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Hurricane Lowell blacks out most of Kauai as offices and schools close statewide; NIFC holds the nation at Preparedness Level 4
Episode 253 • 8th September 2026 • EM Morning Brief • Brian Colburn
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Hurricane Lowell passes just west of Niihau and Kauai as a Category 2 storm, leaving roughly 92 percent of Kauai Island Utility Cooperative customers without power, closing Lihue Airport and the island's commercial ports, and shutting state and county offices, public schools and courts on both Kauai and Oahu. The National Interagency Fire Center holds the country at Preparedness Level 4 with 66 uncontained large fires and active evacuations in California, Oregon and Washington, while the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory raises Kilauea to Watch ahead of a new eruptive episode. Also today: a fast moving fire prompts evacuations near Spearfish, South Dakota; a water system failure puts Marine Corps Base Quantico under Code Red; Springfield, Massachusetts closes its schools after a cyber incident; and three Johns Hopkins hospitals go to Code Black. 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

  • Hurricane Lowell, Hawaii: The core passed just west of Niihau and Kauai overnight as a Category 2 storm and is tracking north away from the islands. A Hurricane Warning remains for Kauai County and a Tropical Storm Warning for Oahu. KIUC reports 33,317 of 36,333 customers without power. Five refuge areas are open on Kauai, one on Oahu.
  • Hawaii lifelines: Lihue Airport closed Monday afternoon with all flights cancelled, Nawiliwili and Port Allen are shut under Port Condition Zulu, Kuhio Highway is closed near the Hanalei Bridge, and the Kauai Department of Water has issued an islandwide conservation notice to avoid a full service outage.
  • National wildfire posture: NIFC holds the nation at Preparedness Level 4 with 66 uncontained large fires, 15,855 personnel committed and more than 8.3 million acres burned year to date, about 156 percent of the ten year average.
  • Active fire evacuations: Level 3 or equivalent orders are in effect for Three Queens, King and Goat in Kittitas County, Washington; Little Giant and Sisi in Chelan County; Austin in Clackamas County, Oregon; McCully in Baker and Grant counties; Plaskett and Timber in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties, California; and the Lookout Fire near Spearfish, South Dakota.
  • Volcano: The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory raised Kilauea to Watch and aviation color code Orange late Monday ahead of episode 55 of the Halemaumau eruption.
  • Healthcare capacity: Three Johns Hopkins hospitals in Maryland and the District of Columbia went to Code Black on Monday during a network failure, and Sibley Memorial remained restricted as of 5 p.m. Luminis Health continues operating with its phone system and patient portal offline.
  • Cyber: Springfield Public Schools in Massachusetts is closed today after a cyber incident. CISA has added no Known Exploited Vulnerabilities since September 4 and issued no advisories in the last 24 hours.
  • Water systems: Do not drink order for the Kaktovik community system in Alaska after ethylene glycol detection; boil water advisories in Florence and Belton, South Carolina; a system wide boil advisory at Cape Meares, Oregon; a system wide conservation order in Arkansas; and a base water failure at Marine Corps Base Quantico.
  • Heat: 15 Extreme Heat Warnings and 30 Heat Advisories are active across Southern California, Arizona, Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas, with Red Flag Warnings in central Wyoming.
  • Assistance deadline: FEMA Individual Assistance applications for Indiana's August disaster declaration close October 25.

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Sources

NOAA and the National Hurricane Center

USGS

NIFC and national wildfire

DHS, CISA and FEMA

Travel advisories

Hawaii

Washington

Oregon

California

South Dakota

Virginia

Massachusetts

Maryland and District of Columbia

Alaska

Texas

Oklahoma

Colorado

Arkansas

Louisiana

South Carolina

North Carolina

Indiana

Michigan

Wisconsin

New York

Idaho

Montana

New Mexico

Transcripts

Cedric:

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

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for Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

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Hurricane Lowell is the

national story this morning.

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The Central Pacific Hurricane Center

places the center about 110 miles

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northwest of Lihue as of 2 a.m.

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Hawaii time, moving north at 18

miles an hour with maximum sustained

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winds of 105 miles an hour.

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A Hurricane Warning remains in effect

for Kauai County, including the

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islands of Kauai and Niihau, and a

Tropical Storm Warning covers Oahu.

