WEBVTT 00:15.939 --> 00:18.050 Welcome to Core Connection . I'm your 00:18.050 --> 00:20.510 host Patrick Blogood . In this episode 00:20.510 --> 00:22.454 of the US Army Corps of Engineers' 00:22.454 --> 00:24.454 premier vlog , we update you on the 00:24.454 --> 00:26.288 efforts of your US Army Corps of 00:26.288 --> 00:28.399 Engineers to help our fellow American 00:28.399 --> 00:30.288 citizens recover from devastating 00:30.288 --> 00:32.343 wildfires in California , as well as 00:32.343 --> 00:34.399 the continuing recovery efforts from 00:34.399 --> 00:36.677 devastation caused by Hurricane Helene . 00:36.677 --> 00:38.732 We'll also take a look at a dam that 00:38.732 --> 00:40.954 has prevented over a billion dollars in 00:40.954 --> 00:43.121 damages to properties downstream as it 00:43.121 --> 00:45.288 gets a thorough checkup from engineers 00:45.288 --> 00:47.454 to make sure it remains up to the task 00:47.454 --> 00:49.677 of reducing risk . Our first look takes 00:49.677 --> 00:51.732 us to Southern California , where in 00:51.732 --> 00:53.621 January horrific wildfires ripped 00:53.621 --> 00:55.621 through neighborhoods in one of the 00:55.621 --> 00:57.566 most populated areas in the United 00:57.566 --> 00:59.621 States . Destroying or damaging more 00:59.621 --> 01:01.566 than 18,000 homes and structures . 01:01.566 --> 01:03.621 While the fires were still burning , 01:03.621 --> 01:05.621 personnel from the US Army Corps of 01:05.621 --> 01:05.089 Engineers were arriving to begin 01:05.089 --> 01:07.145 working with other federal and state 01:07.145 --> 01:10.309 partners on recovery efforts . UA on 01:10.309 --> 01:12.087 behalf of the Federal Emergency 01:12.087 --> 01:14.309 Management Agency is working with state 01:14.309 --> 01:16.531 officials to begin removing fire debris 01:16.531 --> 01:18.698 from affected properties as quickly as 01:18.698 --> 01:20.698 possible . And this is hard , but I 01:20.698 --> 01:22.865 intend to go fast . I intend to do the 01:22.865 --> 01:24.920 things that we may not normally do , 01:24.989 --> 01:27.156 but barring someone saying we can't do 01:27.156 --> 01:29.629 that , it's on the table for me in the 01:29.629 --> 01:33.239 name of helping LA rebuild . While 01:33.239 --> 01:35.406 USA's personnel are answering the call 01:35.406 --> 01:37.699 on the most recent disaster , our 01:37.699 --> 01:39.866 employees are also continuing the hard 01:39.866 --> 01:41.977 work of assisting our fellow citizens 01:41.977 --> 01:43.866 in Georgia , North Carolina , and 01:43.866 --> 01:45.779 Virginia as they recover from the 01:45.779 --> 01:48.059 devastation caused by Hurricane Helene . 01:48.540 --> 01:50.429 Debris removal continues in those 01:50.429 --> 01:52.596 states , as you say , along with other 01:52.596 --> 01:54.651 federal and state partners , work to 01:54.651 --> 01:56.873 get those areas back on their feet . In 01:56.873 --> 01:58.929 West Virginia , the US Army Corps of 01:58.929 --> 02:01.096 Engineers is performing maintenance on 02:01.096 --> 02:02.929 a structure that has hit a major 02:02.929 --> 02:05.360 milestone , having prevented over $1 02:05.360 --> 02:07.510 billion in damages . The Huntington 02:07.510 --> 02:09.677 district is performing a deep drawdown 02:09.677 --> 02:11.732 of Somerville Lake to allow crews to 02:11.732 --> 02:14.066 perform critical maintenance on the dam . 02:14.229 --> 02:16.610 In order to keep it functioning as 02:16.610 --> 02:18.809 designed , keep everything working as 02:18.809 --> 02:21.720 it should , we periodically have to go 02:21.929 --> 02:23.596 above and beyond just general 02:23.596 --> 02:26.729 inspections , and this is , this is 02:26.729 --> 02:28.850 keeping people safe downstream . The 02:28.850 --> 02:31.050 work will keep the dam operating as 02:31.050 --> 02:33.809 expected for years to come . That 02:33.809 --> 02:35.698 completes another edition of Core 02:35.698 --> 02:37.679 Connection . If you want the full 02:37.679 --> 02:39.679 stories we covered here , links are 02:39.679 --> 02:41.846 provided in the description or comment 02:41.846 --> 02:44.012 section . Don't forget to tell us what 02:44.012 --> 02:46.123 you think about Core Connection , and 02:46.123 --> 02:48.068 please be sure to hit the like and 02:48.068 --> 02:50.290 subscribe buttons so you can keep up to 02:50.290 --> 02:52.623 date on your US Army Corps of Engineers . 02:52.779 --> 02:55.110 Until next time , I'm Patrick Bludgood , 02:55.279 --> 02:57.440 and this has been Core Connection .