The Emergency Management Network Podcast

Hurricane Nolo passed farther south than forecast and spared Hawaii Island the worst case, but flooded roads on the Big Island, prompted five high-water rescues Sunday and knocked out power on Oahu and Maui. A pre-landfall Presidential Emergency Declaration approved Friday covers four counties at a 75 percent federal cost share. On the East Coast, the nor’easter killed a New York City Housing Authority worker struck by a falling tree Saturday in Brooklyn, drove outages past 100,000 customers at their peak, and produced the worst coastal flooding since Sandy at two Jersey Shore tide gauges. New Jersey and New York both declared states of emergency before landfall. The national preparedness level holds at 2 with 69 incidents and 6,003 personnel, down 305, and three new large fires, including one near Benton City, Washington, that destroyed seven structures. The EMN NEWS Daily Brief is your concise daily update on national and state-by-state emergency management news.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Hawaii outcome: Nolo tracked south of the main islands, with rainfall above 14 inches at the Big Island's highest elevations. Crews worked through Sunday on flooding, debris, high surf and wind. Highway 11 in Kau closed in multiple locations between Pahala and Waiohinu. Hawaii County Civil Defense is asking residents and businesses to report storm damage so agencies and nonprofit partners can assess unmet needs.
Hawaii infrastructure: The Hawaii County Department of Water Supply asked customers in affected service areas to limit water to essential health and safety needs, citing power outages and possible damage to water system infrastructure. County solid waste transfer stations in Kauai stayed closed, and the Hele-On Route 90 run to Kona was canceled.
Federal declaration: The pre-landfall declaration approved September 25 provides federal assistance for emergency protective measures in the City and County of Honolulu and Hawaii, Maui and Kauai counties, including direct federal assistance, at a 75 percent federal cost share. The State Emergency Operations Center remains at Level 1 full activation with 24-hour staffing, coordinating with FEMA Region IX, the counties and utilities.
Get ready, Long Beach! Join emergency management professionals from across the country and around the world for the IAEM 74th Annual Conference & EMEX, November 9-11, 2026, and experience three incredible days of big ideas, new connections, innovation, and the people shaping the future of emergency management. We’ll see you in Long Beach!
Nor’easter toll: Outages ran past 100,000 customers across the Northeast at times Sunday, concentrated from New Jersey through Long Island and coastal Connecticut, and were down to roughly 40,000 by this morning. Major coastal flooding was reported at tide gauges from Delaware to Long Island, with two Jersey Shore locations reaching their highest levels since Hurricane Sandy.
State declarations: New Jersey Executive Order 25 declared a state of emergency effective 5 p.m. Friday for Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Salem counties, activating the State Emergency Operations Center. New York declared a state of emergency for the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester.
Federal posture: FEMA reported that response coordination centers in the affected regions operated at an enhanced posture through the weekend, with teams on standby in New England in case of widespread outages.
Wildfire posture: Preparedness Level 2 with 69 incidents, 16 uncontained large fires, 1,707,048 acres and 6,003 personnel, a drop of 305, per the Sunday situation report. Initial attack was light at 55 fires, with three new large incidents and five complex teams committed. Year to date, the country is at 57,223 fires and 8,562,096 acres, 124 and 142 percent of the ten-year averages.
New large fires: Second Street, one mile southeast of Benton City, Washington, is 1,151 acres and 60 percent contained, with seven structures lost, extreme fire behavior and wind-driven runs, and threatened residences and energy infrastructure. Rafter 4B, southeast of Eldorado, Texas, is 1,250 acres with no containment. Stone Bridge, northeast of Wilburton, Oklahoma, is 130 acres and 60 percent contained with one structure lost.
California: Dome in Yosemite National Park grew 245 acres to 4,606 but nearly doubled containment to 30 percent, with estimated containment pushed to October 17. Timber on the Los Padres National Forest rose to 71 percent contained, with numerous structures still threatened.
Fire weather: Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms develop across the Southwest as moisture from Hurricane Polo moves north from off the Mexican coast. Heavy rain continues today in much of southern and eastern New England with strong northeast winds and coastal flooding. Winds slowly weaken in Hawaii as Nolo moves west away from the islands.