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The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency

reports very hazardous conditions

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across Kauai County and Oahu overnight,

with damaging winds, heavy rain, flash

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flooding, landslides and extreme surf.

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Kauai's electric cooperative reports

the island is largely without

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power, and state and county offices,

public schools and courts are

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closed today on both Kauai and Oahu.

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The National Interagency Fire Center

holds the country at National Preparedness

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Level 4, with 66 uncontained large

fires and 15,855 personnel committed.

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Four of those incidents carry

active evacuations: Plaskett in

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California, McCully in Oregon, and

Three Queens and Goat in Washington.

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Year to date the nation

stands at more than 8.3

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million acres burned, roughly 156

percent of the ten year average.

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The National Weather Service is

carrying about 118 land based alerts

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nationwide this morning, including 15

Extreme Heat Warnings across Southern

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California, Arizona, Kansas, Missouri

and Arkansas, 30 Heat Advisories, and

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Red Flag Warnings in central Wyoming.

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The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory raised

Kilauea to Watch and aviation color code

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Orange late Monday, citing precursory low

level eruptive activity ahead of episode

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55 of the ongoing Halemaumau eruption.

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On the cyber and lifeline side,

Springfield Public Schools in

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Massachusetts is closed today after

a cyber incident interrupted district

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systems, and three Johns Hopkins hospitals

in Maryland and the District of Columbia

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went to Code Black on Monday, closing

emergency departments to ambulance

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traffic during a network failure the

health system says was not a cyberattack.

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Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia

is under Code Red this morning

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following a base water system failure.

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There are no current National Terrorism

Advisory System advisories, no new Known

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Exploited Vulnerabilities added since

September 4, and no new federal disaster

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declarations in the last 24 hours.

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Let's run through the states.

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Hawaii: Hurricane Lowell passed just

west of Niihau and Kauai overnight

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as a Category 2 storm and is now

tracking north away from the islands.

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Kauai Island Utility Cooperative reports

33,317 of its 36,333 customers without

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power in its early Tuesday update,

roughly 92 percent of the island.

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Five refuge areas are open on Kauai in

partnership with the American Red Cross,

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and Oahu opened a refuge area at Nanakuli

Elementary School Monday evening; no

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evacuation orders are in place on Oahu.

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Lihue Airport closed Monday afternoon

and Hawaii Department of Transportation

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cancelled all flights in and out for

the rest of the day, while Honolulu

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and the other airports stayed open.

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The commercial ports at

Nawiliwili and Port Allen are

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shut under Port Condition Zulu.

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Kauai County reports Kuhio Highway

closed near the Hanalei Bridge for

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flooding, along with Maluhia Road and a

stretch of Kaumualii Highway in Kekaha.

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The county Department of Water has

issued an islandwide conservation notice,

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warning that power loss to pumps and

wells could force a full service outage.

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Floodwaters cut road access

in Wainiha on the North Shore.

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On Oahu, high surf pushed water

into ground floor units at a Makaha

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condominium complex, and Farrington

Highway closed for more than five hours.

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No injuries or fatalities

have been officially reported.

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All state and city offices, public

schools, University of Hawaii

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campuses and Judiciary operations

are closed today on Oahu and Kauai.

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Washington: Kittitas County has Level 3

"Go Now," Level 2 and Level 1 evacuations

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in effect for the Three Queens, King

and Goat fires east of Snoqualmie

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Pass, with 547 personnel assigned.

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Three Queens is 9,444 acres at

12 percent containment, King

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is 3,146 acres and uncontained.

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In Chelan County, Level 1, 2 and 3

evacuations remain near Stehekin and

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Lucerne for the Little Giant and Sisi

fires, and four Department of Natural

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Resources engines are now fully staffed

in Stehekin for structure protection.

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Little Giant stands at roughly

171,000 acres and 81 percent

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contained with 40 structures lost.

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Okanogan County has lifted Level

3 evacuations on the Sinlahekin

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Fire, now 59 percent contained at

166,116 acres, though lands and

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roads in the fire area remain closed.

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Oregon: Baker and Grant counties

reduced the evacuation footprint on

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the McCully Fire Monday afternoon,

leaving Level 1 and Level 2 areas

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in Grant County and a combined

Level 3 area spanning both counties.

