Pittsburgh District power team deploys to East Coast in support of anticipated hurricane landfall

Published Sept. 12, 2018
Members of the Emergency Management Team and the district Emergency Operations Center huddle in preparation of today's deployment of 13 temporary power team members to North Carolina ahead of Hurricane Florence's anticipated landfall.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District’s emergency power team deployed to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, today, in anticipation of Hurricane Florence’s landfall.

Pittsburgh District power team deploys to East Coast in support of anticipated hurricane landfall

 

PITTSBURGH – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District’s emergency power team deployed to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, today, in anticipation of Hurricane Florence’s landfall.

The 13-member team deployed early Tuesday morning in preparation of a potential Federal Emergency Management Agency-assigned mission to provide emergency generators to lifesaving facilities.  

“The past year has been incredibly challenging, as a series of storms have hit U.S. islands and coastal areas,” said Col. Andrew (Coby) Short, commander, Pittsburgh District. “Each time, our district’s emergency managers and temporary power experts have answered the call in order to help those impacted by the storms. I’m very proud of our people’s contributions.”

The district manages the national emergency temporary power mission, which provides generator power to critical infrastructure impacted by storm damage.

“Our task is to support FEMA and the areas that are or could be affected by the storm,” said C.J. Infantino, emergency management chief for the district. “As Hurricane Florence approaches the east coast, we are ready to install generators, where needed, to critical public facilities such as hospitals, water treatment plants, emergency centers, fire and police departments and anything that the impacted states identify as critical to the life, safety and health of their people.”

The National Temporary Power Emergency Operations Center headquarters at the Pittsburgh District, where Corps personnel, soldiers and representatives for other agencies coordinate deployments of power teams and the execution of the mission. 

As an essential part of the mission, the Army’s 249th Battalion - Prime Power provides assessment and coordination of generator installation. The district provides deployment coordination of the Corps’ seven power teams across the nation as well as the management and quality assurance of the contract.

Florence follows a long line of 2017-2018 hurricanes and severe storms, which has required continuous operation of the district’s temporary power EOC since mid-August 2017.  The yearlong effort marks a historic duration for the center’s operation.

The next longest duration of continuous operations occurred during the Hurricane Sandy response in 2012, which lasted 61 days.

For media inquiries, please contact the Public Affairs Office at (412)395-7500 or Email: celrp-pa@usace.army.mil.

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Contact
Jeffrey S. Hawk
412.395.7500/01/02
412.713.4626 (cell)
CELRP-PA@usace.army.mil
1000 Liberty Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4186

Release no. 18-039