SOURCES
Wildfire, national
NICC Incident Management Situation Report and Predictive Services discussion: Sunday, Sept 27, 2026, 0730 MDT (live PDF, overwritten daily). Source for all fire figures, the new large fires and the California items.
https://www.nifc.gov/nicc-files/sitreprt.pdf
IMSR archive
https://www.nifc.gov/nicc/incident-information/imsr
Hawaii
Office of the Governor: approval of pre-landfall Presidential Declaration for Hurricane Nolo, 75 percent cost share, State EOC at Level 1, Sept 25
https://governor.hawaii.gov/newsroom/office-of-the-governor-news-release-gov-green-announces-approval-of-pre-landfall-presidential-declaration-for-hurricane-nolo/
Honolulu Star-Advertiser: Nolo spares Big Island, outages on Oahu and Maui, five high-water rescues, damage reporting through Hawaii County Civil Defense, Sept 28
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2026/09/28/hawaii-news/nolo-spares-big-island-but-outages-hit-oahu-and-maui/
Big Island Now: Department of Water Supply essential-use request, Highway 11 closure, transfer stations and Hele-On Route 90, Sept 27
https://bigislandnow.com/2026/09/27/what-big-island-residents-need-to-know-wednesday-about-tropical-storm-nolo/
The Weather Channel: Nolo intensity west of the islands and Big Island rainfall totals, Sept 28
https://weather.com/2026/09/28/storms/hurricane/hawaii-hurricane-nolo-flooding-wind-forecast
Maui News: federal declaration detail and Maui County emergency proclamation, Sept 26
https://www.mauinews.com/news/local-news/2026/09/federal-emergency-declaration-approved-ahead-of-hurricane-nolo/
East Coast
Office of the Governor of New Jersey: Executive Order 25, state of emergency for eight counties effective 5 p.m. Sept 25
https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/2026/20260925a.shtml
New Jersey Executive Order No. 25 (full text)
https://nj.gov/infobank/eo/057sherrill/pdf/EO-25.pdf
Associated Press via NBC News: storm death, outage totals, FEMA enhanced posture and standby teams, updated Sept 28
https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/storms/noreaster-flooding-death-toll-rcna600078
FOX Weather live updates: major coastal flooding gauges from Delaware to Long Island, two Jersey Shore locations at worst since Sandy, current outage count, Sept 28
https://www.foxweather.com/live-news/live-updates-deadly-nor-easter-floods-the-coast-as-dangerous-winds-whip-through-the-northeast
The Hill: New York and New Jersey emergency declarations, Hochul counties, Sept 25
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/6112822-ny-nj-noreaster-declare-emergency/
CISA
CISA Adds One Known Exploited Vulnerability to Catalog: CVE-2026-7273, Sept 21; no later additions located in this sweep
https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2026/09/21/cisa-adds-one-known-exploited-vulnerability-catalog


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THE EMN DAILY NEWS BRIEF | Friday, 25 September 2026
Nolo became a hurricane Thursday night and is closing on Hawaii Island with 80-mile-per-hour winds, a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch for Hawaii County, a tropical storm watch for Maui County, and forecast rainfall of 15 to 30 inches on the eastern and southern Big Island. Hawaii County opens five more shelters this morning, and state and county offices, public schools and University of Hawaii facilities on the island are closed today. High wind warnings took effect at 8 a.m. for coastal Massachusetts and most of Rhode Island as the nor’easter strengthens, with coastal flood warnings up in southeastern Virginia. The national preparedness level holds at 2 with 74 incidents and 6,824 personnel, down 520, and Northern California now reports no uncontained large fires. Correction: Thursday’s issue reported year-to-date acreage revised down to 8,096,338; today’s report puts it at 8,559,888, or 145 percent of average, so that drop was a reporting lag rather than a revision. The EMN NEWS Daily Brief is your concise daily update on national and state-by-state emergency management news.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Hurricane Nolo: The Central Pacific Hurricane Center put Nolo at 80 miles per hour at 11 p.m. Thursday, centered 240 miles south of South Point and moving north-northeast at 5 miles per hour. Hurricane-force winds extend 40 miles from the center. Forecasters expect rapid intensification to a major hurricane Saturday, with a sharp turn west near the Big Island. Tropical storm conditions begin late Friday in the warning area, with hurricane conditions possible early Saturday.
Hawaii operations: Hawaii County is opening five additional shelters this morning. Governor Josh Green closed state and county offices, Department of Education schools and University of Hawaii campuses on Hawaii Island Thursday and Friday. This is the state’s fourth tropical system of the season, after Lala in August and Lowell earlier this month, and Green put combined damage and planned resilience costs from the run of disasters above $1 billion.
Get ready, Long Beach! Join emergency management professionals from across the country and around the world for the IAEM 74th Annual Conference & EMEX, November 9-11, 2026, and experience three incredible days of big ideas, new connections, innovation, and the people shaping the future of emergency management. We’ll see you in Long Beach!
