Hawaii recovery deepens after Hurricane Lala with one death and tens of thousands still dark; Indiana readies major disaster request after seven deaths

Hawaii Island enters a second week of recovery from Hurricane Lala with one confirmed death, roughly 88,000 customers still without power statewide, and Pahala cut off by a destroyed section of Highway 11 with no water or sewer service. Indiana counts at least seven dead and more than a thousand displaced as the state finalizes a major disaster declaration request and activates relief grants and replacement food benefits. The national wildfire preparedness level holds at 5 with 80 uncontained large fires and evacuations running in Washington, Oregon, Utah, Montana and New Mexico. Also in this episode: a new CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities entry, a St. Louis boil water advisory tied to storm-driven pressure loss, municipal cyber incidents in Maine and Arkansas, Extreme Heat Warnings in the desert Southwest and the coastal Carolinas, and a two-week countdown on Wisconsin’s FEMA application deadline. 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

• Hawaii lifeline restoration is the national priority. One confirmed death, roughly 88,670 customers without power Monday evening, and Pahala without power, water or sewer. Highway 11 is severed south toward Naalehu, and about 100 mainland mutual aid crew members arrive midweek.

• Indiana federal aid is pending, not approved. A presidential emergency declaration covers 53 counties for emergency protective measures at 75 percent federal cost share, but individual assistance requires the major disaster declaration the state has not yet filed. State grants of up to $5,000 and replacement SNAP benefits are available now through 211 and the FSSA portal.

• Wildfire remains at National Preparedness Level 5. Eighty uncontained large fires, 28,710 personnel assigned, and year-to-date acreage at roughly 169 percent of the ten-year average. Sand Creek in Montana is at 1 percent containment on 31,652 acres.

• Active evacuation drivers to watch: Little Giant in Washington, Hagen and Paradise in Oregon, Black Canyon in Utah, Sand Creek, Bobcat Lakes and Moose in Montana, and Frijoles in New Mexico.

• Two water systems are degraded. St. Louis is under a precautionary boil water advisory across 27 neighborhoods after storm-driven pressure loss at the Chain of Rocks plant, and West Columbia, South Carolina is under a boil advisory after a main break.

• Municipal cyber pressure continues. Lincoln, Maine reopened Tuesday with limited services after file encryption, and Fort Smith, Arkansas is still restoring city systems. Both jurisdictions report 911 and emergency response unaffected.

• One new CISA KEV entry. A code injection flaw in the Ray distributed computing framework was added Monday with remediation due this week. No NTAS bulletin is currently in effect.

Deadline watch. Wisconsin FEMA individual assistance and SBA physical disaster loan applications close Monday, August 31 for 19 counties plus the Oneida Nation. Mississippi opens five Disaster Service Centers at noon today.

Sources

Cedric: 00:00:00

Good morning, I'm Cedric and this is your EM Morning Brief

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for Tuesday, August 18, 2026.

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Get EM Morning Brief delivered directly

to your favorite podcast player.

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Link is in the show notes below.

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Hawaii is the national story.

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Hurricane Lala has left one confirmed

death, a 90 year old woman found

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dead Monday in Naalehu on Hawaii

Island, and a recovery that is now

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measured in weeks rather than days.

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Hawaiian Electric reported roughly

88,670 customers still without power

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statewide Monday evening, down from

a peak above 250,900 on Sunday.

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About 100 mainland mutual aid crew members

are due to arrive and begin work midweek.

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Pahala has no power, no running water

and no sewer service, and Kau Hospital

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and Clinic is operating on backup

generation with its clinic closed.

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Floodwaters destroyed the section

of Highway 11 that is the only

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road in and out of Pahala.

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Big Island schools and county and

state offices stay closed Tuesday

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while the other counties reopen.

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Lala itself has restrengthened to a

hurricane far to the northwest, with 80

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mile per hour winds and no coastal watches

in effect, though forecasters say watches

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are likely for the Papahanaumokuakea

Marine National Monument.

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The wildfire picture stays severe.

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The National Preparedness Level remains

at 5, with 80 uncontained large fires

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and 28,710 personnel assigned nationally.

