Contractors working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District install a 23-foot-tall concrete shaft enclosure weighing approximately 120,000 pounds as part of the guard wall at the Monongahela River Locks and Dam 4 in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, Nov. 16, 2023.

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Pittsburgh emergency team simulates its first scenario-driven exercise for local flood response

Pittsburgh District
Published March 11, 2024
Updated: March 11, 2024
The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events.

Members of the Crisis Action Team for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District respond to a scenario during a disaster-training exercise in Pittsburgh, March 7, 2024. The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bases its disaster response on the event’s intensity level. At the lowest level, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine. For some services, a state governor must declare a state of emergency before the corps can provide local support. During natural disasters requiring federal support, the corps can provide generators, remove debris, and protect damaged roofs post-disaster. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events.

Julie D’Annunzio, an emergency management specialist and the lead exercise planner for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, talks to the Crisis Action Team during a scenario-based training event in Pittsburgh, March 7, 2024. The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bases its disaster response on the event’s intensity level. At the lowest level, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine. For some services, a state governor must declare a state of emergency before the corps can provide local support. During natural disasters requiring federal support, the corps can provide generators, remove debris, and protect damaged roofs post-disaster. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

People walk along the shoreline of Lake Ontario in Sodus, N.Y.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District deployed a technical team today to assist the Village of Sodus with proper sandbag placement, May 6, 2019. The Village of Sodus requested the Buffalo District’s assistance as rising water on Lake Ontario threatens to flood areas of the shoreline. (U.S. Army photo by Shaina Souder)

The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events.

Members of the Crisis Action Team for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District respond to evolving scenarios during a disaster-training exercise in Pittsburgh, March 7, 2024. The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bases its disaster response on the event’s intensity level. At the lowest level, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine. For some services, a state governor must declare a state of emergency before the corps can provide local support. During natural disasters requiring federal support, the corps can provide generators, remove debris, and protect damaged roofs post-disaster. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

The roof of a picnic shelter sits on the ground at Rockland Recreation Area on the shoreline of Old Hickory Lake Jan. 25, 2024, the result of when a tornado struck the area Dec. 9, 2023. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District continues to assess the damage as part of its efforts to make repairs and rebuild. (USACE Photo by Lee Roberts)

The roof of a picnic shelter sits on the ground at Rockland Recreation Area on the shoreline of Old Hickory Lake Jan. 25, 2024, the result of when a tornado struck the area Dec. 9, 2023. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District continues to assess the damage as part of its efforts to make repairs and rebuild. (USACE Photo by Lee Roberts)

The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events.

Al Coglio, chief of the Emergency Management Office, and Julie D’Annunzio, the lead emergency exercise planner for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, coordinate a scenario-based training event for the Crisis Action Team and the district in Pittsburgh, March 7, 2024. The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bases its disaster response on the event’s intensity level. At the lowest level, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine. For some services, a state governor must declare a state of emergency before the corps can provide local support. During natural disasters requiring federal support, the corps can provide generators, remove debris, and protect damaged roofs post-disaster. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

A USACE hard hat sits in the grass nearby the Electronic Service Section Building Jan. 25, 2024, that was demolished when a tornado struck the area Dec. 9, 2023. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District employees have begun a lengthy response effort to make repairs and rebuild. (USACE Photo by Lee Roberts)

A USACE hard hat sits in the grass nearby the Electronic Service Section Building Jan. 25, 2024, that was demolished when a tornado struck the area Dec. 9, 2023. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District employees have begun a lengthy response effort to make repairs and rebuild. (USACE Photo by Lee Roberts)

The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events.

Ellie Cox, a member of the Crisis Action Team for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, plays the role of a news reporter during a scenario-based training exercise to increase the district’s readiness in responding to natural disasters in the region in Pittsburgh, March 8, 2024. The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bases its disaster response on the event’s intensity level. At the lowest level, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine. For some services, a state governor must declare a state of emergency before the corps can provide local support. During natural disasters requiring federal support, the corps can provide generators, remove debris, and protect damaged roofs post-disaster. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

A contractor loads a temporary emergency generator onto a truck at the La Colonia II assisted living facility in Cape Coral, Florida. When a disaster occurs, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declares an emergency, coordinates with the district to deploy teams to impacted areas, and sends temporary emergency generators for deployed teams to set up. The generators are temporarily put in place to restore power to critical infrastructure such as hospitals, water supply centers and assisted living facilities. The generators are removed after primary generators or the main power supply is restored. (U.S. Army courtesy photo by Tulsa District)

