15 May 2020

USACE helps Montana, FEMA prepare for COVID-19 future

In the three and a half months since the first COVID-19 case was diagnosed in the U.S., the state of Montana has the second lowest number of total cases, and the lowest number of cases per capita of any state in the country. Those low numbers did not stop the state’s leaders and FEMA from enlisting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, to prepare for the future fight against the virus.

11 May 2015

“Worst flooding in years,” isn’t most destructive

Flooding, with record flood stages in the Salt Creek basin struck Lincoln, Nebraska on Thursday, May 7. Heavy, unpredicted rain fell overnight on May 6, with rainfall totals at nearly 7 inches in Lincoln and up to nearly 10.5 inches in Fairbury, Nebraska near the Little Blue River nearly 70 miles southwest of Lincoln. As the Salt Creek and nearby tributaries reached flood stage, the state of Nebraska and LPSNRD requested technical assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under Public Law 84-99, which authorizes USACE to provide assistance when waterways are in or forecast to be in or above flood stage.

13 Mar 2014

Greybull Levee performs as designed reducing risks from ice jam flooding

While snowmelt and ice jam flooding can occur at any time, they typically occur during early spring thaw. Any ice jam can cause flooding or rapid increases in water levels within a short time period. Residents living near these rivers are reminded to monitor reports closely for ice jam flooding and be prepared to relocate to higher ground if flooding occurs. The levee in Greybull, Wyo., reduced risks to the town during recent ice jam flooding.

26 Nov 2013

Exercising Safety: Bear Creek, Cherry Creek and Chatfield dams catch floodwaters while reducing flooding risks

A stalled front brings record rainfall to the Front Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The runoff brings a surge of water through canyons and foothills and into major population centers of central Colorado. But, this surge of water happened only in a virtual environment. During the week of Aug. 19, several employees from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District participated in a safety exercise focused on Cherry Creek Dam and Reservoir near Denver, Colo. – or more to the point, in the middle of the Denver metropolitan area.

24 Oct 2013

Colorado flooding brings flood of attention to vital regulatory permitting program

In mid September, a wet monsoonal pattern stalled along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains bringing heavy rains to the foothills west of Boulder. The resulting flooding impacted roads, bridges and other infrastructure, with rivers carving new channels and eroding riverbanks. Major roadways in the Estes Park area sustained severe damages with limited alternatives to access these areas for repairs. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District activated its Emergency Operations Center Sept. 12, in preparation for the anticipated requests for assistance during and following the resulting flooding. Calls also began to flood the Omaha District’s Denver Regulatory office located on Chatfield Dam near Littleton, Colo.