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Year to date acreage

stands at just over 7.2

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million acres, roughly 169

percent of the ten year average.

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The Northwest is the busiest geographic

area, and evacuations and closures

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remain in effect on fires in Washington,

Oregon, Utah, Montana and New Mexico.

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In the Midwest, Indiana is

still working a lethal flood.

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At least seven people are dead and

more than a thousand displaced, and the

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state expects to file a major disaster

declaration request within days.

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On the federal side, CISA added one

vulnerability to the Known Exploited

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Vulnerabilities catalog Monday,

a code injection flaw in the Ray

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distributed computing framework,

with remediation due this week.

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There is no active National

Terrorism Advisory System bulletin.

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Extreme Heat Warnings cover the

lower Colorado River valley and

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the coastal Carolinas, and the FDA

posted two Salmonella recalls Monday.

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Let's run through the states.

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Alaska: A magnitude 4.5

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earthquake struck 41 kilometers southwest

of Karluk Monday afternoon at a depth of

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about 58 kilometers, producing a tsunami

information statement with no threat.

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Great Sitkin remains at Watch and

aviation color code orange, with slow lava

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effusion continuing in the summit crater.

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Kupreanof and Shishaldin stay at Advisory.

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Arizona: NWS Phoenix carries an Extreme

Heat Warning running through 8 p.m.

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Friday, with afternoon highs of 106 to

114 in the lower Colorado River valley and

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109 to 113 across the Phoenix metro area.

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The Maricopa County Heat Relief Network

remains active with more than 200

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cooling, respite and hydration sites,

and 211 Arizona is taking cooling

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center and transportation calls daily.

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Arkansas: The City of Fort Smith is

still working through a network security

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event that began Sunday and disrupted

city computer systems and services.

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The city says emergency response and

911 dispatch remained fully functional.

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Card readers at city offices and the

landfill scale house are offline, so those

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transactions are cash and check only.

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California: The Sorrento Fire in the

city of San Diego is holding at 131

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acres and 60 percent containment,

with one evacuation order still

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in place for zone SDC 1444 A.

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Extreme heat also extends into

the southeast California deserts

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under the NWS Phoenix warning.

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Colorado: The Aspen Acres Fire

southwest of Pueblo sits at 102,004

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acres and 72 percent containment,

with 915 structures destroyed.

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Gold Mountain north of

Ouray is at 87 percent.

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No active evacuations remain on

either fire, only area closures.

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Hawaii: Beyond the power and roadway

picture, Hawaii County has been

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running points of distribution for

water, hot meals and supplies across

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the Puna and Kau districts, and

shelters remain open on the Big Island.

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The 911 system on Hawaii Island went

down temporarily Monday when storm damage

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affected radio and telephone links,

and it was restored Monday afternoon.

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Governor Josh Green's emergency

proclamation, signed ahead of the

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storm, remains the governing instrument,

and Senator Brian Schatz says he has

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pressed the Transportation Secretary to

approve forthcoming emergency funding

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for debris removal and road repair.

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A federal major disaster declaration

request has not been confirmed as filed.

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Separately, a magnitude 4.1

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earthquake southeast of

Honaunau-Napo'opo'o Monday morning

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is assessed as an aftershock

of the May 23 magnitude 6.0,

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with no impact on Mauna Loa or Kilauea.

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Kilauea stays at Advisory, and

the Observatory forecasts the

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next fountaining episode between

Friday and the following Thursday.

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Indiana: At least seven people are

dead and state officials believe more

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than 1,000 residents are displaced

by last week's storms and flooding.

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Governor Mike Braun and Indiana Department

of Homeland Security Executive Director

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Jonathan Whitham announced Monday from

the State Emergency Operations Center

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that the State Disaster Relief Fund is

active, offering grants of up to $5,000

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per household for food and clothing

while residents are out of their homes.

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The Indiana Housing and Community

Development Authority is moving families

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from emergency shelters into hotels and

apartments, with intake through 211.

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Braun also activated replacement

SNAP benefits for recipients who

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lost food to flooding or power loss,

with affidavits due within ten days.

