuries - 234
ARC Reports 7 shelters with 276 occupants (as of 5:00 p.m. EDT July 10, 2008)
Structures destroyed: 99 residences; 1 commercial; 90 outbuildings for the 10 reported fires
Structures threatened: 13,067 residences; 158 commercial; 2,626outbuildings for the 10 reported fires
State EOC is activated 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. PDT; limited night shift
There are no CIKR assets of national concern reported to be threatened or impacted.
The DOT-CMC reports closures and delays are in place for State Highways 1 (Big Sur Area), 32 and 70.
Protective Security Advisors (PSAs) continue to coordinate with state and local contacts for impact information.
FEMA NRCC is monitoring the situation and coordinating with Region IX.
FEMA Region IX RRCC is activated to Modified Level III from 7:00 a .m. - 5:00 p.m. PDT
FEMA LNOs deployed to State EOC, NorthOps Center and SouthOps Center
Other Federal Actions
Department of Defense (DOD)
U.S. Marine Corps is providing 6 CH-47 helicopters.
U.S. Navy is providing 2 CH-53 helicopters.
The NGB and AFRC are providing 8 MAFFS Systems and 8 MAFFS C130 Aircraft (Numbers do not include the MAFFS personnel for Guard and Reserves from WY, NC, and CO)

Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)

Washington: FEMA-2783-FM-WA was approved on July 11 for the Spokane Valley Fire, Spokane County. A total of 680 acres have burned and 1500 people have been mandatorily evacuated.  700 homes threatened of which 150 imminently threatened and 40 to 50 inside the fire perimeter. (Region IX, FEMA HQ)

Tropical Weather Outlook

Atlantic/Caribbean:
Hurricane Bertha
At 5:00 a.m. EDT, the center of Hurricane Bertha was located about 350 miles south-southeast of Bermuda.  Bertha is moving toward the northwest near 7 mph.  A turn toward the north or north-northeast and a slower forward motion are expected during the next 48 hours.  Maximum sustained winds are near 85 mph, with higher gusts. Bertha is a category one hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Some fluctuations in strength are possible during the next couple of days.  Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 140 miles. Based on the current warning Bertha will pass east of Bermuda this weekend and poses no threat to the United States.
Federal Actions
FEMA NRCC is monitoring forecast models and maintaining contact with FEMA Region II, III, and IV RRCCs, NWS and NHC for situational awareness.
The RRCCs in FEMA Regions II, III and IV are activated at Level III and monitoring.
A Region II Partial ERT-A Team remains on St. Thomas.
The Caribbean Area Office also continues to monitor the storm. (Regions II, III, IV, NWS)

Eastern Pacific:
Disorganized showers and thunderstorms are just off the Pacific Coast of Mexico from Acapulco to Manzanillo.  Development of this poorly-organized system, if any, is expected to be slow to occur as it moves slowly west-northwestward.
A small area of surface low pressure located several hundred miles south of El Salvador and Guatemala has been producing limited but persistent thunderstorm activity.  Upper-level winds appear marginally favorable for some development of this system during the next couple of days as it moves slowly west-northwestward.
Elsewhere, tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.

Western Pacific:
No tropical cyclone activity. (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 July 10, 2008:
National Wildfire Preparedness Level: 5
Initial attack activity: Light (118 new fires)
New large fires: 1
Uncontained large fires: 72
Large fires contained: 1 (National Interagency Fire Center, National Incident Information Center)

Disaster Declaration Activity

FEMA-1766-DR-Indiana, Amendment #14: Effective July 10, 2008 this disaster declaration is amended to include four Counties (Benton, Fountain, Jay, Montgomery Counties) for Public Assistance.  Two Counties (Jefferson and Ripley Counties) for Public Assistance (already designated for Individual Assistance and emergency protective measures[category B], limited to direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program).  One county (Marion County) for Public Assistance (already designated for Individual Assistance)
JFO for FEMA-3286-EM-OH is scheduled to close July 11, 2008. (FEMA HQ)