A contractor loads a temporary emergency generator onto a truck at the La Colonia II assisted living facility in Cape Coral, Florida. When a disaster occurs, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declares an emergency, coordinates with the district to deploy teams to impacted areas, and sends temporary emergency generators for deployed teams to set up. The generators are temporarily put in place to restore power to critical infrastructure such as hospitals, water supply centers and assisted living facilities. The generators are removed after primary generators or the main power supply is restored. (U.S. Army courtesy photo by Tulsa District)

The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events.
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Col. Nicholas Melin, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District commander, conducts a mock news media interview in Pittsburgh during a scenario-based training exercise to increase the district’s readiness in response to natural disasters in the region, March 8, 2024. The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bases its disaster response on the event’s intensity level. At the lowest level, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine. For some services, a state governor must declare a state of emergency before the corps can provide local support. During natural disasters requiring federal support, the corps can provide generators, remove debris, and protect damaged roofs post-disaster. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Carol Vernon)

The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events.
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Carl Smith, a member of the Crisis Action Team for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, responds to a scenario during a disaster-training exercise in Pittsburgh, March 7, 2024. The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bases its disaster response on the event’s intensity level. At the lowest level, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine. For some services, a state governor must declare a state of emergency before the corps can provide local support. During natural disasters requiring federal support, the corps can provide generators, remove debris, and protect damaged roofs post-disaster. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Helicopter flight over Pittsburgh District
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The photo above is an aerial view of Crooked Creek Lake and dam in Ford City, Pennsylvania, July 21, 2023. Crooked Creek Lake is one of 16 flood risk reduction projects in the Pittsburgh District, providing flood protection for the lower Allegheny and upper Ohio rivers. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started constructing Crooked Creek Lake in April 1938 and completed in July 1940. The reservoir became operational June 1940. Pittsburgh District’s 26,000 square miles include portions of western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, eastern Ohio, western Maryland, and southwestern New York. It has more than 328 miles of navigable waterways, 23 navigation locks and dams, 16 multi-purpose flood-control reservoirs, 42 local flood-protection projects, and other projects to protect and enhance the nation’s water resources infrastructure and environment. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Col. Kimberly A. Peeples, commander of the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, recently signed a congressionally approved and updated water control manual for the Mahoning River Basin, which includes Michael J. Kirwan Dam and Reservoir, Berlin Lake and Mosquito Creek Lake.
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Col. Kimberly A. Peeples, commander of the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, recently signed a congressionally approved and updated water control manual for the Mahoning River Basin, which includes Michael J. Kirwan Dam and Reservoir, Berlin Lake and Mosquito Creek Lake.

This is an aerial view taken Dec. 10, 2023, of the damage sustained to Rockland Recreation Area when a tornado struck the area the day before on the shoreline of Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville, Tennessee.
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This is an aerial view taken Dec. 10, 2023, of the damage sustained to Rockland Recreation Area when a tornado struck the area the day before on the shoreline of Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville, Tennessee.

The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events.
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Ellie Cox, a member of the Crisis Action Team for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, helps coordinate a scenario-based training event for the district in Pittsburgh, March 7, 2024. The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bases its disaster response on the event’s intensity level. At the lowest level, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine. For some services, a state governor must declare a state of emergency before the corps can provide local support. During natural disasters requiring federal support, the corps can provide generators, remove debris, and protect damaged roofs post-disaster. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

The area around the playground at Rockland Recreation Area on the shoreline of Old Hickory Lake looks like a war zone Jan. 25, 2024, the result of when a tornado struck the area Dec. 9, 2023. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District continues to assess the damage as part of its efforts to make repairs and rebuild. (USACE Photo by Lee Roberts)
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The area around the playground at Rockland Recreation Area on the shoreline of Old Hickory Lake looks like a war zone Jan. 25, 2024, the result of when a tornado struck the area Dec. 9, 2023. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District continues to assess the damage as part of its efforts to make repairs and rebuild. (USACE Photo by Lee Roberts)

The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events.
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Pam McCauley, a member of the Crisis Action Team for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, responds to a scenario during a disaster-training exercise in Pittsburgh, March 7, 2024. The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bases its disaster response on the event’s intensity level. At the lowest level, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine. For some services, a state governor must declare a state of emergency before the corps can provide local support. During natural disasters requiring federal support, the corps can provide generators, remove debris, and protect damaged roofs post-disaster. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

