The Vicksburg District Hosts 2014 Hurricane Exercise

Vicksburg, Miss … The Vicksburg District recently conducted a hurricane preparedness exercise with a category 3 storm named Gabi impacting the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The District ran a series of planning exercises along with Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to communicate the role of each organization before, during and after a hurricane landfall.

The Vicksburg District is responsible for FEMA directed missions for the Mississippi gulf coast during a hurricane response. Typical missions may include debris removal, temporary roofing, emergency power and providing temporary public structures.

Flooding from hurricanes can be more destructive than the high winds seen during landfall. Flood insurance policies take 30 days to go into effect, so the time to prepare is now.

The Tropical Meteorology Project at Colorado State University (CSU) forecasts a “slow” hurricane season of eleven named storms for 2014. CSU predicts that an “El Nino” system from the Pacific will suppress Atlantic and Gulf hurricanes this year. Hurricane season begins June 1st and ends November 30th with the peak threat period starting in mid-August and going through October.

With the CSU forecast predicting 11 named storms and two of those expected to be category 3 or greater, it is important to have a hurricane preparedness plan and a disaster supply kit in place. Visit www.ready.gov  for information on a disaster supply kit and www.floodsmart.gov  for more information on flood insurance.

Every year, the Vicksburg District deploys volunteer employees to disasters within the District’s area of operation and around the nation. This is a part of the federal government’s unified national response to natural disasters. For more information, visit: http://www.mvk.usace.army.mil/Missions/EmergencyOperationsOffice.aspx  


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