VICKSBURG, Miss. -- Today marks the first official day of the 2022 hurricane season, which runs through Nov. 30. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted an above-average season with a forecast of 14 to 21 named storms.
In preparation for the season, team members from Mississippi Valley Division’s Readiness and Contingency Operations office and its emergency operations centers attended the National Hurricane Conference in Orlando. The conference allowed opportunities to improve the region’s hurricane preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation in order to save lives and critical resources in MVD’s area of operations.
While still in active response to Hurricane Ida for over 250 days, MVD hosted a combined in-person and virtual hurricane tabletop exercise with Maj. Gen. Holland, the divisions’ commander in attendance. The division’s crisis management team, key leaders and emergency managers from the districts, the enterprise’s Planning and Response Teams, the logistics activity, Engineering Research Development Center’s unmanned aircraft system team, the operations center representative for Corps of Engineers headquarters and FEMA partners from regions four and six were also in attendance.
The two-day event addressed training objectives derived from lessons learned from two years of consecutive responses from Hurricanes Ida, Laura, and Delta.
Mississippi Valley Division with lessons learned will continue to work closely throughout the 2022 hurricane season with its staff, and local, state and federal partners to respond to threats and impacts that may affect our area of responsibility as safely and timely as possible.
Every year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, part of the federal government’s unified national response to disasters and emergencies, sends hundreds of people to respond to disasters around the world. Here at home, USACE assists the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency as the primary agency for public works and engineering-related emergency support. FEMA assigns USACE missions to include: debris management, temporary housing, temporary roofing, emergency power, infrastructure assessment, and support to urban search and rescue.
Before a hurricane is expected in your area, be sure you have an updated family hurricane plan. Have your hurricane survival kit ready and be familiar with evacuation routes and zones. Be prepared, be aware and take action if the need arises.
For more information on hurricane preparedness measures, visit:
FEMA individual preparedness: www.ready.gov/hurricanes
National Hurricane Center: www.nhcnoaa.gov/prepare
American Red Cross: www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/hurricane
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