A Mobile Communications Vehicle is positioned at Old Hickory Dam Jan. 25, 2024, where it continues to provide communications to the project facilities affected by an outage when a tornado struck the area Dec. 9, 2023. (USACE Photo by Lee Roberts)
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A Mobile Communications Vehicle is positioned at Old Hickory Dam Jan. 25, 2024, where it continues to provide communications to the project facilities affected by an outage when a tornado struck the area Dec. 9, 2023. (USACE Photo by Lee Roberts)

The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events.
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Julie D’Annunzio, an emergency management specialist and the lead exercise planner for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, coordinates a scenario-based training event for the Crisis Action Team and the district in Pittsburgh, March 7, 2024. The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bases its disaster response on the event’s intensity level. At the lowest level, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine. For some services, a state governor must declare a state of emergency before the corps can provide local support. During natural disasters requiring federal support, the corps can provide generators, remove debris, and protect damaged roofs post-disaster. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events.
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Julie D’Annunzio, an emergency management specialist and the lead exercise planner for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, talks to the Crisis Action Team during a scenario-based training event in Pittsburgh, March 7, 2024. The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bases its disaster response on the event’s intensity level. At the lowest level, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine. For some services, a state governor must declare a state of emergency before the corps can provide local support. During natural disasters requiring federal support, the corps can provide generators, remove debris, and protect damaged roofs post-disaster. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events.
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Julie D’Annunzio, an emergency management specialist and the lead exercise planner for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, coordinates a scenario-based training event for the Crisis Action Team and the district in Pittsburgh, March 7, 2024. The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bases its disaster response on the event’s intensity level. At the lowest level, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine. For some services, a state governor must declare a state of emergency before the corps can provide local support. During natural disasters requiring federal support, the corps can provide generators, remove debris, and protect damaged roofs post-disaster. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

A deployable tactical operations system (DTOS) stands by as planning and response team (PRT) members prepare generators for use at a generator staging base in Alabama before Hurricane Ian’s landfall. A DTOS is a mobile command and control centers that include workstations, internet, and other communications capabilities for personnel to use anywhere during disaster response and recovery operations. The DTOS pictured is at a generator staging base situated at the edge of a natural disaster’s impact zone where PRTs prepare temporary emergency generators for quick use. (U.S. Army courtesy photo by Pittsburgh District)
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A deployable tactical operations system (DTOS) stands by as planning and response team (PRT) members prepare generators for use at a generator staging base in Alabama before Hurricane Ian’s landfall. A DTOS is a mobile command and control centers that include workstations, internet, and other communications capabilities for personnel to use anywhere during disaster response and recovery operations. The DTOS pictured is at a generator staging base situated at the edge of a natural disaster’s impact zone where PRTs prepare temporary emergency generators for quick use. (U.S. Army courtesy photo by Pittsburgh District)

The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events.
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Kristina Schultz, a member of the Crisis Action Team for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, responds to a scenario during a disaster-training exercise in Pittsburgh, March 7, 2024. The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bases its disaster response on the event’s intensity level. At the lowest level, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine. For some services, a state governor must declare a state of emergency before the corps can provide local support. During natural disasters requiring federal support, the corps can provide generators, remove debris, and protect damaged roofs post-disaster. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Rockland Recreation Area on the shoreline of Old Hickory Lake looks like a war zone Jan. 25, 2024, the result of when a tornado struck the area Dec. 9, 2023. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District continues to assess the damage as part of its efforts to make repairs and rebuild. (USACE Photo by Lee Roberts)
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Rockland Recreation Area on the shoreline of Old Hickory Lake looks like a war zone Jan. 25, 2024, the result of when a tornado struck the area Dec. 9, 2023. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District continues to assess the damage as part of its efforts to make repairs and rebuild. (USACE Photo by Lee Roberts)

The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events.
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Ellie Cox, a member of the Crisis Action Team for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, helps coordinate a scenario-based training event for the district in Pittsburgh, March 7, 2024. The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bases its disaster response on the event’s intensity level. At the lowest level, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine. For some services, a state governor must declare a state of emergency before the corps can provide local support. During natural disasters requiring federal support, the corps can provide generators, remove debris, and protect damaged roofs post-disaster. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

Pittsburgh District emergency power team
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District has responded to restore power and provide generators to communities in Guam, a U.S. territory hit by Typhoon Mawar with the force of a damaging Category 4 hurricane. The Pittsburgh District is the only U.S. Army Corps of Engineers district to oversee all temporary emergency power missions supporting FEMA. The emergency team serves communities in the aftermath of a natural disaster. They focus specifically on providing generators to critical public facilities such as hospitals, emergency rooms, shelters, and emergency response centers. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Col. Adam Czekanski)

