Episode 182
Atlantic hurricane season opens June 1; Kīlauea Episode 48 forecast window active; Seven Cabins Fire holds at 51 percent containment.
Today's EM Morning Brief opens the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season with NOAA's below-normal outlook, tracks the U.S. Geological Survey's forecast window for Kīlauea Episode 48 fountaining, and updates wildland fire operations on the Seven Cabins Fire in New Mexico and the Santa Rosa Island Fire in California. CISA's June 1 federal remediation deadline for the Palo Alto PAN-OS authentication bypass vulnerability is in force today. State updates cover severe weather impacts in South Dakota and Texas. 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
- Atlantic hurricane season opens: The 2026 Atlantic basin is officially active as of today; NHC tropical weather outlooks resume on routine schedule. NOAA's seasonal call is below normal, with 8 to 14 named storms forecast.
- Wildland fire — Southwest focus: The NIFC May 31 IMSR confirms above-normal national fire activity. The Seven Cabins Fire in New Mexico stands at 29,000-plus acres and 51 percent containment, with seven households evacuated and SET status in effect for additional areas.
- California — Santa Rosa Island Fire: Now 18,379 acres at 97 percent containment, the largest wildfire ever recorded on the Channel Islands. The island stays closed through at least June 30.
- Kīlauea Episode 48 imminent: Alert Level WATCH, aviation code ORANGE. USGS forecast window for the onset of Episode 48 fountaining runs through today. Activity is confined to the closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
- CISA KEV deadline today: Federal civilian agencies must remediate the Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS authentication bypass vulnerability by June 1; CISA recommends all PAN-OS operators do the same.
- Severe weather, central U.S.: May 31 severe thunderstorms produced 60 mph winds and quarter-size hail in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, and the Texas South Plains. SPC Day 1 outlook continues a severe weather risk for portions of the central Plains today.
Sources
NOAA / National Hurricane Center
- NOAA predicts below-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane season — agency outlook for the season opening today
- National Hurricane Center — Atlantic basin tropical weather outlook resumes today
NIFC / Wildland Fire
- NIFC Incident Management Situation Report — Sunday, May 31, 2026 (PDF)
- NIFC National Fire News — current national fire activity
- NIFC Monthly and Seasonal Outlook — June 1, 2026 (PDF)
CISA
- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog — Palo Alto PAN-OS due June 1, 2026
- CISA Cybersecurity Alerts and Advisories — late-May postings
USGS
- USGS Kīlauea Volcano Updates — Episode 48 precursory activity and forecast window
- USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory — current status WATCH / ORANGE
California
- CAL FIRE Santa Rosa Island Fire incident page — 18,379 acres, 97 percent contained
- InciWeb — Channel Islands National Park Santa Rosa Island Fire information
Hawaii
- USGS Newest Volcano Notice — Kīlauea
- Hawaiian Volcano Observatory news — Episode 48 precursor activity
New Mexico
- KOB — Seven Cabins Fire grows to 29,000 acres, 51 percent contained, seven households evacuated
- KTSM — Seven Cabins Fire update for Sunday, May 31, 2026
South Dakota
- NWS Sioux Falls Severe Weather Information Page — May 31 severe thunderstorm warnings, Minnehaha County
- NOAA Storm Prediction Center — June 1, 2026 Day 1 Convective Outlook
Texas
Transcript
Good morning.
Speaker A: ,: Speaker A: The: Speaker A:NOAA's seasonal outlook calls for a below normal season projecting eight to 14 named storms, three to six hurricanes and one to three major hurricanes influenced by a developing El Nino and slightly warmer than normal Atlantic sea surface temperatures.
Speaker A:Coastal emergency managers from Texas to Maine are returning to routine watch postures.
Speaker A:Even with a below normal call, Wildland fire activity remains the dominant operational picture nationally.
Speaker A:The National Interagency Fire Center's May 31 Incident Management Situation Report official update published within the last 24 to 48 hours tracks large fire activity concentrated in the Southwest.
Speaker A:With the season running well above the 10 year average year to date, more than 1.8 million acres have burned across the United States, roughly 194% above the 10 year average for late spring.
Speaker A:Two large incidents continue to drive operations the Seven Cabins Fire in Lincoln County, New Mexico and the Santa Rosa Island Fire in California's Channel Islands national park, which is now the largest fire ever recorded on the Channel Islands.
Speaker A:On the Cyber side, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security agency carries a June 1 federal remediation deadline tied to a Palo Alto network's Panos authentication bypass vulnerability added to the known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Speaker A:Federal civilian agencies are required to apply mitigations today and CISA recommends all organizations operating Panos appliances do the same.
Speaker A:Volcanic activity at Kilauea remains at alert level.
Speaker A:Watch with an aviation color code of orange and the US Geological Survey's forecast window for the onset of episode 48, lava fountaining inside Halemaumau runs through today.
Speaker A:Let's run through the states.
Speaker A: s and the largest fire of the: Speaker A:The island remains closed to all day and overnight use through at least June 30 under National Park Service order, and all Water Canyon Campground reservations have been canceled through that date.
Speaker A:There are no community evacuation orders because the island is uninhabited.
Speaker A:The U.S. geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory maintains Kilauea at Volcano alert level watch and aviation Color Code Orange Precursory Sluggish lava overflows from the South Vent inside Halemaumau began the evening of May 30th and the forecast window for the onset of episode 48, lava fountaining runs through today.
Speaker A:Episode 48 would set a new record for the number of lava fountaining episodes during the current episodic eruption.
Speaker A:The activity is confined to the closed area of Hawaii Volcanoes national park and there is no threat to populated areas at this time.
Speaker A:New Mexico the Seven Cabins fire in Lincoln county has grown to more than 29,000 acres at 51% containment, according to the May 31 update.
Speaker A:Seven privately owned households remain evacuated and ESSET status remains in place for the Fort Lone Tree area down to Padilla Ranch, extending east to Forest Road 57 and the Forest boundary.
Speaker A:No structures have burned.
Speaker A:More than 830 firefighters are assigned with severe winds and rugged terrain continuing to slow containment progress South Dakota the National Weather Service Sioux Falls office issued severe thunderstorm warnings the evening of May 31 for southwestern Minnehaha county, including Sioux Falls, Hartford, Wall Lake and Ellis.
Speaker A:The storms produce 60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail, with damage expected to roofs, siding and trees.
Speaker A:The Storm Prediction Center's Day 1 outlook continues a severe weather risk across portions of the Central Plains today.
Speaker A:Severe thunderstorms moved across portions of the South Plains the evening of May 31, with the National Weather Service issuing warnings for storms along a line from west of Post to north of Tohoka.
Speaker A:Reported impacts included 60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.
Speaker A:The Storm Prediction Center's Day 1 outlook today carries a continued risk for strong to severe storms across southwest Texas and the Central Plains.
Speaker A:All other states and territories have no significant updates in the last 24 hours.
Speaker A:That wraps today's EM Morning Brief.
Speaker A:New episodes drop Monday through Friday in the 5am hour PT, so the day starts with clarity instead of catch up.
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Speaker A:EM Morning Brief is an EOC Voices podcast.
Speaker A:Stay safe.
