Latest / EM Morning Brief / Oregon fires top 1.1 million acres with 6,000 under Go Now orders; Wisconsin declares emergency after EF3 tornado; Northeast braces for another day of flash flooding

Transcript

Oregon fires top 1.1 million acres with 6,000 under Go Now orders; Wisconsin declares emergency after EF3 tornado; Northeast braces for another day of flash flooding · EM Morning Brief

• 0:00
  Cedric: Good morning, I'm Cedric and this is your EM Morning Brief for Wednesday, July 29, 2026, and today’s episode is sponsored by The Nims Store.
• 0:10
  Cedric: The nation remains at Preparedness Level 5, the highest level on the scale.
• 0:14
  Cedric: The National Interagency Coordination Center's Tuesday situation report counts 92 large fires nationwide, including 9 new large incidents, with 25,244 firefighters and support personnel committed.
• 0:28
  Cedric: Oregon carries the heaviest load: dozens of active large fires cover more than 1.1 million acres and roughly 6,000 residents are under Level 3 Go Now evacuation orders.
• 0:40
  Cedric: In the Midwest, Governor Tony Evers signs Executive Order 300 declaring a state of emergency after Monday's severe storms, which include an EF3 tornado that tracked through Appleton and Menasha in the Fox Valley.
• 0:56
  Cedric: In the Northeast, a slow moving storm system drives a multi-day flash flood threat.
• 1:01
  Cedric: New Jersey is under a state of emergency after Monday night's flooding forced multiple water rescues and closed sections of major highways, and a Flood Watch covers New York City through Wednesday evening with rainfall rates up to 2.5 inches
• 1:14
  Cedric: per hour possible.
• 1:17
  Cedric: On the cyber front, CISA adds two vulnerabilities to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, affecting Fortinet FortiOS and Arista VeloCloud Orchestrator, and releases a new batch of industrial control systems advisories, including one for Siemens Desigo CC building management software.
• 1:36
  Cedric: In the Pacific, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory raises Kilauea to Volcano Alert Level WATCH and Aviation Color Code ORANGE as precursory activity for lava fountain episode 52 begins at the summit.
• 1:49
  Cedric: Overseas, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes southern Japan near Kumamoto; the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center confirms there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii or American Samoa, and the U.S.
• 2:01
  Cedric: Embassy in Japan issues a natural disaster alert for the Kyushu region.
• 2:05
  Cedric: The State Department's Mission Iraq issues a security alert reminding U.S.
• 2:09
  Cedric: citizens of the Level 4 Do Not Travel advisory.
• 2:13
  Cedric: The National Hurricane Center expects no tropical cyclone development in the Atlantic over the next seven days, while dangerous heat continues across the south central United States with heat index values up to 115 degrees along the Gulf Coast.
• 2:29
  Cedric: Let’s run through the states.
• 2:31
  Cedric: Arkansas: Maynard Waterworks issues a boil order for its entire water system in Randolph County.
• 2:38
  Cedric: The Arkansas Department of Health confirms the order on Tuesday.
• 2:42
  Cedric: Customers should boil water for drinking and cooking until further notice.
• 2:47
  Cedric: Florida: Marion County utilities customers in an affected service area are under a boil water notice after a water main break on Tuesday.
• 2:56
  Cedric: Crews are making repairs and the notice remains in place pending clear bacteriological samples.
• 3:02
  Cedric: Georgia: A boil water advisory is in effect for northern Clayton County in metro Atlanta.
• 3:08
  Cedric: Residents in the affected area should boil water for drinking and cooking until the advisory is lifted.
• 3:14
  Cedric: Hawaii: The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory raises Kilauea from ADVISORY to WATCH and the Aviation Color Code from YELLOW to ORANGE as precursory low level activity for episode 52 of the Halemaumau eruption begins Tuesday morning.
• 3:30
  Cedric: By Tuesday evening the north vent fountain reaches roughly 200 to 300 feet, and the observatory forecasts the full fountain episode between July 28 and 30.
• 3:41
  Cedric: All activity remains within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park; the main hazards are volcanic gas and Pele's hair carried downwind.
• 3:49
  Cedric: Idaho: Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team 3 assumes command of the Tartar Fire, burning in grass, brush, and timber about 21 miles northwest of Weiser across private, BLM, Forest Service, and state lands.
• 4:03
  Cedric: The fire is among the large incidents reflected in Tuesday's national situation report.
• 4:08
  Cedric: Illinois: A boil order is in effect for neighborhoods near Galena Avenue in northwest Freeport after a water main break on Tuesday.
• 4:15
  Cedric: Affected customers should boil water until testing confirms it is safe.
• 4:21
  Cedric: Kansas: The Kansas Department of Health and Environment issues a boil water advisory for the City of Valley Falls public water supply in Jefferson County on Tuesday, followed by an advisory for part of Pottawatomie County.
