Episode Details

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 gr