WASHINGTON (Army News Service, August 19, 2004) -- Hurricane Charley made landfall in the United States Aug. 13 as a category IV hurricane, blowing devastation through much of Florida. The strongest storm to hit there in more than a decade, it charged over the southwest coast with winds of up to 145 mph, demolishing mobile home parks and damaging tens of thousands of buildings.

Roughly 280 US Army Corps of Engineers military and civilian employees from around the country have been working in support of Hurricane Charley recovery in conjunction with Florida National Guardsmen and other local, state and federal agencies.

The most immediate need has been for ice, water and power. USACE is currently delivering 20-40 truckloads each of ice and water per day into victimized communities. Eighteen Soldiers of the 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power), a USACE unit, arrived in Florida a day after the hurricane to assess and install generators for communities blacked out by Charley.

“We moved into Lakeland last Saturday, immediately after the hurricane passed through to begin the recovery work,” said Lt. Col. Andrew Goetz, deputy district commander for south Florida. “What the Corps is doing now is really a team effort with the state, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and private contractors. Situations like these require a lot of effort from everyone.”

USACE is using Deployable Tactical Operations System vans, which provide a full range of emergency communications and command-and-control support, as part of the recovery effort.

The Corps water delivery operation is extensive. In the first five days of operation, the Corps provided 1.8 million 1-litter bottles to the residents of southwest Florida. Water transportation has been accomplished in part through the use of contracted, British-owned aircraft. The aircraft’s cargo area is enormous and holds seven truckloads of water. These aircraft were also were also used by the Corps in Iraq to deliver emergency repair parts for the Iraq power grid.

In addition, to the electricity, ice and water support, FEMA has asked USACE to manage installation of temporary roofing materials. FEMA has transferred $30 million in disaster-relief funds to USACE for the huge temporary roofing mission.

The Corps is also conducting debris-removal assessment and coordination in nine of the 18 affected Florida counties. The USACE Jacksonville District has activated its emergency operations center on a 24-hour basis, as has South Atlantic Division headquarters in Atlanta. Col. Robert Carpenter, USACE Jacksonville District commander, is serving as the South Atlantic Division forward commander.

Overall, FEMA has to date provided USACE more than $60 million for ice, water, the temporary roofing and debris oversight missions, emergency power, logistics and technical assistance, among others missions.

The response by the Corps of Engineers was immediate, as preparations were being made before Charley blew ashore.

USACE is one of 26 federal agencies comprising the Federal Response Plan, which is administered by FEMA and Homeland Security and proscribes the federal response to hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and other natural and manmade disasters.

(Editor’s note: Article provided by the US Army Corps of Engineers Public Affairs Office.)