Hurricanes Irma and Maria News Releases

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Hurricanes Irma and Maria News Stories

  • April

    A Captain's role in an ACF build-out

    Editors Note: April 6, 2020 was the day the Memphis District awarded the contract to build an Alternate Care Facility (ACF) in Memphis, Tennessee. The article below was written by Cpt. Alex Burruss, who at that time deployed to the Memphis District to work as an Operations Officer and assist with ACF projects and operations. This is his account of what happened during his few months working here. At the onset of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the U.S.  Army Corps of Engineers. USACE collaborated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to develop a plan for the rapid expansion of COVID-19 treatment spaces. USACE assigned each of its districts an area of responsibility, and the districts integrated into the local and state response agencies within their areas of responsibility. As local civil authorities conducted analysis and projected bed space requirements, USACE developed facility modification options for accommodating additional beds. Districts completed site assessments and provided project management support for converting existing buildings into alternate care facilities (ACFs).  In April 2020, three weeks after the President declared a national emergency, the U.S. Army Engineer School (USAES), Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, deployed more than 30 Soldiers in support of the USACE response effort; Cpt. Alex W. Burruss was deployed to the Memphis District, USACE Mississippi Valley Division, Tennessee, for more than 60 days.
  • March

    General visits LA-area hospitals, gets updates on construction progress in support of COVID-19 response

    Brig. Gen. Paul Owen, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Pacific Division commander, visited two Los Angeles-area hospitals March 19 to view the progress on construction the Corps and its contractors are doing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Corps completes final inspection of Beverly Community Hospital COVID-19 additions

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers led a final inspection of work March 19 at Beverly Community Hospital as part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s support to California in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • February

    South Pacific Division commander reviews medical upgrades at LA-area hospitals battling pandemic

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Pacific Division commander visited two Southern California hospitals Feb. 9, 2021, to meet with on-site personnel and examine construction progress first-hand on hospital upgrades in support of COVID-19 relief efforts.
  • November

    Two years after quake, military repair projects continue as USACE reflects on response efforts

    With the epicenter about 10 miles north of Anchorage, the Cook Inlet Earthquake registered a 7.1 magnitude and rocked most of Alaska’s population during the morning of November 30, 2018. First responders sprang into action, but once the dust settled the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District emerged as a reliable military partner inspecting and repairing infrastructure on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
  • Rockaway Project Resumes as Crews Increase Efforts

    Rockaway, NY - Beach work on the Rockaway Peninsula is in full swing as the long-awaited East Rockaway Inlet to Rockaway Inlet, and Jamaica Bay Project gets underway in Rockaway, New York. There has been an authorization for the project since 1965, the Rockaway shoreline has experienced severe hurricanes and northeasters over the last 40 years. In 1960 Hurricane Donna caused $8,774,000 (1960 price level) in damages, including 6,000 homes and hundreds of commercial establishments and 1962 another storm inflicted $8,450,400 (1962 price level) in damages to the Rockaway Peninsula.
  • Kansas City District delivers $740 million program for the Heartland

    As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District wrapped up final contract awards for fiscal year 2020, the team wants to share a summary of a few major accomplishments and how they tie into the district mission and benefit the Heartland region. The district awarded 1575 contracts worth $740.1 million in fiscal year 2020 – ending September 30.
  • October

    Omaha District executes historic $1.65 billion program

    There were many challenges this year; recovering from the catastrophic Lower Missouri River Basin flooding event of 2019, protecting the workforce and public safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, and hurricane first responder deployments. But in the face of unprecedented adversity, USACE Omaha District rose to each challenge through leveraging industrious teamwork and continuing to successfully support its worldwide missions. The District ended the year executing its largest program ever at $1.65 billion.
  • Oregon Wildfires Temporary Housing Mission

    Jason Ritter, Randy Campbell, Mike Johnson, Steve Caldwell and Cecil Cox have deployed to support wildfire recovery efforts in Oregon supporting the Portland District. FEMA Region X approved 3 counties in Oregon for a temporary housing mission. Wildfires have displaced nearly 800 families who are eligible for federal assistance.
  • Work nears completion on Conway and Pope County Levee

    In 2019, floods damaged levees across the Arkansas River Valley. As part of a joint effort with levee districts throughout the state, the Little Rock District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rushed to identify the damage and make repairs. Now, with fall crisp in the air, contractors working in the newly consolidated levee district of Conway and Pope County, are well ahead of schedule.

Blue Roof Logo

Operation Blue Roof 1-888-ROOF-BLU (7663-258) is a priority mission managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The purpose of Operation Blue Roof is to provide homeowners in disaster areas with fiber-reinforced sheeting to cover their damaged roofs until arrangements can be made for permanent repairs.

Call centers for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands will be established as communications on the islands improve.


Emergency Operations

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Overview

  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is prepared and ready to respond to natural and human-made disasters and overseas contingencies. When disasters occur, USACE teams and other resources are mobilized from across the country to assist our local districts and offices to deliver our response missions.
    • USACE has more than 50 specially-trained response teams supported by emergency contracts to perform a wide range of public works and engineering-related support missions. 
    • USACE uses pre-awarded contracts that can be quickly activated for missions such as debris removal, temporary roofing, commodities distribution, and generator installation.
  • Every year, USACE, as part of the federal government’s unified national response to disasters and emergencies, deploys hundreds of people to provide technical engineering expertise and to promote capacity development at home and abroad. 
    • In 2016, USACE had 1096 personnel deployments in response to one or more of 33 disaster declarations.
      USACE serves as the lead agency to respond with public works and engineering support and to coordinate long-term infrastructure recovery.