·S1 E247

Gulf system nears Texas landfall as watches loom; Grand Canyon flash flood kills one and cuts park water

August 31

14 mins

Episode Description

The Gulf of America takes center stage as the National Hurricane Center gives a northern Gulf low a 70 percent chance of becoming a tropical depression or storm before it reaches the Upper Texas or southwestern Louisiana coast tonight or Tuesday morning, with tropical storm watches possible later today. In the Southwest, Grand Canyon National Park is managing a fatality, 62 inner canyon evacuations, roughly 15 people unaccounted for, and a failed Transcanyon Waterline that triggers Stage 4 water restrictions at noon, while the Weather Prediction Center places a Moderate Risk of excessive rainfall over portions of Utah. The national wildfire system stays at Preparedness Level 5 with 98 uncontained large fires and 22,168 personnel committed, evacuations continue in Washington, Oregon, California and Montana, a heat belt stretching from Kansas to Mississippi pushes heat index values as high as 110, and Puerto Rico works through a grid load shedding event while St. Croix manages a compound water system failure. EM Morning Brief is your concise daily update on national and state-by-state emergency management news. Produced by Sitch Radio, an EOC Voices podcast.

Key Takeaways

Gulf landfall threat: A northern Gulf low carries a 70 percent formation chance and is expected to reach the Upper Texas or southwestern Louisiana coast tonight or Tuesday morning. Tropical storm watches or warnings could be required later today. No Texas or Louisiana state level preparedness action had been posted as of this morning.

Grand Canyon mass care and water emergency: One fatality confirmed, 62 evacuated from the inner canyon, roughly 15 people unaccounted for, the Colorado River closed to traffic, and Stage 4 water restrictions beginning at noon with the Transcanyon Waterline out of service.

Utah flash flood risk: A Moderate Risk of excessive rainfall covers portions of the state, with burn scars, slot canyons, Zion and Capitol Reef specifically named. A Red Cross shelter is open in Orangeville for Emery County residents displaced over the weekend.

Wildfire system at capacity: National Preparedness Level 5 holds with 98 uncontained large fires, 22,168 personnel, 15 complex incident management teams, and 8.2 million acres burned year to date, 163 percent of the ten year average.

Active fire evacuations: Little Giant and Sinlahekin in Washington, both above 160,000 acres with 56 combined structures lost; Three Queens with Kittitas County level 3 evacuations; McCully in Oregon at 2 percent containment; Timber Fire with Big Sur evacuation orders; Sand Creek in Montana.

Multi-day heat: Sixteen heat advisories run from Kansas and Iowa south through Mississippi and Louisiana with heat index values from 100 to 110. Several now extend through Friday evening, with limited overnight relief. Cooling centers are open across southern Illinois.

Public health: Kentucky reports 29 confirmed measles cases statewide with new Madison County exposure sites identified, all cases unvaccinated or of unknown status.

Recovery deadlines today: Wisconsin’s FEMA individual assistance and SBA application deadline for the April storms closes today. Indiana’s SNAP food replacement deadline is today, and the SBA declaration published in the Federal Register this morning sets an October 25 physical loan deadline.

Territories: Puerto Rico worked through a load shedding event that peaked above 180,000 customers and continues drought rationing. St. Croix has an islandwide low pressure warning plus a Frederiksted boil water advisory. The CNMI extended its state of significant emergency for 30 days.

Federal posture quiet: No active NTAS advisory, no CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities additions since August 27, no new CDC Health Alert Network notice, no new FEMA declaration, and no new State Department travel advisory level change in the window.

Gulf system nears Texas landfall as watches loom; Grand Canyon flash flood kills one and cuts park water

Episode Description

National Hurricane Center

Weather Prediction Center

National Weather Service

NIFC and national wildfire

DHS

CISA

CDC

FEMA

Travel advisories

Arizona

Texas

Utah

California

Washington

Oregon

Louisiana

Indiana

Kentucky

Colorado

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Montana

New Mexico

Oklahoma

Tennessee

Wisconsin

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