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The state is finalizing a major

disaster declaration request

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and expects FEMA review to take

seven to ten days once filed.

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A presidential emergency declaration

approved over the weekend covers 53

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counties for emergency protective measures

at a 75 percent federal cost share.

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Maine: The Town of Lincoln reopened

its town office Tuesday at 8:30 a.m.

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with limited services after a

cybersecurity event encrypted

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files on the main file server

and other network infrastructure.

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The town's IT provider flagged the

encryption Saturday, and preliminary

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information indicates the activity

may have begun as early as Thursday.

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Vehicle registrations, hunting and fishing

licenses and tax payments are available.

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Systems are being restored

methodically to avoid reinfection.

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Minnesota: The Bear Trap Fire north

of Ely is at 30,110 acres inside

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the United States and 45 percent

contained, and the Thumb Fire is

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at 24,755 acres and 44 percent.

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The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

emergency closure order remains in effect

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through October 1 or until rescinded.

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Fire danger is now moderate in

both the east and west zones of

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the Superior National Forest.

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Mississippi: MEMA opens five

Disaster Service Centers at noon

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Tuesday for survivors of Tropical

Storm Arthur under DR: 4930

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The centers serve Hancock, Harrison,

Pearl River and Stone counties and

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are staffed by FEMA application

specialists, MEMA representatives

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and SBA disaster loan specialists.

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Hours after today run Monday

through Friday, 8 a.m.

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to 6 p.m.

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Missouri: A precautionary boil water

advisory remains in effect for St.

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Louis, covering 27 neighborhoods across

North City, South City and Midtown.

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The Water Division issued it Monday

after low water pressure caused by

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storm related power outages at the

Chain of Rocks Water Treatment Plant.

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The division says it has detected no

contamination and issued the advisory

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out of an abundance of caution.

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Samples are being analyzed, and the

advisory stands until further notice.

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We have more to cover this morning,

but first, a quick word from the

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sponsor supporting today’s episode.

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Thanks for supporting the sponsors who

help make EM Morning Brief possible.

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Now, back to this morning’s updates.

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Montana: The Sand Creek Fire five

miles east of Wisdom is the least

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contained large fire in the country,

at 31,652 acres and 1 percent

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containment with 484 personnel assigned.

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One structure has been lost, and

numerous structures and communication

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infrastructure are threatened,

with evacuations and area, road

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and trail closures in effect.

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Two companion fires on the

Beaverhead-Deerlodge are also active:

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Bobcat Lakes at 9,791 acres and 10

percent, and Moose at 5,678 acres and zero

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percent, both with evacuations in effect.

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Nevada: The Bug Fire near the

California line is at 93,733

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acres and 85 percent containment.

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The state of emergency Governor

Joe Lombardo declared earlier

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this month for the Bug and Fred

Mountain fires remains in place.

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New Mexico: The Frijoles Fire in the

Santa Fe National Forest has grown

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northeast into the Pecos Wilderness

and stands at 11,335 acres with 9

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percent containment and 656 personnel.

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Camino de Canon in Cundiyo remains in

Go status, the rest of Cundiyo and Cerro

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Piñon are in Set, and Borrego Mesa, Nambe

Pueblo Lake and Cordova are in Ready.

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State Road 503 is closed between

County Road 98 and State Road 76, and

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a new temporary forest area closure

now includes the Pecos Wilderness.

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A community meeting is set for

Tuesday evening in Santa Fe.

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North Carolina: NWS Wilmington

issued an Extreme Heat Warning early

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Tuesday running through 8 p.m.,

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covering the southeastern counties with

dangerously high heat index values.

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Oregon: Oregon has 21 large

fires, the most of any state.

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The Hagen Fire east of Pendleton

is at 56,869 acres and 14 percent

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containment with 944 personnel, and

crews spent the weekend building a

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600 to 1,000 foot buffer near Zig Zag

Springs to stop the main fire's advance.

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Highway 204 remains closed

between Weston and Elgin.

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The Paradise Fire in the Mill

Creek Watershed is at 5,333 acres

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and zero percent containment.

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NWS Pendleton has a Red Flag Warning

in effect from noon to 10 p.m.

