Latest / EM Morning Brief / Tropical Storm Watch on the Gulf Coast as Depression Two Nears Strength; Beaver, Utah Under Flash Flood Emergency and Water Notice

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Tropical Storm Watch on the Gulf Coast as Depression Two Nears Strength; Beaver, Utah Under Flash Flood Emergency and Water Notice · EM Morning Brief

• 0:00
  Good morning.
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  I'm Cedric and This is your EM Morning Brief for Monday, July 20, 2026 and today's episode is sponsored by the NIMS store.
• 0:08
  Tropical Depression Two sits over the northeastern Gulf this morning, about 120 miles south of Panama City, Florida.
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  With 35 mph sustained winds and a slow northwest drift.
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  The National Hurricane center expects it to become a tropical storm later today.
• 0:26
  A tropical storm watch is in effect from the Oklahoma river in Florida west to the Mississippi and Alabama border and forecasters say additional watches or warnings are likely over the next day or two.
• 0:38
  Storm surge of 1 to 3ft is possible from Indian Pass to Chassahowitzka along the Mississippi and Alabama coastline and in Mobile bay.
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  Rainfall of 2 to 4 inches.
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  Locally, 6 inches is forecast through Friday from western Florida to the middle Texas coast and flash flooding is possible, especially in urban areas.
• 0:59
  The nation remains at preparedness level 5, the highest level raised July 18.
• 1:05
  NIFC reports 78 large fires, nine new large incidents and roughly 888,000 acres burning, with 19,378 firefighters and support personnel committed.
• 1:17
  All categories of national resources are heavily committed and geographic areas with the highest activity are implementing emergency measures to sustain operations.
• 1:27
  A lightning siege across the Northwest is driving the surge.
• 1:30
  Central Oregon interagency officials report more than 2,000 lightning strikes and over 85 new starts, with five Incident Management Teams now assigned.
• 1:40
  Four military MAFS C130 air tankers are deployed to Klamath Falls, Oregon, San Bernardino and Santa Maria, California the Storm Prediction center has an enhanced risk of severe weather today across the upper Midwest and Great Lakes including Minnesota, Wisconsin
• 1:57
  and upper Michigan, with swaths of damaging winds, large hail and a few tornadoes possible.
• 2:04
  Forecasters note a couple of strong tornadoes cannot be ruled out.
• 2:08
  Extreme heat warnings cover parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, South Dakota and Nebraska with heat indices of 100 to 110.
• 2:17
  In Texas, a federal emergency declaration EM3649 authorizes FEMA emergency protective measures for flooding in south and central Texas that began July 12th.
• 2:29
  Official update published about two days ago.
• 2:32
  Let's ton through the states Alabama the Tropical Storm Watch for Tropical Depression two now extends west to the Mississippi and Alabama border, covering coastal Mobile and Baldwin counties.
• 2:44
  Mississippi Sound and Mobile Bay.
• 2:47
  Storm surge of 1 to 3ft is possible in Mobile Bay with heavy rain and life threatening rip currents spreading along the coast.
• 2:55
  Alaska A flood watch covers low lying areas of the southern Kenai Peninsula including Seward, Whittier and Portage through Tuesday with 3 to 5 inches of rain and storm totals up to 8 inches possible.
• 3:08
  A flood warning is in effect for the southern Kenai Mountains and southeast.
• 3:12
  Wind gusts to 60 mph are forecast along Turnagan Arm.
• 3:17
  Arkansas an extreme heat warning covers central and northeastern Arkansas through 9pm Tuesday with heat indices of 100 to 110 expected.
• 3:27
  California the Biscar fire in Lassen county northeast of Susanville grows to more than 12,000 acres with no containment.
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  Evacuation orders are in effect for zones LS551B and LS553, with warnings in nearby zones, and US 395 is closed at Carlow Road.
• 3:46
  Near Redding, the Brook Fire holds at about 500 acres and 20% containment.
• 3:51
  Some evacuation orders are lifted, though two zones near Bella Vista remain under orders.
• 3:57
  7 Cal Fire Vena Helitack crew members were burned during Saturday operations on that fire.
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  All were treated and released.
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  Colorado the Gold Mountain fire north of ouray stands at 37,810 acres and 13% containment, with Level 3 evacuation orders continuing in parts of Ouray and Gunnison counties.
• 4:19
  Officials say there is no immediate threat to the city of Ouray.
• 4:23
  The Aspen Acres fire near rye crosses 100,000 acres at 61% containment, and phased reentry is planned this week in Pueblo and Custer counties, while the Rye area remains evacuated.
• 4:36
  In grand county, the new Hartman Hill fire prompts a mandatory evacuation along TRA Road near the Eagle county line.
• 4:43
  Florida Tropical Depression two puts the Panhandle under a tropical storm watch from the Oklahoma river to the Florida and Alabama border.
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  Heavy rain and flash flooding are the main threats, with 1 to 3ft of surge possible from Indian Pass to Chasowitzka.
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  Idaho the Ohio fire east of Haley grows to an estimated 2,000 acres.
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  Level 3 Go now.
• 5:07
  Evacuations are in effect for the Heather, Ohio Valley and Indian Creek zones, and the Red Cross operates an evacuation center at Life Church in Haley.
• 5:17
  Kansas Dangerous heat continues today and Tuesday with highs near 100 and heat indices above 105 across much of the state.
• 5:27
  Louisiana New Orleans opens seven sandbag distribution sites today ahead of Tropical Depression Two, and the city says its Emergency Operations center will likely activate Monday afternoon or Tuesday.