The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events.
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Julie D’Annunzio, an emergency management specialist and the lead exercise planner for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, coordinates a scenario-based training event for the Crisis Action Team and the district in Pittsburgh, March 7, 2024. The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bases its disaster response on the event’s intensity level. At the lowest level, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine. For some services, a state governor must declare a state of emergency before the corps can provide local support. During natural disasters requiring federal support, the corps can provide generators, remove debris, and protect damaged roofs post-disaster. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

USACE Louisville District supports disaster response in western Kentucky
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers emergency planning and response teams survey tornado damage in Mayfield, Kentucky, Dec. 16, 2021. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Katie Newton)

Stacey Bell stands next to “Sid Bell Falls” on the shoreline of Lake Cumberland Aug. 5, 2022, during a visit to the landmark in Watauga, Kentucky. Stacey is the granddaughter of Sid Bell. It was her idea to approach the Corps of Engineers about officially naming the falls. The naming also helps first responders with knowing where to go in case of emergencies. (USACE Photo by Lee Roberts)
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Stacey Bell stands next to “Sid Bell Falls” on the shoreline of Lake Cumberland Aug. 5, 2022, during a visit to the landmark in Watauga, Kentucky. Stacey is the granddaughter of Sid Bell. It was her idea to approach the Corps of Engineers about officially naming the falls. The naming also helps first responders with knowing where to go in case of emergencies. (USACE Photo by Lee Roberts)

Helicopter flight over Pittsburgh District
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The photo above is an aerial view of Crooked Creek Lake and dam in Ford City, Pennsylvania, July 21, 2023. Crooked Creek Lake is one of 16 flood risk reduction projects in the Pittsburgh District, providing flood protection for the lower Allegheny and upper Ohio rivers. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started constructing Crooked Creek Lake in April 1938 and completed in July 1940. The reservoir became operational June 1940. Pittsburgh District’s 26,000 square miles include portions of western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, eastern Ohio, western Maryland, and southwestern New York. It has more than 328 miles of navigable waterways, 23 navigation locks and dams, 16 multi-purpose flood-control reservoirs, 42 local flood-protection projects, and other projects to protect and enhance the nation’s water resources infrastructure and environment. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events.
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Patricia Kitchen, a member of the Crisis Action Team for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, responds to a scenario during a disaster-training exercise in Pittsburgh, March 7, 2024. The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bases its disaster response on the event’s intensity level. At the lowest level, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine. For some services, a state governor must declare a state of emergency before the corps can provide local support. During natural disasters requiring federal support, the corps can provide generators, remove debris, and protect damaged roofs post-disaster. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)

PITTSBURGH -- As heavy rain hit the Pittsburgh region, waters flooded homes and carried debris across roadways that blocked emergency routes. Quickly, local resources became overwhelmed, and county leaders requested additional aid.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers activated a Crisis Action Team in Pittsburgh to respond to the scenario. The team set up an emergency response center with monitors displaying weather maps, flood zone diagrams, operational graphs, and tracked information that changed by the hour.

People walk along the shoreline of Lake Ontario in Sodus, N.Y.
190506-A-YS819-1021
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District deployed a technical team today to assist the Village of Sodus with proper sandbag placement, May 6, 2019. The Village of Sodus requested the Buffalo District’s assistance as rising water on Lake Ontario threatens to flood areas of the shoreline. (U.S. Army photo by Shaina Souder)
Photo By: Shaina Souder
VIRIN: 190506-A-YS819-1021

Thankfully, the above scenario was just a training exercise planned by the Pittsburgh District to increase their response readiness in case of a local disaster.

“Every year we do a tabletop exercise, which is more administrative, but this year we wanted to do a functional exercise with realistic scenarios and injects,” said Julie D’Annunzio, an emergency management specialist and the lead exercise planner for the Pittsburgh District.

The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events.
Pittsburgh emergency team simulates its first scenario-driven ex
Julie D’Annunzio, an emergency management specialist and the lead exercise planner for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, coordinates a scenario-based training event for the Crisis Action Team and the district in Pittsburgh, March 7, 2024. The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bases its disaster response on the event’s intensity level. At the lowest level, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine. For some services, a state governor must declare a state of emergency before the corps can provide local support. During natural disasters requiring federal support, the corps can provide generators, remove debris, and protect damaged roofs post-disaster. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 240307-A-TI382-1298

The training tested the Crisis Action Team and incorporated staff and leaders from across the district’s other offices. The Crisis Action Team members are corps employees who volunteer for the position. They train annually and must be ready to respond to a disaster in just six hours.