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Command of the roughly 980 person

response transferred to a California

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incident management team Monday evening,

and the Wallowa Whitman National

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Forest emergency closure remains.

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Level 3 "Go Now" evacuations continue in

Clackamas County for the Austin Fire, at

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12,610 acres and 19 percent contained.

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Hood River and Wasco counties

still hold Level 1, 2 and 3 notices

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on the 93,990 acre Grasshopper

Fire, now 91 percent contained.

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Separately, Oregon Health Authority

logged a system wide boil water advisory

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Monday afternoon for the Oceanside

Water District at Cape Meares in

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Tillamook County following a two inch

main break affecting about 170 people.

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California: Evacuation Orders remain

in effect for 15 zones across Monterey

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and San Luis Obispo counties on the

Plaskett Fire, with warnings for 22 more.

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CAL FIRE lists the fire at 29,862 acres

and 47 percent contained, with Highway 1

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closed from Kirk Creek Campground south

to the county line and a shelter at

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Santa Rosa Catholic Church in Cambria.

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The neighboring Timber Fire holds

Evacuation Orders for 13 Monterey

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County zones and warnings for 26 more at

25,380 acres and 27 percent contained.

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Extreme Heat Warnings cover the

Inland Empire, Coachella Valley,

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Imperial County and the San

Diego and Orange county valleys.

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South Dakota: Lawrence County Emergency

Management issued a wireless emergency

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alert Monday afternoon ordering

evacuation of Lookout Mountain,

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Kerwin Road, Lookout Vista Road and

surrounding areas near Spearfish after

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a fast moving fire grew to roughly 300

acres with no containment reported.

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Spearfish police report crews evacuating

threatened homes, an access restriction

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southeast of the fire, and closure

of the Spearfish Rec Center, and are

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asking the public to stop calling 911

for fire information because call volume

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is straining emergency communications.

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On the Pine Ridge Reservation, the

Needles Fire grew 2,018 acres in

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a day to 6,018 acres at 35 percent

containment with wind driven runs.

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Virginia: Marine Corps Base Quantico

placed Main Side under Code Red

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this morning, closing all Main Side

buildings including child development

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centers and schools, with only

mission essential personnel reporting.

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The action follows a base water system

failure that left the Town of Quantico,

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which buys finished water from the base

system, without running water from Monday

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evening with no restoration estimate.

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West Side remains Code Green.

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Massachusetts: Springfield Public

Schools closed all schools and cancelled

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afterschool activities today after a

cyber incident interrupted services

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necessary for school operations.

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The superintendent directed staff

and students with district laptops

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to stay off district networks

until the scope is determined.

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The central office remains open,

though phone service may be affected.

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We have more to cover this morning, but

first, a quick word from our sponsors.

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Thanks for supporting our sponsors who

help make EM Morning Brief possible.

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Now, back to this morning’s updates.

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Maryland: Johns Hopkins Howard County

Medical Center in Columbia and Suburban

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Hospital in Bethesda operated under

state designated Code Black status Monday

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afternoon, effectively closing their

emergency departments to EMS traffic,

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and both cleared the status by 5 p.m.

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The health system attributes the event

to a temporary technology network issue

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and says it was not a cyberattack.

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Separately, Luminis Health continues

working through a cyberattack disclosed

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September 4 that has knocked the phone

system and patient portal offline

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at Anne Arundel Medical Center and

Doctors Community Medical Center.

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Alaska: The North Slope Borough is warning

Kaktovik residents that the community

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water system is unsafe for drinking,

food preparation or brushing teeth

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after testing detected ethylene glycol.

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Boiling does not make it safe.

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The water remains usable

for bathing and washing.

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The Borough is mobilizing emergency

drinking water deliveries, and Arctic

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Slope Native Association medical staff

arrived Sunday for health monitoring.

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District of Columbia: Sibley Memorial

Hospital was placed under Code

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Black Monday and, unlike the two

Maryland hospitals, remained under

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the restricted status as of 5 p.m.,

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with its emergency department

effectively closed to EMS traffic.

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Texas: The Ross Fire in Palo Pinto

County holds at 90,400 acres and 44

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percent contained with 157 structures

lost and 472 personnel assigned.

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Texas A&M Forest Service reports

four additional active fires in

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Sutton and Schleicher counties and

has state resources on standby for

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increased wind across the High Plains,

Rolling Plains and Cross Timbers.

