The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District, is sending flood teams out today and tomorrow in advance of flooding that could occur with the warmer temperatures and melting snow.
More than a dozen seasoned and trained flood engineers, environmental scientists and specialists will make their way to the Pend Oreille, St. Joe, and Coeur d'Alene river basins in Idaho and the Kootenai River Basin in Montana, today and Friday.
The Corps been requested by the governor of Idaho to provide technical assistance. The Corps will be working with local and state emergency managers to determine what type of assistance can be provided. The Corps can provide technical assistance before, during, and after flood events.
According to Paul Komoroske, chief of Emergency Management at the Corps' office in Seattle, the Corps activated its Emergency Operations Center today. Public Law 84-99 enables the Corps to assist state and local authorities in flood fight activities and cost share in the repair of flood protection structures.
"The purpose is to prevent loss of life and minimize property damage associated with severe weather," said Komoroske.
The Seattle District Reservoir Control Center is also monitoring river conditions. The Seattle District Reservoir Control Center manages and regulates five dams during times of floods: Mud Mountain and Howard Hanson, both located near Enumclaw, Wash.; Ross and Upper Baker on the Skagit River; and Wynoochee Dam on the Wynoochee River. At this time, no major flooding is expected in western Washington, where rivers are expected to run high with snowmelt flows, though minor nuisance flooding is possible. The Corps does not expect to regulate for flood control in western Washington.
Chief Joseph Dam near Brewster, Wash., Albeni Falls Dam near Newport, Wash., and Libby Dam in Montana are operated by the Corps’ Northwestern Division Reservoir Control Center in Portland, Ore.
For more information on the Corps, and up-to-date river forecasts, go to
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