USACE Assists in Flood Protection Work

Army Corps of Engineers teams are supporting local communities with assistance and are assessing flood protection measures in the Skagit and Nooksack River basins and on the Olympic Peninsula.

The Corps’ Seattle District emergency operations center and reservoir control center remain in 24-hour-a-day operation to manage high inflows in the north cascades and Olympics.

Tuesday morning’s storm surge eroded 200 feet of the Hoh River coastal revetment requiring immediate emergency action. Overnight, a Corps team oversaw construction also providing equipment and rock to shore up the eroded area.

The Corps has sent sandbags to the City of Aberdeen and the Sauk-Suiattle and Hoh Tribes for their flood response measures. Corps teams are also assisting Skagit River basin diking districts with evaluation and potential repairs of eroded levee segments.

“The Corps has teams of emergency responders on the ground.  These teams are familiar with the local conditions and the specific threats to levees and revetments in these areas and are prepared to respond to requests for support to local and Tribal governments,” said Doug Weber, the Seattle District, U.S Army Corps of Engineers, Emergency Management Branch Chief.

Public Law 84-99 enables the Corps to assist state and local authorities in flood fight activities and cost share in the repair of flood protection structures. The purpose is to prevent loss of life and minimize property damage associated with severe weather.

Press Release