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Emergency Management

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Disasters can change our livesin an instant.

Atornado, hurricane, flood, earthquake or other disastercan tear through our communities in moments

destroying homes and businesses, uprooting families andleaving behind a path of destruction and broken dreams.

Disasters can strike anywhere and anytime. No matterwhere or when they strike, though, the U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers stands ready to respond.

We can’t prevent disasters, but we can reduce theirimpact and help people and communities recover morequickly.

Each year, the Corps responds to numerousPresidential Disaster declarations and state and localemergencies, including manmade and natural disasters.

Although emergency preparedness, response and recoveryare primarily the responsibilities of states and localcommunities, some disasters are too large for them tohandle alone. That’s when the Corps steps in to provideassistance.

In the wake of the tragic events of September 11, 2001,the Corps now plays a critical role in protecting the nation’shomeland security.

The Corps emergency management efforts are built onthe three R’s: Readiness, Response and Recovery.

+ There were 90 weather-relateddisasters in the U.S. between 1988and 2008 with over $1 billion indamages, for a total exceeding $700billion.

+ The Corps installed more than 36,000temporary roofs in the aftermath ofHurricanes Gustav and Ike, whichstruck portions of Louisiana and Texasin late summer 2008.

+ 1215 truckloads of bottled water and1071 truckloads of ice were providedby the Corps to 90 points ofdistribution after Hurricane Ike.

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TThe Corps is committed to ensuring that its emergencymanagement teams are well-prepared, well-equipped

and ready to respond instantly. When disaster strikes ourresponse teams can be onsite within hours providingimmediate relief and support.

This rapid response, which saves countless lives andmillions of dollars in damage every year, is possible becauseof the many hours spent planning and preparing.

The Corps maintains 43 Planning and Response Teams,stationed around the country to facilitate a rapid response todisasters no matter where they occur. To prepare theseteams, the Corps continually conducts disaster trainingsimulations and participates in regional training exerciseswith other agencies.

The Corps has developed a sophisticated method foranalyzing previous disasters, geological conditions, weatherand other factors. This system allows us to targetpotential disaster areas nationwide. Our state-of-the-art computer tracking system helps us to positionpersonnel, supplies and equipment in areas wherethey will be able to respond most quickly to disasters.

For example, our national fleet of self-sustainingemergency response vehicles are strategically stationedaround the country so they can be onsite at virtuallyany disaster within 18 hours. These vehicles containcutting-edge communications systems and computersystems.

Under the National EmergencyPreparedness Program the Corps andother federal partners conduct regularcatastrophic disaster responseexercises involving numerous federal,state, tribal and local agencies. Duringthese exercises, emergency respondersrefine their ability to handle worst-casecatastrophic disaster situations,including chemical, biological, andnuclear weapons attacks.

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WWhenever disaster strikes, the Corps’ first goal is to getto the scene as quickly as possible to provide

immediate services that will help save lives and preventproperty damage. The Corps ability to respond quickly isparticularly important with two types of disasters that occuralmost every year.

FloodsPerhaps the

Corps is most well-known for itsresponse to theGreat Floods of1993, whichaffected parts ofnine states and 75communities, destroyed 22,000 homes and lasted threemonths. Over 1,500 Corps personnel helped battle thefloods. Their constant inspections of levees and floodwallsand quick responses when problems were spotted helpedkeep the damage from being much worse. They participatedin search and rescue operations and aided in recoveryefforts. Each year, the Corps undertakes similar efforts tohelp many cities throughout the country deal with floods.

In 2008, record-breaking storms resulted in flooding in asix-state region within the Midwest, an event more intensethan the 1993 floods but of shorter duration. High-waterrecords were set at 47 gage stations along tributaries in theUpper and Middle Mississippi River Basin. Although someovertopped, the levees worked as intended, allowing localemergency management officials to safely evacuate residentsand providing much needed time to reinforce and improvelevees to protect lives and property.

After the floods, the Corps worked closely with state andlocal emergency managers to inspect, advise and assistcommunities, including:

• deploying experts to monitor and assess MississippiRiver levees

• supplying more than 100 pumps, 3,000 rolls of plasticsheeting and 13 million sandbags for flood fighting

• carrying out FEMA-mandated missions for debrisremoval and commodity distribution

• establishing temporary housing and emergency power

HurricanesHurricane Gustav threatened portions of the Gulf Coast

in August 2008 nearly three years to the day after HurricaneKatrina. The work the Corps has done to repair, restore andensure a resilient Hurricane and Storm Damage RiskReduction System in the greater New Orleans area was putto the test. The system performed as designed.

In September 2008, Hurricane Ike followed close on theheels of Gustav, primarily impacting the Texas Gulf Coastcommunities of Galveston, Houston and surroundingcounties. Nearly 900 Corps employees were engaged inhurricane emergency support missions that included:

• supplying temporary power for critical public facilities

• performing debris management and infrastructureassessments

• providing temporary roofing and temporary housingtechnical assistance

• procuring drinking water and ice

• providing technical assistance to establish commoditydistribution points

OOnce a disaster is over, communities and individualsface the difficult task of picking up the pieces and

moving forward. The Corps can provide vital help in therecovery process by:

• Restoring critical public services or facilities;

• Clearing debris to reopen transportation routes,drainage channels, water supply intakes, seweroutfalls, etc;

• Supplying drinkable water and emergency power;

• Repairing or rebuilding flood control and shoreprotection structures, such as levees;

• Creating temporary housing; and

• Providing technical assistance, including structuralevaluations of buildings, and damage assessments.

