SUPERIOR, Neb. -- A tabletop exercise was conducted in Superior, Nebraska, on April 12, 2023, by local emergency management agencies for Harlan County Lake in conjunction with the Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The purpose of the exercise was to showcase the joint emergency preparedness between local communities around Harlan County Dam and USACE.
In attendance at the tabletop exercise were representatives from the City of Superior, Nebraska, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, the Superior Volunteer Rescue Squad, Jewell County Emergency Management, Superior Fire Department, the National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Nuckolls County Emergency Management and the Jewell County Sheriff’s Office.
The tabletop exercise focused on the communication and coordination efforts during operational releases or an extreme, rare flood event. During the exercise, USACE emphasized that it regularly assesses the conditions and risks associated with Harlan County Dam, along with its other civil works projects. The last periodic inspection of Harlan County Dam was in 2020.
Assessments of USACE-maintained dams consider the potential of an overtopping of the dam and the risk posed to the population living downstream. The dam safety assessments also assist local emergency management agencies and USACE in coordinating emergency efforts and a communication plan in the event of a dam breach. Julie MacLachlan, Kansas City District outreach specialist, spoke about the importance of risk communication and emergency messaging during 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 property [in the event of a flood],” said MacLachlan.
Local emergency management agencies are the front lines of emergency preparedness in their communities. To better serve the community, the local agencies work closely with USACE and other state and federal partners. Tabletop exercises like the one conducted for Harlan County Dam are routine opportunities to identify areas for improvement in the shared responsibility for emergency preparedness.
“Harlan County Dam is at the center of the Republican River basin,” said Allen Chestnut, Kansas City District dam safety program manager. “We are trying to work with local emergency management agencies and folks in the local communities … to help people understand the risk associated with living downstream of 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