Nor’easter: The Boston forecast office issued high wind warnings for coastal and southeastern Massachusetts and all of Rhode Island except northwestern Providence County, running from 8 a.m. today to 2 a.m. Sunday, with northeast gusts of 45 to 60 miles per hour and 65 to 70 possible on the islands. Coastal flood warnings remain in southeastern Virginia with 2 to 3 feet of inundation forecast. Reporting from Norfolk describes repeated high tide cycles flooding roads and disrupting city operations, and Saturday’s full moon raises each successive tide.
Wildfire posture: Preparedness Level 2 with 74 incidents, 26 uncontained large fires, 1,783,567 acres and 6,824 personnel, a drop of 520, per the Friday situation report. Initial attack was light, with 70 fires, one new large incident, two large fires contained and six complex teams committed. Year to date, the country is at 57,087 fires and 8,559,888 acres, 125 and 145 percent of the ten-year averages.
California: Floriston near Truckee is fully contained, leaving Northern California with no uncontained large fires. Timber on the Los Padres National Forest gained 241 personnel to 920 with moderate fire behavior and uphill runs, and numerous structures and communication infrastructure remain threatened. Dome in Yosemite National Park grew 144 acres to 4,133 at 16 percent contained, with costs now at $13.8 million.
Northwest: Thirteen uncontained large fires and 3,115 personnel, down 209, with precipitation over most of the Oregon and Washington incidents yesterday. Three Queens hold 9,551 acres and are 31 percent contained, with numerous residences and critical infrastructure threatened.
Southern Area: Thirty-one new fires and one new large incident. Lake Ranch, northwest of McAlester, Oklahoma, is 390 acres and 74 percent contained after wind-driven runs and torching.
Fire weather: Southwesterly gusts to 40 miles per hour develop across northeast California, the northern Great Basin and southwest to central Montana, with minimum humidity of 10 to 20 percent from northern Nevada into central Montana and areas of elevated conditions. Wetting rain is expected from northern Idaho into western Montana.
Federal assistance: SBA physical damage deadlines for the September 1 public assistance declarations close November 1 in Colorado and South Dakota and November 2 in Missouri and Texas. Economic injury applications stay open to June 1, 2027.
Cyber: No Known Exploited Vulnerabilities additions were located after Monday’s Zyxel GS1900 switch entry, CVE-2026-7273.
SOURCES
Wildfire, national
NICC Incident Management Situation Report and Predictive Services discussion: Friday, Sept 25, 2026, 0730 MDT (live PDF, overwritten daily). Source for all fire figures, the Northwest, California and Southern Area items.
https://www.nifc.gov/nicc-files/sitreprt.pdf
IMSR archive
https://www.nifc.gov/nicc/incident-information/imsr
Hawaii
Hawaii News Now: Nolo now a hurricane, CPHC 11 p.m. Thursday position and intensity, warnings and watches, Sept 25
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/09/25/hurricane-nolo-strengthening-it-moves-slowly-toward-hawaii-island/
Hawaii Tribune-Herald: Hawaii County to open five more shelters, Sept 25
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2026/09/25/hawaii-news/nolo-strengthens-as-it-nears-big-island-county-to-open-five-more-shelters-this-morning/
The Garden Island: Governor Green closures for Hawaii Island, NWS Bravender comments, combined damage figure, Sept 25
https://www.thegardenisland.com/2026/09/25/hawaii-news/tropical-storm-nolo-poses-hurricane-threat/
Honolulu Star-Advertiser: watches, warnings and offshore hurricane warning, Sept 25
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2026/09/24/breaking-news/tropical-storm-nolo-strengthens-as-hurricane-warning-looms/
CBS News: rainfall forecast and major hurricane timing, Sept 25
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/storm-nolo-hurricane-hawaii/
East Coast
The Watchers: NWS Boston/Norton high wind warnings 0800 EDT Sept 25 to 0200 EDT Sept 27, southeastern Virginia coastal flood warnings, Norfolk impacts, Sept 25
https://watchers.news/2026/09/25/long-duration-noreaster-brings-coastal-flooding-to-virginia-threatens-northeast-us-with-damaging-winds-and-heavy-rain/
The Weather Channel: nor’easter timeline and wind detail, Sept 25
https://weather.com/2026/09/25/forecast/regional/noreaster-forecast-coastal-flooding-rain-wind-boston-mid-atlantic
NBC News: coastal flooding 1 to 3 feet above high tide, wave heights, full moon Saturday, Sept 25
https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/storms/rare-september-noreaster-set-to-slam-east-coast-rcna599592
AccuWeather: mid-Atlantic to New England outlook, updated Sept 25