HHuurrrriiccaanneess KKaattrriinnaa aanndd RRiittaaThe Corps of Engineers was instrumental in

providing emergency relief for the Gulf Coast inthe wake of Hurricane Katrina, which madelandfall on August 29, 2005.

The Corps responded with key rescue andrepair personnel who were instrumental inproviding restoration of critical public services andfacilities, including: provision of temporaryemergency electrical power and emergencyhousing; structural evaluation of buildings;hazards response plan development; emergencyclearance of debris to enable reconnaissance andmovement of emergency personnel andequipment; construction of emergency accessroutes; supply of drinking water; temporaryrestoration of water supply systems; provision ofwater for fire fighting; emergency demolition orstabilization of damaged structures and facilities;and technical assistance.

While still dealing with the aftereffects ofKatrina, the Corps was called on to respond inTexas as Hurricane Rita, having already strucksouth Florida and the Florida Keys, made landfallbetween Sabine Pass, Texas and Johnson’s Bayou,Louisiana as a category 3 storm on September 24.In New Orleans, the Corps prepositioned teams forpossible levee breaches and responded quickly toRita-related flooding that overtopped levees. InTexas, the Corps prepositioned a three-day supplyof ice and water. The Corps set up a command cellin Beaumont with specialists in engineering, realestate, and environmental remediation. Corpsteams led the debris removal mission in affectedareas, removing over 100,000 cubic yards ofvegetation debris. Engineers at the Corps SamRayburn Powerhouse jumpstarted power in Rita-ravaged Jasper County one week after landfall tomeet urgent requirements for power at critical-need facilities.

EEmergencies can take many forms ranging from suddennatural disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes and severe

snow and ice storms) to slower-developing disasters(droughts), to manmade emergencies (such as the events ofSeptember 11, 2001).

The effects of thesedisasters on individuals andcommunities, though, are thesame: people die, property isdamaged, livelihoods andneighborhoods are destroyed.

In the wake of suchdisasters, communitiesnumbed by grief face thealmost overwhelmingchallenge of rebuilding. In these difficult times, the Corps provides a source of hope and practical support.

Working in partnership with state and local officials andother federal agencies the Corps is able to clear away debrisand help begin the slow process of rebuilding. By restoringbasic services and functions the Corps and its partners areable to help communities accelerate the process of gettingback on their feet again.

TThe economic impact of a disaster can be tremendous,destroying or disabling businesses, crippling critical

infrastructure and causing untold property damage.Floods alone are estimated to cause up to $6 billion indamage a year in the United States.

It is impossible to prevent disasters, but the Corpsplays a vital role in minimizing their economic impact byresponding quickly to limit damage and by helpingbusinesses and communities get up and running againpromptly. By restoring vital water and power supplies,assessing structural damage and reopening transportationroutes, the Corps can help communities get back to“business as usual.”

One example of the economic impact of the Corpsefforts is the Mississippi Floods in the 1990s. The Corpsused its reservoirs to impound millions of gallons ofwater, preventing an estimated$3 billion in damages. TheCorps rapid response tonatural and man-madedisasters plays a significantrole in minimizing theirimpact on local and stateeconomies.

The potential for disasters continues to grow each year.More people are living in flood plains and coastal areas

that are susceptible to earthquakes and hurricanes, and thepossibility of manmade disasters related to terrorist incidentshas grown.

The Corps is committed to maintaining its readiness torespond to these disasters by:

• Hiring the best people;

• Providing top quality training;

• Building agile, flexible response teams; and

• Upgrading equipment.

The Corps has retooled its emergency response efforts toaddress these new challenges and to build the capability tosustain longer response campaigns. The Corps works closelywith its many federal, state and local partners to increasecoordination and communication to better prepare forterrorist threats.

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©2009 Produced by the U.S. Army Engineer Institute for Water Resources inpartnership with the Headquarters EmergencyManagement Branch. To inquire about this brochure, please contact the IWR publications office atCEIWR.Publications@usace.army.mil. For the sources of information used in this brochure, visit www.CorpsResults.us.

“In the emergency management business, youare either progressing or regressing. There’sno sustaining the status quo.”

Edward Hecker

Chief, Civil Emergency Management Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

IInntteerraaggeennccyy LLeevveeee TTaasskk FFoorrccee:: IInnnnoovvaattiioonn ffoorr FFlloooodd WWaatteerr MMaannaaggeemmeennttAs a result of the 2008 Midwest Floods, federal

agencies in cooperation with state agencies in theimpacted areas of Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa,and Missouri have joined forces to find solutions onhow to manage flood waters to reduce future risks. Thetask force is an umbrella organization designed to lookat floodplain management at a regional level, providinga “one-stop shop” for applicants seeking federalassistance for levee restoration, repair and otherassistance. The Corps of Engineers is leading thecollaborative regional approach. The task force hasenhanced communication and coordination amongagencies, employed collaborative problem-solvingwhere issues overlap agency authorities, and worked tofashion best practices for the future.

Learn MoreTo learn more about the Corps emergency

management efforts visit www.CorpsResults.us.