DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z APRIL 12, 2006.
Texas/Oklahoma/Kansas: Several rather large fires broke out across the northern Texas panhandle counties of Lipscomb, Hemphill, and Wheeler this afternoon. Moderately dense to locally dense smoke plumes fanned by strong westerly and southwesterly winds spread across western and northern Oklahoma into southern Kansas. More fires were detected across central and eastern Oklahoma and eastern Kansas but widespread cloudiness across the region prevented significant smoke detection. A very thin area possibly consisting of blowing dust was observed moving to the southeast across western Kansas and into central and southwestern Kansas. Strong northwesterly winds across western Kansas behind a cold front may have lifted this small patch of possible blowing dust. Louisiana/Mississippi: Several long narrow moderately dense smoke plumes were detected moving northward from fires across eastern Cameron, Rapides, and Grant Parishes of southwestern and central Louisiana and Hancock County of far southern Mississippi. Alabama: Another long narrow moderately dense smoke plume was moving to the north from a fire over Perry County of west central Alabama. Florida: A very long smoke plume extended nearly 150 miles westward out over the Gulf of Mexico from a fire in Dixie County of northern Florida. Georgia and the Carolinas: Numerous fires were analyzed scattered across the region with smoke plumes noted with several of them. The most significant smoke was observed from fires in Liberty County of eastern Georgia and Berkeley County in eastern South Carolina. The area of smoke emitted from the Liberty County GA fire was not detected until late in the afternoon due to cloudiness present over eastern Georgia. Once the clouds cleared the significant patch of smoke was observed moving westward all the way into south central GA. The Berkeley County SC smoke plume was initially moving westward then later in the afternoon moved more in a southwesterly or southerly direction right across the Charleston metro area. The smoke appeared to be at least moderately dense to even locally dense. Virginia/Maryland: Several fires across Caroline County of eastern Virginia were producing light to moderately dense smoke which moved northward into Charles County of southern Maryland and in the general direction of the southern suburbs of Washington D.C. JS