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-forecasts/noreaster-to-bring-major-coastal-flooding-potential-for-hurricane-force-gusts-in-new-england/1937400
CISA
CISA Adds One Known Exploited Vulnerability to Catalog: CVE-2026-7273, Sept 21; no later additions located in this sweep
https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2026/09/21/cisa-adds-one-known-exploited-vulnerability-catalog
Federal assistance
Federal Register: SBA notice, Texas, FEMA-4935-DR amendment, published Sept 14
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/14/2026-18756/presidential-declaration-amendment-of-a-major-disaster-for-public-assistance-only-for-the-state-of


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THE EMN NEWS DAILY BRIEF | Thursday, 24 September 2026
Tropical Storm Nolo formed south of Hawaii on Wednesday, and a hurricane watch is in effect for Hawaii County, with a flood watch covering the Big Island and Maui County through Saturday evening. Forecast rainfall is 15 to 20 inches on Hawaii Island, with isolated totals to 35 inches, on ground already damaged by Hurricane Lala in August. A strengthening nor’easter is driving coastal flooding and gale-force marine winds from North Carolina to southern New England, with a wind advisory posted for the Atlantic coasts of New Jersey and Delaware through Friday evening. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency Tuesday for 19 counties hit by flooding. The national preparedness level holds at 2 with 87 incidents and 8,523 personnel, down 1,178 in a day. Year-to-date acreage was revised down to 8,096,338, or 137 percent of average, from 146 percent. The EMN NEWS Daily Brief is your concise daily update on national and state-by-state emergency management news.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Hawaii: Nolo was centered about 285 miles south of South Point late Wednesday with 50-mile-per-hour winds, crawling north at 2 miles per hour. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center forecasts hurricane strength by Thursday night and possibly a major hurricane by the weekend, with the closest approach to the Big Island Friday into Saturday. A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible within 48 hours.
Hawaii impacts: The state emergency management agency forecasts widespread totals of 15 to 20 inches on Hawaii Island, with isolated totals of 35 inches in the southeast; catastrophic flooding is possible Friday and Saturday, with life-threatening landslides in steep terrain. Maui could see 5 to 10 inches, with isolated totals of 20. Molokai, Lanai and Oahu could see up to 4 inches and Kauai up to 2. Peak storm surge of 1 to 3 feet above ground is possible on Hawaii Island at high tide.
Nor’easter: The Mount Holly forecast office reports persistent northeast winds through at least Friday, sustained 25 to 35 miles per hour with gusts to 50 on the New Jersey and Delaware Atlantic coasts, inland gusts to 35, gale-force winds across all coastal waters, and seas of 8 to 15 feet. A coastal flood advisory runs through tonight and a wind advisory through 6 p.m. Friday. The storm coincides with the full moon this weekend, which raises tide levels through successive cycles.
Ohio: The state of emergency signed September 22 covers Athens, Clermont, Gallia, Greene, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Meigs, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Muskingum, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Preble, Ross, Van Wert and Vinton counties. The proclamation directs state departments to provide services, equipment, supplies and personnel for cleanup.
Wildfire posture: Preparedness Level 2 with 87 incidents, 30 uncontained large fires, 1,824,164 acres and 8,523 personnel, a drop of 1,178, per the Wednesday situation report. Initial attack was light, with 93 fires, one new large incident and six complex teams committed. The Northwest dropped to Preparedness Level 2.
Acreage revision: Year-to-date acres fell from 8,554,955 to 8,096,338 in one reporting cycle, moving the season from 146 to 137 percent of the ten-year average. The change is a mapping and reporting adjustment, concentrated in Northwest Bureau of Land Management acres, not a correction to any single fire.
Northwest: Thirteen uncontained large fires and 4,290 personnel, down 366, with no new fires. Wednesday’s report lists only area, road and trail closures on Three Queens, without the evacuations carried Monday and Tuesday. Sisi near Stehekin added 85 acres at 15 percent contained, with residences and energy infrastructure threatened.
California: Northern California released 701 people in a day. Floriston near Truckee reached 96 percent contained, and Chileno in Marin County 85 percent. Dome in Yosemite National Park grew 263 acres to 3,683, holds at 15 percent contained, and carries 840 personnel and $8.4 million in costs.
