RIGBY, Idaho – An U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hydraulic engineer and a civil engineer from the Walla Walla District Headquarters deployed today in response to a request from Jefferson County emergency managers for help with emergency levee repairs, according to Corps emergency management officials at the District headquarters in Walla Walla, Washington.
High-flow conditions in the Snake River are eroding a segment of the Heise-Roberts Levee System, about 3.7 miles downstream from the U.S. Route 20 bridge. Immediate emergency repairs are necessary to prevent further erosion which poses a threat to the structural integrity of the levee and about 65 homes located within the leveed area, near Lorenzo, Idaho. The Corps’ engineering experts will assist county emergency management staff by assessing the levee damage, determining appropriate emergency protective measures, and coordinating and supervising construction-contract work to repair the levee.
Residents of flood-prone areas in and near these counties are encouraged to keep informed of changing river, stream and weather conditions on the National Weather Service - Pocatello Office website at
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pih/ – which offers flow data, weather forecasts and flood alerts. Follow flood-response instructions issued by your local emergency management agency, and tune-in to local radio and television news stations.
The Corps’ Walla Walla District continues to coordinate with state and local emergency management agencies.
Idaho Office of Emergency Management
https://ioem.idaho.gov/ encourages Idaho residents to be prepared to respond to localized flooding. Individuals are encouraged to contact local emergency management agencies to ensure they understand how to receive updates and information specific to their location. Jefferson County residents can register for alerts online
http://www.co.jefferson.id.us/Emergency_Management.php.
Corps water management officials continue coordinating with other federal and non-federal dam managers throughout the greater-Columbia River basin to make adjustments in river system operations that will best accommodate the increased seasonal run-off inflows.
-------------------------------------------------------ADDITIONAL INFORMATION------------------------------------------------------
The Corps is authorized to work with states, counties and other public entities to provide necessary resources and information. The Corps does not have authority to provide disaster assistance directly to individuals. The organization will continue to carefully watch the evolving situation and respond, when requested, with whatever assistance is authorized, appropriate and available.
The first responsibility for protecting homes and property from flood damage rests with the individual. Local governments and agencies, such as flood control districts, may share in this responsibility, and together form a community's first line of defense in preventing flood damages.
Occasionally, however, local resources are not able to control or contain a flood emergency situation. The Corps’ flood disaster assistance program is intended to supplement and assist local governments, institutions and special-purpose districts when more help is needed.
The Walla Walla District is prepared to assist states and municipalities with flood-management support, if requested, said Jeff Stidham, Walla Walla District disaster response manager. That assistance could include technical expertise, supplies and materials, equipment or contracts for emergency flood-fighting work.
“We're watching rivers and streams throughout the Walla Walla District and staying in touch with local emergency officials so, if requested to, we can plan, prepare or act,” said Stidham. “Our top priority is the public’s safety, so we’re encouraging folks in low-lying parts of flood-prone areas stay tuned to information and advisories provided by the National Weather Service or their local emergency-service agencies and be ready to take action according to local flood response plans.”
State, tribal, and county agencies needing disaster assistance from the Corps should contact the Walla Walla District Emergency Management Office at 509-527-7146, or 509-380-4538.
For more information about Emergency Management Assistance, check out the District’s Web site at
http://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/Flood-Assistance/.
###