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Tuesday for the Lower Columbia Basin,

the eastern Columbia River Gorge

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and the Warm Springs Reservation,

with gusts to 30 miles per hour and

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relative humidity as low as 15 percent.

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South Carolina: West Columbia issued

a boil water advisory Monday morning

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after a water main break, covering eight

streets including Kenwood Drive, Corley

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Manor Court and Persimmon Tree Road.

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Customers who lost pressure or

see cloudy water should boil

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vigorously for one full minute.

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NWS Wilmington's Extreme

Heat Warning also reaches the

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northeastern South Carolina coast.

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Texas: The University of Texas at San

Antonio took systems offline after

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detecting attempted unauthorized

activity at the edge of its network

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ahead of the first day of classes.

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The university says there is no

evidence data was accessed, and

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all users must reset passphrases.

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In Fort Worth, JPS Health Network has

resumed routine operations after a

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two week controlled network downtime,

and its ambulance diversion has ended.

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Utah: Two fires are running evacuations.

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Black Canyon southwest of Price is at

3,563 acres and 36 percent containment

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with active fire behavior threatening

residences and energy infrastructure.

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Widemouth 2 near Kanosh is winding

down at 129,741 acres and 84 percent

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containment, though evacuations and

closures there remain in effect.

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Washington: The Little Giant Fire

northwest of Leavenworth is the largest

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active evacuation driver in the Northwest,

at roughly 133,000 acres and 10 percent

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containment with 1,985 personnel, 43

hand crews and 83 engines assigned.

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Level 1, 2 and 3 evacuations remain

in place across Chelan County, and

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the Red Cross is running a shelter at

the Entiat Warehouse Community Church.

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Higher humidity and calmer winds

Monday let crews run strategic firing

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operations south along Chiwawa River

Road, and concern over the spot fire

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across Lake Chelan is diminishing.

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A community meeting is set for

Tuesday evening at the Lake

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Wenatchee Recreation Club.

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Elsewhere in the state, the Sinlahekin

Fire west of Tonasket is at 152,682

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acres and 44 percent contained.

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Washington has 15 large fires overall.

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West Virginia: A woman died in

Fayette County after her vehicle was

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swept away near Pax during Sunday's

flooding, and the sheriff's drone

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unit located her Monday morning.

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More than four inches of rain fell

at Yeager Airport in Charleston, with

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high water across Kanawha, Fayette,

Braxton and Nicholas counties.

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Governor Patrick Morrisey says last

month's severe storm emergency declaration

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remains in effect statewide through

August 20, and residents and businesses

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are being asked to report damage

through the state Emergency Management

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Division's weather damage survey.

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Wisconsin: Survivors of the April

severe storms and flooding have

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until Monday, August 31 to apply for

FEMA individual assistance or an SBA

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physical disaster loan under DR 4923 WI.

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Nineteen counties plus the

Oneida Nation are eligible.

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SBA economic injury loans run

through March 30 of next year.

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Let’s check in on the territories.

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Northern Mariana Islands: Ahyi Seamount

remains at Advisory and aviation

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color code yellow, with no signs of

unrest in satellite imagery or distal

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geophysical data over the past week.

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The summit sits about 55 meters below

sea level, and eruptive activity

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can present a hazard to mariners.

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USGS notes that eleven other

volcanoes in the commonwealth carry

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unassigned alert levels because

they have no geophysical monitoring.

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Puerto Rico: The grid is stable,

with roughly one percent of customers

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out of service Monday evening.

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Heavy showers and storms remained

possible across eastern Puerto

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Rico and the Virgin Islands, with a

risk of urban and stream flooding.

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American Samoa, District of

Columbia, Guam and the U.S.

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Virgin Islands: No significant

updates in the last 24 hours.

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That wraps today's EM Morning Brief.

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New episodes drop Monday through

Friday in the 5:00 AM hour P.T.,

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so the day starts with

clarity instead of catch-up.

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Subscribe on the Emergency Management

Network on Substack, or follow

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on your favorite podcast player.

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: 00:15:26

EM Morning Brief is an EOC Voices Podcast.

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