Southwest: Deep tropical moisture continues over eastern Arizona, New Mexico and southern Colorado with widespread showers and scattered thunderstorms. Predictive Services expects flooding near and east of the New Mexico central mountains today.
Fire weather: Above-normal temperatures continue from the southern Plains to the lower Mississippi Valley, less extreme than recent weeks, with humidity near 30 percent in northeast Texas. A weak cold front brings scattered showers and thunderstorms to the northern Plains.
Federal assistance: SBA physical damage deadlines for the September 1 public assistance declarations close November 1 in Colorado and South Dakota and November 2 in Missouri and Texas. Economic injury applications stay open to June 1, 2027.
Cyber: No Known Exploited Vulnerabilities additions were located after Monday’s Zyxel GS1900 switch entry, CVE-2026-7273. The most recent industrial control system batch remains the eight advisories of September 17.
SOURCES
Wildfire, national
NICC Incident Management Situation Report and Predictive Services discussion: Wednesday, Sept 23, 2026, 0730 MDT (live PDF, overwritten daily)
https://www.nifc.gov/nicc-files/sitreprt.pdf
IMSR archive
https://www.nifc.gov/nicc/incident-information/imsr
Hawaii
Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Tropical Storm Nolo updates: key messages and recommended actions, Sept 23
https://dod.hawaii.gov/hiema/tropical-storm-nolo-updates/
Hawaii News Now: hurricane watch for Hawaii County, flood watch through 6 p.m. Saturday, CPHC 8 p.m. HST position, Sept 24
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/09/24/tropical-storm-nolo-holds-expected-turn-northward-hawaii-county-under-hurricane-watch/
Honolulu Star-Advertiser: CPHC forecast track and intensity, Sept 24
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2026/09/23/breaking-news/tropical-depression-may-grow-into-major-hurricane-near-hawaii-island/
CBS News: Nolo forms, Big Island under hurricane watch, Sept 24
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/storm-nolo-hurricane-hawaii/
East Coast
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly briefing: coastal flood advisory, wind advisory, marine conditions, 6:30 AM EDT Sept 24 (live PDF)
https://www.weather.gov/media/phi/current_briefing.pdf
The Weather Channel: nor’easter timeline from North Carolina to New England, Sept 24
https://weather.com/2026/09/24/forecast/regional/noreaster-forecast-coastal-flooding-rain-wind-boston-mid-atlantic
AccuWeather: full moon tide amplification and New England wind threat, updated Sept 24
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-forecasts/noreaster-to-bring-major-coastal-flooding-hurricane-force-gusts-in-new-england/1937400
Ohio
Office of Governor Mike DeWine: state of emergency for 19 counties, signed Sept 22
https://governor.ohio.gov/media/news-and-media/governor-dewine-declares-state-of-emergency-for-several-ohio-counties
CISA
CISA Adds One Known Exploited Vulnerability to Catalog: CVE-2026-7273, Sept 21; no later additions located in this sweep
https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2026/09/21/cisa-adds-one-known-exploited-vulnerability-catalog
CISA Releases Eight Industrial Control Systems Advisories: ICSA-26-260-01 through 07, Sept 17
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCISA/bulletins/42b3c27
Federal assistance
Federal Register: SBA notice, Texas, FEMA-4935-DR amendment, published Sept 14
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/14/2026-18756/presidential-declaration-amendment-of-a-major-disaster-for-public-assistance-only-for-the-state-of
Washington, California, New Mexico and Colorado
NICC situation report: Three Queens, Sisi, Dome, Floriston, Chileno and the Predictive Services discussion, Sept 23


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THE EMN NEWS DAILY BRIEF | Wednesday, 23 September 2026
Two pilots were killed Sunday when a helicopter under contract to the Forest Service crashed on the Dome fire in Yosemite National Park. The national preparedness level dropped to 2 with 92 incidents, 31 uncontained large fires and 9,701 personnel, down 588 in a day. A flood watch runs from this afternoon through Saturday afternoon for Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Kahoolawe and Hawaii Island as the remnants of Tropical Depression Fifteen-E organize southeast of the state; the next central Pacific name is Nolo. Hurricane Polo is a Category 4 off southwestern Mexico with 150-mile-per-hour winds and outer rainbands reaching the coast. The Southern Area reported 43 new fires and one new large incident near Bastrop, Louisiana. Two to five inches of rain is forecast today across New Mexico and eastern Arizona. The EMN NEWS Daily Brief is your concise daily update on national and state-by-state emergency management news.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Yosemite: The situation report opened with notice that both pilots aboard a Forest Service contract helicopter were fatally injured in an accident on the Dome fire on September 20. The fire grew from 373 acres to 3,420, remains 15 percent contained, and personnel rose by 203 to 784, with a California team assigned.