• 4:35
  Cedric: Affected customers should boil water for consumption until the advisories are rescinded.
• 4:41
  Cedric: Louisiana: An Extreme Heat Warning is in effect for parishes around Lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas and the coast, with heat index values up to 115 degrees.
• 4:52
  Cedric: A Heat Advisory covers surrounding areas.
• 4:55
  Cedric: Officials urge residents to limit outdoor exposure, check on vulnerable neighbors, and never leave people or pets in vehicles.
• 5:02
  Cedric: Michigan: Battle Creek issues a boil water advisory for parts of the city amid ongoing water system repairs in Calhoun County.
• 5:11
  Cedric: Affected residents should boil water for drinking and cooking until the advisory is lifted.
• 5:16
  Cedric: New Jersey: Governor Phil Murphy declares a state of emergency after torrential rain and flash flooding.
• 5:23
  Cedric: Fire crews in Hawthorne answer more than 20 calls including 17 water rescues after floodwaters submerge portions of Route 208, and at least five people are rescued from stranded vehicles in River Edge.
• 5:37
  Cedric: Flooding closes parts of Interstate 287, Interstate 280, Route 440, and multiple state routes in Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Mercer counties.
• 5:48
  Cedric: A moderate risk of excessive rainfall continues for northern New Jersey with additional storms expected.
• 5:55
  Cedric: New Mexico: A Flash Flood Watch covers portions of northern, central, and western New Mexico through Tuesday evening.
• 6:02
  Cedric: Slow moving storms are capable of rainfall rates above 2 inches per hour, with the greatest risk on and below wildfire burn scars.
• 6:11
  Cedric: New York: A Flood Watch is in effect for New York City from Tuesday morning through Wednesday evening as repeated rounds of heavy rain threaten flash flooding in low lying and flood prone areas.
• 6:22
  Cedric: Forecasters expect widespread totals of 2 to 3 inches with rates up to 2.5 inches per hour in the strongest storms.
• 6:31
  Cedric: City officials advise residents of basement and garden apartments to prepare go bags and be ready to move quickly if water enters their homes.
• 6:41
  Cedric: Oregon: At least 6,000 people are under Level 3 Go Now evacuation orders as dozens of large fires burn more than 1.1 million acres, centered on Gilliam, Wheeler, Wasco, Crook, Jefferson, and Umatilla counties.
• 6:54
  Cedric: The Rowe Creek Complex stands at 215,225 acres and 36 percent containment.
• 7:00
  Cedric: The Hay Creek Complex reaches 90 percent containment at 181,821 acres, while the Brewer Fire grows to about 70,821 acres at 10 percent and the Akawa Butte Fire reaches about 27,344 acres at 6 percent.
• 7:17
  Cedric: Tennessee: The Hartsville-Trousdale water district issues a boil water advisory for its customers.
• 7:24
  Cedric: Residents should boil water for drinking and cooking until the utility gives the all clear.
• 7:30
  Cedric: Texas: A Heat Advisory continues across portions of the state through Tuesday evening with heat indices peaking near 105 to 109 degrees.
• 7:40
  Cedric: Separately, the City of Troup in Smith County issues a boil water notice for customers west of Brandon Street along State Highway 110, County Road 2138, and several nearby streets.
• 7:52
  Cedric: Washington: Multiple large fires remain active with evacuations in place.
• 7:58
  Cedric: The Modrite Fire carries Level 3 Go Now and Level 1 Get Ready evacuation orders, with a shelter operating at Kettle Falls Middle School.
• 8:07
  Cedric: The Ptarmigan Fire in Okanogan County grows to 10,842 acres in the Pasayten Wilderness near the Canadian border, and the Bradeen Hill Fire southwest of Colville prompts evacuations and road closures.
• 8:20
  Cedric: Wisconsin: Governor Tony Evers signs Executive Order 300 declaring a state of emergency after Monday's severe storms across eastern Wisconsin.
• 8:30
  Cedric: The National Weather Service upgrades the Appleton and Menasha tornado to an EF3 with winds up to 140 mph along a 12.1 mile track.
• 8:40
  Cedric: Officials report 68 people transported to hospitals with less severe injuries, widespread power outages, and disruptions to public water systems, including a boil water order for some Winnebago County residents.
• 8:53
  Cedric: All other states have no significant updates in the last 24 hours.
• 8:58
  Cedric: Let’s run through the territories.
• 9:00
  Cedric: American Samoa: The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center confirms there is no tsunami threat to American Samoa following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake near Kumamoto, Japan.
• 9:11
  Cedric: No local action is required.
• 9:13
  Cedric: All other territories and the District of Columbia have no significant updates in the last 24 hours.
• 9:20
  Cedric: That wraps today's EM Morning Brief.
• 9:23
  Cedric: New episodes drop Monday through Friday in the 5:00 AM hour P.T., so the day starts with clarity instead of catch-up.
• 9:30
  Cedric: Subscribe on the Emergency Management Network on Substack, or follow on your favorite podcast player.
• 9:36
  Cedric: EM Morning Brief is an EOC Voices Podcast.
• 9:39
  Cedric: Stay Safe.