The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events.
Pittsburgh emergency team simulates its first scenario-driven ex
Members of the Crisis Action Team for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District respond to evolving scenarios during a disaster-training exercise in Pittsburgh, March 7, 2024. The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bases its disaster response on the event’s intensity level. At the lowest level, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine. For some services, a state governor must declare a state of emergency before the corps can provide local support. During natural disasters requiring federal support, the corps can provide generators, remove debris, and protect damaged roofs post-disaster. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 240307-A-TI382-1330

It takes a lot more work than people realize,” D’Annunzio said of her team’s effort in organizing the exercise. “It could be easy to just pretend and make up numbers or scenarios, but we tried to make it as realistic as possible.”

The team prepared to host the event for months, researching specific water levels and writing scenario scripts to assemble a custom-made exercise. Each “inject” in the exercise updated the scenario based on real-life data or historical events, creating new stressors and demands.

The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events.
Pittsburgh emergency team simulates its first scenario-driven ex
Julie D’Annunzio, an emergency management specialist and the lead exercise planner for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, talks to the Crisis Action Team during a scenario-based training event in Pittsburgh, March 7, 2024. The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bases its disaster response on the event’s intensity level. At the lowest level, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine. For some services, a state governor must declare a state of emergency before the corps can provide local support. During natural disasters requiring federal support, the corps can provide generators, remove debris, and protect damaged roofs post-disaster. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 240307-A-TI382-1098

“The injects included everything from weather mapping and high-water events to receiving phone calls and emails requesting assistance from various stakeholders,” said Al Coglio, the chief of the Emergency Management office. “They help us evaluate how the staff responds.”

The training highlighted the importance of refining the team’s response process regularly. The district encourages local communities to do the same. They want more local communities to engage proactively with their emergency office before disasters happen.

A USACE hard hat sits in the grass nearby the Electronic Service Section Building Jan. 25, 2024, that was demolished when a tornado struck the area Dec. 9, 2023. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District employees have begun a lengthy response effort to make repairs and rebuild. (USACE Photo by Lee Roberts)
Nashville District begins extensive recovery in wake of Old Hickory tornado
A USACE hard hat sits in the grass nearby the Electronic Service Section Building Jan. 25, 2024, that was demolished when a tornado struck the area Dec. 9, 2023. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District employees have begun a lengthy response effort to make repairs and rebuild. (USACE Photo by Lee Roberts)
Photo By: Lee Roberts
VIRIN: 240125-A-EO110-1003

“The best time to engage with us is not in the middle of an emergency,” D’Annunzio said. “We want our local communities to prepare their emergency plans, or revise their plans, so they know well in advance our authorities and limitations for funds and technical assistance.”

It is important for communities to understand that the Army Corps is a federal entity. It is authorized to respond to certain scenarios only at specific emergency-declarations levels. The district wants more communities, first responders and partners to understand the authorities guiding the corps’ ability to provide certain services.

The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events.
Pittsburgh emergency team simulates its first scenario-driven ex
Al Coglio, chief of the Emergency Management Office, and Julie D’Annunzio, the lead emergency exercise planner for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, coordinate a scenario-based training event for the Crisis Action Team and the district in Pittsburgh, March 7, 2024. The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bases its disaster response on the event’s intensity level. At the lowest level, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine. For some services, a state governor must declare a state of emergency before the corps can provide local support. During natural disasters requiring federal support, the corps can provide generators, remove debris, and protect damaged roofs post-disaster. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 240307-A-TI382-1321

In some cases, the governor must declare a state of emergency before the Pittsburgh District can provide local support. When federal support is activated, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can provide generators, remove debris and protect damaged roofs from ensuing rain after the disaster.

At the lowest level of emergency, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine, as well as offer liaisons to advise and support local responders. In some severe cases, if a storm causes damage to the protective infrastructure, such as levies or river channels, the corps can deploy engineers to assess damages and advise on repair plans.