Hawaii watch: The National Weather Service flood watch covers Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Kahoolawe and Hawaii Island from Wednesday afternoon through Saturday afternoon. Forecast totals vary widely by outlet, with the Fox Forecast Center putting localized amounts on the eastern Big Island at 12 to 18 inches and gusts of 30 to 40 miles per hour on a close approach. The system is still a remnant low, and the track will not settle until it closes off.
Hurricane Polo: The 1200 UTC intermediate advisory put Polo at 150 miles per hour and 922 millibars, drifting north at 2 miles per hour about 165 miles off Zihuatanejo. Winds peaked near 180 miles per hour Tuesday. Hurricane-force winds extend 40 miles from the center and tropical storm-force winds 105 miles. The core is forecast to stay offshore while turning northwest.
Wildfire posture: National Preparedness Level 2, down from 3, with 92 incidents, 31 uncontained large fires, 1,923,544 acres and 9,701 personnel, a drop of 588, per the Tuesday situation report. Six complex incident management teams remain committed, down from nine on Saturday. Year to date, the country is at 56,794 fires and 8,554,955 acres, 125 and 146 percent of the ten-year averages.
Northwest: Thirteen uncontained large fires and 4,656 personnel, down 352. Three Queens near Snoqualmie Pass moved to 31 percent contained and released 110 people, and evacuations remain in effect with numerous residences and critical infrastructure threatened. Border 2 in North Cascades National Park grew to 401 acres, reaching 9,108, and Sisi near Stehekin added 177 acres at 15 percent contained, with residences and energy infrastructure threatened.
California: Floriston near Truckee is 85 percent contained, and 283 people were released. Chileno in Marin County is 75 percent contained at 341 acres, with structures threatened and estimated containment today. Timber, in the Los Padres National Forest, is 59 percent contained, with numerous structures and communication infrastructure threatened and $171.6 million in costs.
Southern Area: Forty-three new fires, the most of any region. Round Prairie, eight miles northwest of Bastrop, Louisiana, is a new large incident at 739 acres and 60 percent contained after wind-driven and short crown runs. Gracemont in Oklahoma reached 90 percent contained with 31 structures lost. Mud Bayou in Texas is fully contained.
Southwest monsoon: Southerly flow around the repositioned ridge draws another round of monsoonal moisture into New Mexico and eastern Arizona, with 2 to 5 inches of rain expected today. Burn scar drainages are exposed.
Federal assistance: SBA physical damage deadlines for the September 1 public assistance declarations close November 1 in Colorado and South Dakota and November 2 in Missouri and Texas. Economic injury applications stay open to June 1, 2027.
Water systems: West Columbia, South Carolina, lifted its main break boil water advisory Tuesday evening. The Mississippi State Department of Health lists boil water notices issued September 21 in Lamar and Forrest counties, with several others rescinded September 22.
Fire weather: Relative humidity falls to 35 to 40 percent across the lower Mississippi Valley with temperatures back into the low to mid 90s. West winds gust to 35 miles per hour through the Cascade gaps and the Columbia Gorge this afternoon. Northern California drops to 10 to 20 percent with poor overnight recovery.
Cyber: No Known Exploited Vulnerabilities additions were located after Monday’s Zyxel GS1900 switch entry, CVE-2026-7273. The most recent industrial control system batch remains the eight advisories of September 17.

SOURCES
Wildfire, national
NICC Incident Management Situation Report and Predictive Services discussion: Tuesday, Sept 22, 2026, 0730 MDT (live PDF, overwritten daily). Source for the Yosemite helicopter accident notice and all fire figures.
