Contact: Public Affairs 206-764-3750

SEATTLE – More than 20 local U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees deployed from Seattle District to join the 800 Corps employees supporting response and recovery operations after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. 

Sixteen of the employees deployed to Texas to serve on the Corps’ Commodities Planning and Response Team, which is responsible for providing ice and water.  With the loss of electricity in most of the affected areas, the Seattle team supplies these critical assets to the community at various sites set up throughout the region. 

Two employees deployed to Louisiana, where they will work as quality assurance representatives on the Corps’ “blue-roof” mission.  The “blue-roof” mission provides temporary plastic roofing to residences to protect against further weather damage following a storm.

The remaining five employees deployed to Department of Defense and Army command posts — U.S. Northern Command in Colorado Springs, Colo., and U.S. Army North in San Antonio  These posts serve as the Department of Defense’s and Army’s central command hubs for homeland defense and civil support operations. 

As part of the federal government’s unified response, the Corps of Engineers continues to assist the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency by coordinating and organizing a range of public works and engineering-related support. 

For more information on the Corps’ hurricane response please visit http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/gustav/ or contact the Seattle District public affairs office at 206-764-3750.