The roof of a picnic shelter sits on the ground at Rockland Recreation Area on the shoreline of Old Hickory Lake Jan. 25, 2024, the result of when a tornado struck the area Dec. 9, 2023. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District continues to assess the damage as part of its efforts to make repairs and rebuild. (USACE Photo by Lee Roberts)
Nashville District begins extensive recovery in wake of Old Hickory tornado
The roof of a picnic shelter sits on the ground at Rockland Recreation Area on the shoreline of Old Hickory Lake Jan. 25, 2024, the result of when a tornado struck the area Dec. 9, 2023. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District continues to assess the damage as part of its efforts to make repairs and rebuild. (USACE Photo by Lee Roberts)
Photo By: Lee Roberts
VIRIN: 240125-A-EO110-1007

The exercise highlighted the importance of coordination with county emergency operation centers, the Department of Transportation impacted cities, and community leaders.

Yet the Pittsburgh District’s most significant effort against flooding happens quietly behind the scenes year-round.

The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events.
Pittsburgh emergency team simulates its first scenario-driven ex
Julie D’Annunzio, an emergency management specialist and the lead exercise planner for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, coordinates a scenario-based training event for the Crisis Action Team and the district in Pittsburgh, March 7, 2024. The Pittsburgh District hosted a multi-day exercise to simulate intense rain in a short time, leading to floods in a nearby county. Throughout the scenario, the Crisis Action Team and the district staff responded to rapidly changing events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bases its disaster response on the event’s intensity level. At the lowest level, the Pittsburgh District can provide sandbags, flood barriers, and a sandbag machine. For some services, a state governor must declare a state of emergency before the corps can provide local support. During natural disasters requiring federal support, the corps can provide generators, remove debris, and protect damaged roofs post-disaster. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 240307-A-TI382-1193

“We have a flood risk management mission,” said Col. Nicholas Melin, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District commander. “We are on the job 24/7, 365 days a year, monitoring water levels in our three rivers to ensure our reservoirs keep the region dry.”

Helicopter flight over Pittsburgh District
Helicopter flight over Pittsburgh District locks, dams, reservoirs, rivers
The photo above is an aerial view of Crooked Creek Lake and dam in Ford City, Pennsylvania, July 21, 2023. Crooked Creek Lake is one of 16 flood risk reduction projects in the Pittsburgh District, providing flood protection for the lower Allegheny and upper Ohio rivers. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started constructing Crooked Creek Lake in April 1938 and completed in July 1940. The reservoir became operational June 1940. Pittsburgh District’s 26,000 square miles include portions of western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, eastern Ohio, western Maryland, and southwestern New York. It has more than 328 miles of navigable waterways, 23 navigation locks and dams, 16 multi-purpose flood-control reservoirs, 42 local flood-protection projects, and other projects to protect and enhance the nation’s water resources infrastructure and environment. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District photo by Michel Sauret)
Photo By: Michel Sauret
VIRIN: 230721-A-TI382-1760

Since the Pittsburgh flood of 1936, the district constructed dams and reservoirs that reduce flooding throughout the region. Thanks to its reservoir system, federal projects helped prevent more than $914 million in flood damages throughout the district’s footprint in fiscal year 2022. In their lifetime, the district’s reservoirs and dams have prevented more than $14 billion in damages.

Col. Kimberly A. Peeples, commander of the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, recently signed a congressionally approved and updated water control manual for the Mahoning River Basin, which includes Michael J. Kirwan Dam and Reservoir, Berlin Lake and Mosquito Creek Lake.
The dam at Michael J Kirwan Reservoir.
Col. Kimberly A. Peeples, commander of the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, recently signed a congressionally approved and updated water control manual for the Mahoning River Basin, which includes Michael J. Kirwan Dam and Reservoir, Berlin Lake and Mosquito Creek Lake.
Photo By: Ashley Daugherty
VIRIN: 220705-A-WW751-1002

However, floods in the Pittsburgh region still happen. Floods can occur due to extreme rain in a short period of time in targeted areas away from the reservoirs, or due to distressed communities not having sufficient rainstorm drainage systems.

Looking ahead, the Pittsburgh District hopes to involve a real town in future exercises to synchronize emergency response efforts. They encourage communities to engage with their emergency response team now to refine their response plans and understand the services the corps can provide when time is most critical.

A Mobile Communications Vehicle is positioned at Old Hickory Dam Jan. 25, 2024, where it continues to provide communications to the project facilities affected by an outage when a tornado struck the area Dec. 9, 2023. (USACE Photo by Lee Roberts)
Nashville District begins extensive recovery in wake of Old Hickory tornado
A Mobile Communications Vehicle is positioned at Old Hickory Dam Jan. 25, 2024, where it continues to provide communications to the project facilities affected by an outage when a tornado struck the area Dec. 9, 2023. (USACE Photo by Lee Roberts)
Photo By: Lee Roberts
VIRIN: 240125-A-EO110-1002

 


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