The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working in partnership with the local, state, and federal response to Hurricane Ida. USACE personnel are deployed and engaged, coordinating with local, state, and federal partners in the affected areas. Our number one priority continues to be the life, health, and safety of all who are affected by Hurricane Ida.
USACE has deployed Emergency Support Function 3 (ESF 3) Team Leaders/Assistant Team Leaders, a Temporary Power Planning & Response Team (PRT) and 249th Engineer Battalion Soldiers. USACE has also deployed a Temporary Roofing planning group, and technical Subject Matter Experts, including Debris, Hydraulic and Infrastructure SMEs, in support of the local, state, and federal response.
USACE conducts its emergency response activities under two basic authorities – Public Law 84-99 (Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies), and when mission assigned by FEMA under the Stafford Disaster and Emergency Assistance Act.
- Under Public Law 84-99 (Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies), USACE provides disaster preparedness services and advanced planning measures designed to reduce the amount of damage caused by an impending disaster.
- Under the Stafford Act, USACE supports the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency in carrying out the National Response Plan, which calls on 30 federal departments and agencies to provide coordinated disaster relief and recovery operations.
Temporary Power:
USACE Completed 221 assessments and installed 82 temporary emergency power generators.
This mission is complete and all generators have been de-installed as power was restored to the region.
USACE is part of a Power Restoration Task Force along with partners from the state of Louisiana, FEMA, Department of Energy, and private sector to plan and prioritize assessments.
The first generator was installed on August 31, at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Home.
Assessment & installation priorities include hospitals, medical facilities, and nursing homes.
Temporary Roofing:
USACE received a FEMA mission assignment for temporary roof installations. Operation Blue Roof is a priority mission managed by USACE for FEMA. The mission’s purpose is to provide homeowners and permanently occupied rental properties in disaster areas with fiber-reinforced sheeting to cover their damaged roofs until arrangements can be made for permanent repairs. This is a free service to homeowners. To learn more about Operation Blue Roof visit: Blueroof.us
During Hurricane Ida response the eligible Parishes for Operation Blue Roof were: Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Felciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge, West Feliciana.
USACE completed this mission on November 1, 2021, installing it's final blue roof in New Orleans, Louisiana. In total, USACE installed over 33,600 blue roofs across 25 parishes in support of the state of Louisiana and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Those efforts included having more than 800 USACE personnel from across the country volunteer to support the mission.
Temporary Housing:
USACE received a mission to conduct temporary housing planning and group site design. Housing Subject Matter Experts completed group site design assessments and concept layouts for sites identified by FEMA as priority.
Unwatering:
USACE has received a FEMA mission assignment to remove excess water in South Louisiana. The unwatering mission will continue through late December. Currently, seven pumps are installed and actively being used.
The controlled engineer cuts in the non-Federal levees in Plaquemines Parish that USACE executed to promote drainage and speed up unwatering are now closed and armored in preparation for future events.