Army Corps of Engineers readying to deal with widespread damage from storm

WASHINGTON: The Army Corps of Engineers is preparing to cover tens of thousands of rooftops damaged by Hurricane Michael, according to a senior officer.

Computer models of damage wrought by the Category 4 storm indicate widespread roof damage and destruction across several states, Army Majgen Scott Spellmon, the Corps’ deputy commanding general for Civil and Emergency Operations, said yesterday.

By contrast, Hurricane Florence, which inundated the Carolinas last month, did not result in any calls on the Corps for its signature bluetarp roof patches.

‘‘This one is more of a wind event,’’ Spellmon said.

The Corps has a contract to provide temporary rooftops that allow it to patch as many as necessary, he said. The intent was to allow people to stay in their homes during the recovery, rather than having to move to temporary housing.

The Corps acts as the engineeroncall for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during disasters. For Michael, it has deployed about 200 generators to provide temporary power to hospitals, nursing homes and police and fire stations, Spellmon said.

The Corps had also dispatched seven vessels to survey damage at ports and shipping channels, and to help reopen them, Spellmon said.

Dams under Corps’ control were being operated to handle heavy rainfall from Michael. Teams of engineers could be deployed to assess their safety, if needed, although no requests had been made, Spellmon said.

FEMA and local governments can also call on the Corps to help clear downed trees from roads and debris from damaged homes and buildings. Models of Michael’s path of destruction indicate the storm could leave more than one million cubic metres of refuse in its wake, Spellmon said.

The biggest initial challenge for recovery would be clearing blocked roads so that crews could get to work, he said.

About 2000 National Guard soldiers have been activated to respond to the storm, according to the Pentagon.