EM Morning Brief

An atmospheric river has pushed river and flash flooding across Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and southern Utah, with the National Weather Service carrying a Particularly Dangerous Situation tag over the Four Corners, mandatory evacuations along four southwest Colorado rivers, and the Moenkopi Wash near Tuba City running more than six feet above flood stage. Today’s brief covers the state by state...

Typhoon In-fa’s eye passed over Agrihan in the Northern Mariana Islands as a Category 4 storm, and the Typhoon Warning remains in effect for Alamagan, Pagan and Agrihan while the storm moves away toward Iwo To. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott issued a state disaster declaration for El Paso County after flooding, Flash Flood Warnings covered Midland and Odessa early Friday, and a levee breach near B...

Thursday’s brief leads with Typhoon In-fa, now carrying 140 mph winds, and the Typhoon Warning in effect for Alamagan, Pagan and Agrihan in the Northern Mariana Islands, where destructive winds and heavy rain are forecast Friday. Flood response is ramping up across the southern High Plains and the Southwest, with New Mexico National Guard evacuations in Socorro County and activated state resources...

Wednesday’s brief covers the Four Corners flood as it shifts from rescue to assessment, with New Mexico estimating 200 to 300 million dollars in infrastructure damage, one death confirmed in Socorro County and the Rio Puerco cresting at levels unseen since 1944. Record king tides driven by El Nino closed Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach and flooded streets in Miami Beach and Fort Lauderda...

The Four Corners flood response moves into a federal phase, with an emergency declaration for New Mexico authorizing Army Corps debris removal, USGS flood monitoring, EPA drinking water testing and FEMA mass care, while the National Weather Service warns of catastrophic flooding along the San Juan River and the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority reports sewage released from flood damaged wastewater f...

Historic Four Corners flooding keeps evacuation orders in place in New Mexico, Utah, and southwest Colorado, with the San Juan River cresting at Shiprock at its highest level since 1935, roughly 2,000 people affected, and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham requesting a federal emergency declaration worth at least $ 13.8 million. On the Oregon coast, a fire and ammonia threat at a Pacific Seafood plan...

A strong Bering Sea storm reaches western Alaska this morning with blizzard warnings in six zones, gusts to 65 miles an hour and a coastal flood warning on the Yukon Delta coast, where Hooper Bay could see water 7 feet above normal high tide. A second day of Southwest rain keeps flood warnings across four states, with mandatory evacuations along four rivers in Archuleta County, Colorado, and power...

A hazardous materials release at a North Toledo tank terminal keeps a half-mile evacuation zone in effect after Toledo Fire and Rescue lifted a three-mile shelter-in-place order Wednesday evening, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency overseeing perimeter air monitoring. A powerful Bering Sea low has blizzard, high wind and coastal flood warnings up across western Alaska, with water levels...

An active hazardous materials release in north Toledo has a one-mile evacuation zone and a three-mile shelter-in-place order in effect, with two school districts closed and a temporary shelter open. A slow-moving nor’easter keeps NC 12 closed between the Marc Basnight Bridge and Rodanthe, leaving Hatteras Island without road access and Ocracoke isolated by suspended ferries, while coastal flood wa...

A slow moving nor’easter has Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island under a Coastal Flood Warning through Wednesday evening, with 2 to 4 feet of inundation forecast and NC 12 closed from the Marc Basnight Bridge to Rodanthe after roughly 800 feet of dune eroded at Pea Island. Arizona faces a multi day flash flood threat as tropical moisture surges north, Alaska works an Interior winter storm and a Pa...

Guam enters its first full day of organized recovery from Super Typhoon Champi, with 90 percent of transmission restored, all 30 substations energized and about 70 percent of distribution feeders carrying load, while schools stay closed and the port holds waterside operations under Condition ZULU. On the Atlantic coast, a stalled nor’easter keeps a mandatory visitor evacuation and a state of emerg...

Guam and Rota are under a Typhoon Warning as Tropical Storm Champi tracks toward the Marianas, with Guam in Condition of Readiness 2, the Joint Information Center partially activated and the Judicial Branch closed. In California, the Bryson Fire in Malibu and the Henderson Fire on Camp Pendleton prompted evacuations and a brief Interstate 5 closure while Southern California Edison de-energized mor...

Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands are under a Typhoon Watch as Tropical Depression 29W tracks west, with Guam at Condition of Readiness 3 and forecasters calling for at least a Category 1 typhoon through the weekend. California enters a three day fire weather event, with six Red Flag Warnings in effect and Southern California Edison weighing a shutoff that could reach more than 257,000 custome...

I report that California presently endures the nation's most expansive fire weather setup, and Pacific Gas and Electric has notified roughly 70,000 customers that it may execute proactive public safety power shutoffs beginning Wednesday evening through Saturday afternoon. We observe that offshore Diablo winds are expected to peak Thursday across the northern and central Sierra and portions of the...

I report that Hurricane Isaias recovery is the dominant operation across the central Gulf Coast. I state that we are concentrating resources on power restoration, debris clearance, water safety, and sheltering. Florida has restored power to more than 70% of impacted customer accounts, yet boil water notices remain in seven counties. About 5,000 Florida National Guard members remain activated and t...

The remnants of Hurricane Isaias dominate the operational picture, and I present the principal impacts, forecasts, and response actions underway across the southeastern and central United States. I report that the Weather Prediction Center's final advisory placed the post‑tropical center roughly 180 miles northeast of Nashville, advancing east‑northeast at 22 mph with dissipation anticipated over...

I report that Hurricane Isaias is approaching the northern Gulf Coast as a strong Category 2 storm and is expected to make landfall tonight or early Saturday. I note that storm surge of 5 to 7 feet is forecast from Dauphin Island to Indian Pass and 4 to 6 feet in Mobile Bay, with 4 to 8 inches of rain and localized totals to 15 inches. I warn that the tornado threat begins this evening and that st...

We report that Hurricane Isaias is a Category 1 hurricane in the Gulf and is expected to make landfall late Friday into early Saturday, bringing significant storm surge and wind risk. I confirm Hurricane and Storm Surge Warnings from Ocean Springs, Mississippi east into the Florida Panhandle, with peak inundation of 5 to 7 feet forecast for Mobile Bay and from Ocean Springs to Indian Pass. We advi...

The National Hurricane Center has designated Tropical Storm Isaias and that the storm is forecast to strengthen rapidly, becoming a hurricane before approaching the northern Gulf Coast on Friday, with hurricane watches likely to be required. I note the system currently bears sustained winds near 40 mph, is centered roughly 580 miles southwest of the Mississippi River mouth, and is tracking east-no...

I emphasize that October heat constitutes the paramount life-safety exposure today, with extreme heat warnings across coastal and valley zones of Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego counties. I note that Death Valley National Park carries a separate warning through Friday and that forecasts call for daytime highs in the upper 90s to 105°F with elev...

I report that a record October heat wave over Southern California is driving the day's largest life‑safety operation, anchored by the Bouquet Fire in the Angeles National Forest. We detail that the Bouquet Fire stands at 1,048 acres and 48 percent containment, with Level 3 evacuation orders for three zones, Level 2 warnings for seven more, shelters open and critical road closures in place. I note...

Flooding across the Central Plains and the Upper Midwest is our dominant operational concern this morning. I report that Nebraska has declared a disaster after record rainfall and that Omaha logged dozens of water rescues and record single‑day totals. We note 87 active flood warnings concentrated in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska, and the Missouri River is forecast to reach moderate flood sta...

I report that a slow-moving storm is causing widespread, life-threatening flooding across the central United States. We have 99 flood warnings and 14 flash flood warnings across Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas and Arizona. Forecasters warn of life-threatening flash flooding in west central Texas and significant river flooding in Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri. We also note...

I report that the remnants of Hurricane Polo are driving the day's largest life safety operation across New Mexico and neighboring states. I describe widespread flash flood warnings and flood watches in New Mexico and the spread of the moisture plume into Arizona and Texas. I note that federal urban search and rescue teams, including Nevada Task Force 1 and Oklahoma Task Force 1, are deployed and...

I report that Hurricane Polo's moisture plume is driving the country's largest life-safety problem this morning. Its remnants came ashore south of Las Barrancas as a Category 2 late Monday and are fueling a widespread flash flood event from the Lower Colorado across the Four Corners into the southern High Plains. The Weather Prediction Center places a moderate risk of excessive rainfall from south...