OMAHA, Neb. -- Due to the current flooding, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District Regulatory Branch will be using alternative and expedited permitting procedures to authorize flood-related repairs within regulated waters of the U.S. These procedures will allow the Corps to expedite permitting requests for Nationwide Permits, Regional General Permits, and Standard Permits for flood recovery activities.
Additionally, the district’s goal will be to send out levee rehabilitation letters and forms in the next week so that sponsors can begin the process of requesting repairs if needed. Levees must be active in the Public Law 84-99 program to be eligible for this.
The Omaha District continues to remain engaged with state leaders, state and local emergency management agencies, as well as, local and tribal governments. As this flood fight changes, the District’s focus remains on ensuring the safety of our citizens and communicating the conditions on the river systems to all of our partners and stakeholders.
“Due to the continued risk of high plains snowpack, especially across eastern South Dakota and the unregulated James and Big Sioux River basins, I cannot emphasize enough that residents should continue to monitor the situation and keep in close contact with their local and state emergency management organizations to stay updated on any evacuation plans and emergency conditions,” said Lt. Col. James Startzell, deputy commander, USACE-Omaha. “Levee breaches can happen quickly or gradually and often occur when excessive water overtops a levee and washes out a portion of the levee, but also can occur at lower water elevations as well.”
Much of the levee system remains compromised. As of 8 a.m. today, there are confirmed breaches at L611-614 (south of Council Bluffs, Iowa), L-601 (south of Glenwood, Iowa), L-594 (near Fremont County, Iowa), L-575 (Fremont County, Iowa), L-550 (Atchison County, Missouri), L-536 (Atchinson County, Missouri), R-613 (Sarpy County, Nebraska), R-562 (Nemaha County, Nebraska), Western Sarpy (Ashland, Nebraska), Clear Creek (Ashland, Nebraska), Union Levee (Valley, Nebraska), and R-573 (Otoe County, Nebraska). The remaining levees south of the Platte River down to the Omaha District’s southernmost border, Rulo, Nebraska, remain overtopped.
The Omaha District remains ready to provide flood-fight materiel to state, local and tribal emergency agencies upon request. To date the district has distributed approximately 168,000 sandbags, 2,020 super sandbags, 9,930 feet of HESCO Barriers, one 16” pump and one sand bag filling machine.
USACE continues to coordinate and communicate with its many stakeholders, to include the Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota Emergency Management Agencies. Additionally we have open lines of communication with local and tribal governments in their flood fight efforts.