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Flood Warnings remain up for Hardin,

Jasper, Jefferson and Orange counties.

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Oklahoma: A Wellston firefighter is

in critical condition after a medical

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emergency on a Lincoln County grass

fire that burned more than 240 acres

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near Tryon, damaged a home and two

outbuildings and displaced one family.

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The Highway Patrol closed State

Highway 29 in both directions near

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Duncan Lake Road Monday afternoon

for smoke and low visibility.

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Colorado: Larimer County issued

voluntary evacuations by NOCO

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Alert for residents along Lonestar

Road and Stagecoach Trail as the

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Burnett Gulch Fire burned about 1.75

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miles east of Pinewood Springs.

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The fire is 2.8

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acres and 20 percent contained.

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In Colorado Springs, a shelter in

place order issued Monday night near

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Creekside at Palmer Park Apartments

was lifted early this morning.

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Arkansas: Community Water System has a

system wide conservation order in effect

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after a mechanical failure of high

service pumping equipment, compounded

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by extreme heat and high demand.

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Partial capacity was restored Sunday

evening, and customers are told

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to limit use to essential domestic

purposes, with full restoration

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possibly several days out.

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Louisiana: Southern University cancelled

Tuesday classes at its Baton Rouge

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campus and moved employees, the Law

Center and the AgCenter remote while

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crews repair a campus transformer,

relocating residents of four halls.

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In Iberville Parish, a programming fault

during a routine monthly siren test

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pushed all 300 stored notifications,

including a false chemical evacuation

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order; the parish president confirms

there is no active emergency.

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South Carolina: Florence issued a boil

water advisory for the Spaulding Heights

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neighborhood after a main break, and

Belton issued a boil water advisory

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covering 11 streets after a main

line break, with officials noting the

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system may have become contaminated.

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North Carolina: Asheboro opened

damage reporting for residents

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and businesses under the state of

emergency declared Sunday after

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weekend storms downed hundreds of

trees and damaged more than 40 streets.

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Winston Salem and Forsyth County

Utilities is making emergency water

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main repairs in Rural Hall with

possible service interruptions.

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Indiana: Fire destroyed the under

construction Stadium Flats apartment

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building in downtown South Bend

overnight, forcing evacuation

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of the neighboring Diamond View

Apartments with no injuries reported.

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State grants and FEMA Individual

Assistance remain open for 21

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counties in the August disaster

declaration, with the FEMA application

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deadline set for October 25.

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Michigan: Some Oakland County

residents remain without power days

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after severe storms that DTE says

affected more than 450,000 customers.

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The utility reports 99 percent restoration

with out of state crews assisting.

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Wisconsin: La Crosse Central High

School is closed today after a third

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floor pipe burst damaged classrooms

on three floors and the main office.

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New York: Islip fire officials

requested the state Department of

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Environmental Conservation and the

town hazmat team after a shipyard

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building fire, citing possible fuel or

chemical runoff into an adjacent canal.

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Idaho: Level 3 "Go Now" evacuations

remain across a large area of

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Owyhee County for the Flint Fire,

with Silver City on Ready status.

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The Big Grass Fire is roughly 578,637

acres and 94 percent contained, with

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a BLM area closure and a temporary

flight restriction still in place.

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Montana: Labor Day thunderstorms brought

hail over two inches and gusts to 53 miles

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an hour to the Billings, Shepherd and

Huntley areas, damaging outbuildings and

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producing street and basement flooding.

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The Bitterroot National Forest issued

a public safety notice on flooding

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and debris flows in recent burn scars.

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New Mexico: Area, road and trail closures

remain on the 15,483 acre Frijoles

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Fire near Cundiyo, now 77 percent

contained with no evacuations in place.

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The Whiskey Fire near Mountainair is

393 acres and 42 percent contained.

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All other states have no significant

updates in the last 24 hours.

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Puerto Rico: The National Weather

Service in San Juan has a Heat

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Advisory in effect from 10 a.m.

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to 5 p.m.

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Atlantic time today for

Puerto Rico and the U.S.

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Virgin Islands, with a tropical

wave forecast to arrive Wednesday.

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All other territories and the District

of Columbia have no significant

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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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EM Morning Brief is an EOC Voices Podcast.

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