• 5:39
  The Sewerage and water board reports 87 of 93 drainage pumps operational.
• 5:44
  Tropical storm force winds are possible in southern Louisiana Tuesday into Wednesday.
• 5:51
  Michigan an air quality alert from Wildfire smoke continues across southeast Michigan today and severe storms with damaging gusts to 65 mph are possible overnight into early Tuesday.
• 6:03
  Minnesota Wildfires in northeastern Minnesota have burned roughly 70,000 acres or more, with the Bear Trap fire at about 34,545 acres and no containment north of Elytra.
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  Evacuation orders remain in Lake St.
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  Louis and Cook counties, with the Babbitt Municipal center serving as an evacuation point.
• 6:24
  The Forest Service has extended the full Boundary Waters Canoe Area wilderness closure through July 24.
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  Official update published about 36 hours ago.
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  The state also sits in today's enhanced severe weather risk.
• 6:38
  An extreme heat warning covers The Boothiel through 9pm Tuesday and heat indices reached as high as 107 in the Kansas City area under a heat advisory running through this evening.
• 6:50
  Nebraska Dangerous heat grips the state today with heat indices of 100 to 110, highest across eastern Nebraska, including Lincoln.
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  Relief arrives Tuesday.
• 7:02
  New Mexico Crews respond to new lightning starts on the Mount Taylor Ranger District, including the Mackenzie Ridge, Gobbler Springs and Spud fires, and NIFC lists the new Long ridge Fire at 350 acres northwest of Roswell near Ruidoso.
• 7:18
  The Lincoln National Forest begins its next phase of post fire flood mitigation work in upper Cedar Creek Canyon, with temporary area closures possible.
• 7:27
  North Dakota A red flag warning covers south central counties including Morton, Grant, Sioux and Emmons through 9pm tonight as extreme heat spreads across the Northern plains with temperatures 10 to 20 degrees above normal and strong west winds.
• 7:44
  Oregon Five incident management teams now manage a combined 27 fires across Central Oregon after the weekend lightning siege.
• 7:52
  The Hay Creek complex in Gilliam and Sherman counties tops 92,000 acres at 27% containment and the Row Creek complex is growing substantially.
• 8:02
  Gilliam county issued new level 2 be set evacuation zones Sunday for the Porcupine Ridge and Hopkins fires.
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  Statewide, more than 200,000 acres are burning and the Oregon Department of Forestry reports no complex incident management teams remain available.
• 8:19
  Two MAF C130 air tankers are staged at Klamath Falls.
• 8:25
  South Dakota Extreme Heat warnings cover southeastern South Dakota along with adjacent northwest Iowa and northeast Nebraska zones through 8pm this evening.
• 8:36
  Texas A federal emergency declaration, EM3649, approved July 18, covers 28 south and central Texas counties, including Kerr, Kendall, Kamal, Begzar, Gillespie, Bandera and Uvalde for the flooding that began July 12 with a 75% federal cost share for emergency
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  protective measures.
• 8:56
  Official update published about two days ago.
• 8:58
  In Kerr county, cleanup continues as the Guadalupe river recedes.
• 9:03
  The county reports no one missing and six of its 19 bridges have major damage.
• 9:08
  Utah A flash flood emergency was declared for Beaver Sunday afternoon after a large debris flow off the Cottonwood Fire burn scar surged over a diversion dam and down Highway 153 toward the Grove neighborhood prompting evacuations to higher ground.
• 9:25
  Beaver City issued an urgent water notice Sunday evening telling residents not to drink tap water without boiling, and part of the Grove neighborhood has no water service.
• 9:35
  A mudslide closed i15 in both directions near Beaver and a flood warning continues for the area until 7:45pm tonight.
• 9:44
  West of Vernon, the Stookey Fire stands at 10,337 acres and 20% containment.
• 9:50
  Washington the Kaiser Canyon Fire on the Colville Reservation is listed at 38,225 acres with no containment in the national report, while local reporting places it above 60,000 acres by Sunday evening.
• 10:05
  Official mapping typically lags.
• 10:07
  Fast moving fires Level three Go now.
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  Evacuations cover the Nesbellum area.
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  More than a thousand people are displaced, about 800 structures are threatened and at least 10 are destroyed.
• 10:20
  To the south, the Lyons ferry fire reaches 28% containment, evacuation levels are lowered and Lyons Ferry and Palouse Falls state parks reopen.
• 10:30
  In Ferry county, the growing Modrite fire prompts Level 3 evacuations near the Wilmot Creek and Silver Creek Road intersection.
• 10:38
  Wisconsin the state sits in today's enhanced severe weather risk with damaging winds, large hail and a few tornadoes possible from late afternoon into the evening.
• 10:49
  Forecasters note conditions could support a couple of strong tornadoes toward Upper Michigan.
• 10:55
  All other states have no significant updates in the last 24 hours.
• 11:00
  Let's run through the Territories Northern Mariana Islands the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation continues island wide power restoration on Saipan, reframing poles and restringing primary and secondary lines as Super Typhoon Bhavi recovery work moves forward.
• 11:17
  All other territories and the District of Columbia have no significant updates in the last 24 hours.
• 11:24
  That wraps today's EM Morning Brief.
• 11:26
  New episodes drop Monday through Friday in the 5am hour PT, so the day starts with clarity instead of catch up.
• 11:33
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• 11:39
  EM Morning Brief is an EOC Voices podcast.
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  Stay safe.