MOBILE, Ala. – Twelve employees from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Mobile District, have deployed to the state of Texas to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the USACE, Southwest Division, in recovery operations in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.
Six employees deployed in support of the Deployable Tactical Operations System (DTOS), four employees in support of the navigation-restoration mission, one employee in support of the debris technical assistance mission, and one employee deployed to augment the local government-liaison mission.
The four engineers who deployed in support of navigation restoration mission returned to the district on Sept. 1. The remaining district employees continue to assist in recovery efforts.
Hurricane Harvey is the first major hurricane to make landfall in the continental United States since Hurricane Wilma in 2005. In a four-day period, many areas of Texas received more than 40 inches of rain causing catastrophic flooding.
Under the National Response Framework the USACE is assigned as the primary agency for Emergency Support Function #3 – Public Works and Engineering. The USACE assists FEMA by coordinating federal public works and engineering-related support, as well as providing technical assistance, engineering expertise and construction management to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from domestic incidents.
In addition to the employees deployed in support of Hurricane Harvey recovery operations, the district has preemptively deployed personnel to the state of Florida Emergency Operations Center, the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency to help the USACE, Jacksonville District and other partner agencies prepare for Hurricane Irma.
Release no. 17-029