https://www.nifc.gov/nicc-files/sitreprt.pdf
IMSR archive
https://www.nifc.gov/nicc/incident-information/imsr
Hawaii
Hawaii Emergency Management Agency flood watch, quoted by FOX Weather: Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Kahoolawe and Hawaii Island, Wednesday afternoon through Saturday afternoon, Sept 23
https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/flood-watches-issued-tropical-depression-fifteen-e-redevelops-threatens-hawaii-rare-direct-landfall
Honolulu Star-Advertiser: Hawaii island and Maui County under flood watch as system nears, Sept 23
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2026/09/23/hawaii-news/hawaii-island-maui-county-under-flood-watch-as-growing-storm-nears/
The Garden Island: news briefs, formation chances and the name Nolo, Sept 23
https://www.thegardenisland.com/2026/09/23/hawaii-news/news-briefs-for-wednesday-september-23-2026/
Eastern Pacific
Hurricane Polo Intermediate Advisory Number 11A: NHC, 1200 UTC Sept 23, NHC text via Cape Weather mirror
https://capeweather.com/hurricane-polo-public-advisory-number-11a/
Hurricane Polo Advisory Number 11: NHC, 0900 UTC Sept 23
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/mobile/text/refresh/MIATCPEP2+html/212339.shtml
CBS News: Polo peak intensity near 180 mph, tropical storm warning Tecpan de Galeana to Punta San Telmo, Sept 23
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hurricane-polo-category-5-mexico-life-threatening-flooding/
CISA
CISA Adds One Known Exploited Vulnerability to Catalog: CVE-2026-7273, Sept 21
https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2026/09/21/cisa-adds-one-known-exploited-vulnerability-catalog
CISA Releases Eight Industrial Control Systems Advisories: ICSA-26-260-01 through 07, Sept 17
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCISA/bulletins/42b3c27
Federal assistance
Federal Register: SBA notice, Texas, FEMA-4935-DR amendment, published Sept 14
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/14/2026-18756/presidential-declaration-amendment-of-a-major-disaster-for-public-assistance-only-for-the-state-of
South Carolina
City of West Columbia: boil water advisory lifted, Sept 22
https://westcolumbiasc.gov/boil-water-advisory-9-22-2026-lifted/
Mississippi
Mississippi State Department of Health water safety notices: Lamar and Forrest counties issued Sept 21, several rescinded Sept 22
https://msdh.ms.gov/page/23,0,148.html


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THE EMN NEWS DAILY | Tuesday, 22 September 2026

The remnants of Tropical Depression Fifteen-E southeast of Hawaii are now likely to become a tropical depression within a day or two, up from a medium chance over the weekend. In the eastern Pacific, Hurricane Polo reached Category 4 overnight with 130-mile-per-hour winds, and the Associated Press reports it reached Category 5 Tuesday, with a tropical storm watch posted from Tecpan de Galeana to Manzanillo, Mexico. Fay has lost its deep convection 570 miles southwest of the Azores and is expected to become post-tropical today. National Preparedness Level 3 holds with 95 incidents and 10,289 personnel, down 597, and three new large fires, including Chileno in Marin County with structures threatened. Evacuations are again listed as in effect for the Three Queens fire in Washington. The EMN NEWS Daily Brief is your concise daily update on national and state-by-state emergency management news.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Hawaii watch: The Central Pacific Hurricane Center’s 0200 HST outlook says the remnants of Fifteen-E, several hundred miles southeast of the islands, produced an increase in showers and thunderstorms overnight, and a depression is likely in the next day or two as the system moves west-northwest or northwest slowly. Sunday’s outlook carried a 60 percent chance over seven days. The system is not yet under advisories.
Hurricane Polo: The 0600 UTC intermediate advisory put Polo at 130 miles per hour and 955 millibars, 330 miles south-southeast of Manzanillo. The National Hurricane Center forecasts 4 to 8 inches of rain, with isolated totals of 12 inches, across coastal Guerrero and Michoacán through Thursday, with life-threatening flooding and mudslides possible. The core is forecast to stay offshore.
Atlantic: Fay weakened to 40 miles per hour and 1009 millibars at the 0900 UTC advisory, moving southwest at 9 miles per hour. It peaked at 70 miles per hour Sunday night without reaching hurricane strength and has no hazards to land.
Wildfire posture: Preparedness Level 3 holds with 95 incidents, 33 uncontained large fires, 1,968,316 acres and 10,289 personnel, a drop of 597, per the Monday situation report. Initial attack was light, with 46 fires, three new large incidents and seven complex incident management teams committed. Northern California dropped to Preparedness Level 2. Year to date: 56,651 fires and 8,542,800 acres, 125 and 146 percent of the ten-year averages.
New large fires: Chileno, nine miles east of Tomales in Marin County, California, is 341 acres and 5 percent contained, with structures threatened and 110 personnel. Mud Bayou on McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge near High Island, Texas, is 10,550 acres and 80 percent contained. Tabor on the Mark Twain National Forest near Pomona, Missouri, is 130 acres and 4 percent contained.
Northwest, clarification: Monday’s issue noted that Sunday’s situation report did not list evacuations on Three Queens. Monday’s report lists evacuations in effect again, along with numerous residences and critical infrastructure threatened. The fire is 9,566 acres and 23 percent contained, and command transfers from Northwest Team 2 back to the local unit today.
