The first of what are expected to be several employees from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District, is headed south to support Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts, according to Seattle District emergency management officials.
A local expert, normally a construction manager at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, is traveling today to Louisiana to provide technical commodity distribution planning, training and management support to FEMA at the Regional Response Coordination Center and Initial Operating Facility.
Under a federal emergency response, the Corps serves as the lead agency to respond with public works and engineering support and to coordinate long-term infrastructure recovery. When disasters occur, Corps teams and other resources are mobilized from across the country to assist local Corps districts and offices in their response missions.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is prepared and ready to respond to natural and human-made disasters. When disasters occur, Corps teams and other resources are mobilized from across the country to assist our local districts and offices to deliver our response missions. The Corps is part of the federal government’s unified national response to disasters and emergencies, and serves as the lead agency to respond with public works and engineering support, and to coordinate long-term infrastructure recovery. The Corps conducts its emergency response activities under two basic authorities – the Flood Control and Coastal Emergency Act, and mission-assigned by FEMA, under the Stafford Disaster and Emergency Assistance Act.
In any disaster, the Corps’ top priorities are 1) support immediate life-saving and life-safety response priorities; 2) sustain lives with critical commodities, temporary emergency power and other needs; and 3) initiate recovery efforts by assessing and restoring critical infrastructure.
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror. For information about FEMA’s response to Hurricane Harvey, visit their website https://www.fema.gov/hurricane-harvey. Check out http://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/EmergencyOperations.aspx for more information about the Corps of Engineers’ emergency management mission and roles in supporting national disasters.
Release no. 17-034