A tabletop exercise was conducted in Superior, Nebraska on April 12, 2023 by local Harlan County Lake Emergency Management Agencies in conjunction with the Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The purpose of the exercise was to showcase joint emergency preparedness between local communities around the Harlan County Dam and USACE.
Attending the tabletop exercise were representatives from the City of Superior, Nebraska, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Superior Volunteer Rescue Squad, Jewell County Emergency Management, Superior Fire Department, from the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Nuckolls County Emergency Management and Jewell County Sheriff’s Office.
The tabletop exercise focused on communication and coordination efforts during operational releases or an extreme and rare flooding event. During the year, USACE noted that it regularly assesses conditions and risks associated with the Harlan County Dam, as well as its other civil works projects. Harlan County Dam’s last periodic inspection was in 2020.
Assessments of dams maintained by the USACE take into account the potential for overtopping the dam and the risk posed to the population living downstream. Dam safety assessments also help local emergency management agencies and USACE coordinate emergency efforts and a dam failure communication plan. Kansas City District Outreach Specialist Julie MacLachlan spoke about the importance of risk communication and emergency messaging in times of crisis.
“The purpose of risk communication is to give people the information they need to take action to protect themselves, their families and their property. [in the event of a flood]said MacLachlan.
Local emergency management organizations are the front lines of emergency preparedness in their communities. To better serve the community, local agencies work closely with USACE and other state and federal partners. Table-top exercises like the one conducted for the Harlan County Dam are common opportunities to identify areas for improvement in shared responsibility for emergency preparedness.
“The Harlan County Dam is at the center of the Republican River Basin,” said Kansas City District Dam Safety Program Manager Allen Chestnut. “We try to work with local emergency management agencies and people in local communities … to help people understand the risk associated with living below the dam.”
Additional resources are available to help the public better understand the risks associated with USACE dams and general dam safety, and include:
National Inventory of Dams: https://nid.sec.usace.army.mil/#/
Kansas City District Dam Safety website: https://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Dam-Safety-Program