California: Dome in Yosemite National Park grew 663 acres to 3,047 and holds at 15 percent contained with 581 personnel. Floriston near Truckee rose to 65 percent contained and released 338 personnel. Lucas is fully contained, and California Team 6 now manages both Timber and Plaskett.
Water systems: Kalamazoo, Michigan, lifted its boil water advisory at 7 a.m. Monday after negative tests for E. coli and coliform. Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo Public Schools are staying on bottled water while flushing systems. At Monday’s council meeting, the public services director said the city received many comments on its communications and is working with the state on its public alert systems.
Cyber: CISA added one vulnerability to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog Monday, CVE-2026-7273, a stack-based buffer overflow in Zyxel GS1900 series switches, remediated by federal civilian agencies under Binding Operational Directive 26-04.
Federal assistance: SBA physical damage deadlines for the September 1 declarations close November 1 in Colorado and South Dakota and November 2 in Missouri and Texas. Economic injury applications stay open to June 1, 2027.
Fire weather: Highs in the mid to upper 90s from the lower Mississippi Valley through Tennessee with relative humidity near 25 to 30 percent. East of the Cascades, humidity falls to 15 to 30 percent with gusts to 25 miles per hour in the gaps, and northern California drops to 10 to 20 percent with poor overnight recovery. Isolated wet and dry thunderstorms in southern and western Nevada and along the Sierra Front. Today is the driest day of the week on the southern Front Range, with humidity in the teens.

SOURCES
Tropical weather
Central Pacific Tropical Weather Outlook: CPHC, 200 AM HST Sept 22
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/mobile/text/refresh/HFOTWOCP+html/082337_HFOTWOCP.html
Central Pacific Tropical Weather Outlook: CPHC, 200 PM HST Sept 21
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/HFOTWOCP+shtml/211137_HFOTWOCP.shtml
Hurricane Polo Intermediate Advisory Number 6A: NHC, 0600 UTC Sept 22
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPEP2+shtml/220540.shtml
Associated Press via KSAT: Polo strengthens to Category 5, Sept 22
https://www.ksat.com/news/2026/09/22/hurricane-polo-grows-into-a-category-4-storm-in-the-pacific-off-mexico/
Tropical Storm Fay Discussion Number 11: NHC, 0300 UTC Sept 22
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/mobile/text/refresh/MIATCDAT1+html/212036.shtml
Tropical Storm Fay Public Advisory Number 12: NHC text via Cape Weather mirror, 0900 UTC Sept 22
https://capeweather.com/tropical-storm-fay-public-advisory-number-12/
Wildfire, national
NICC Incident Management Situation Report and Predictive Services discussion: Monday, Sept 21, 2026, 0730 MDT (live PDF, overwritten daily)
https://www.nifc.gov/nicc-files/sitreprt.pdf
IMSR archive
https://www.nifc.gov/nicc/incident-information/imsr
CISA
CISA Adds One Known Exploited Vulnerability to Catalog: CVE-2026-7273, Sept 21
https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2026/09/21/cisa-adds-one-known-exploited-vulnerability-catalog
Binding Operational Directive 26-04: Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk
https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk
Federal assistance
Federal Register: SBA notice, Texas, FEMA-4935-DR amendment, published Sept 14
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/14/2026-18756/presidential-declaration-amendment-of-a-major-disaster-for-public-assistance-only-for-the-state-of
Federal Register: SBA notices for Colorado FEMA-4944-DR, South Dakota FEMA-4938-DR and Missouri FEMA-4939-DR, published Sept 9 to Sept 14 (links not recovered)
California, Texas and Missouri
NICC situation report: Chileno, Mud Bayou, Tabor, Dome, Floriston, Lucas, Timber and Plaskett, Sept 21
Washington
NICC situation report: Three Queens, evacuations in effect, Sept 21
Michigan
WMUK: boil water advisory lifted for affected Kalamazoo customers, Sept 21
https://www.wmuk.org/wmuk-news/2026-09-21/boil-water-advisory-lifted-for-affected-kalamazoo-customers
WOOD TV: Kalamazoo lifts citywide boil water advisory, Sept 21
https://www.woodtv.com/news/kalamazoo-county/kalamazoo-lifts-citywide-boil-water-advisory/
WOOD TV via Yahoo: Kalamazoo schools still using bottled water; council comments on communications, Sept 22
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/kalamazoo-schools-still-using-bottled-005006449.html


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe