News Release Archive

Reclamation's Mid-Pacific Region Responds to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Media Contact: Jeffrey S. McCracken, 916-978-5100, jmccracken@mp.usbr.gov

For Release: October 27, 2005

The Bureau of Reclamation's Mid-Pacific Region, headquartered in Sacramento, CA, has deployed 35 employees to date who volunteered to assist with recovery operations in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Reclamation is one of seven Department of the Interior agencies sending people to help with the recovery. The Mid-Pacific Region's employees are taking part in the Blue Roof program, coordinating the installation of blue tarps to cover damaged residential roofs. They accept applications from the homeowners, perform preliminary surveys of the roofs, and follow-up after contractors install the blue tarps. Their efforts have already resulted in several thousand roofs covered to protect those houses from further damage in Louisiana (New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lake Charles) and Mississippi (Hattiesburg, Gulfport, Jackson, Biloxi, and Vicksburg).

The employee volunteers represent a wide array of diverse work backgrounds that include secretaries, engineers, repayment specialists, water conservationists, biologists, environmental specialists, contract administrators, resource management specialists, communication instrumentation mechanics, procurement specialists, water conservationists, budget technicians, and irrigation systems mechanics.

"I will never forget the gratitude for our work displayed by the folks we saw every day," said Andre
Leamons, a Mid-Pacific Region employee who returned from Mississippi on October 18 after 30 days in the area. "Everyone expressed their thanks for what we did to help protect them and their property."

The first Mid-Pacific Region employee arrived in the area on September 12, 2005. Of the 35 volunteers, 7 are now there for the second time. Reclamations overall support to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita relief currently includes 109 employees from throughout the western 17 states.

The Blue Roof program will last until late November while other programs will continue until spring 2006, keeping Mid-Pacific Regional employees involved in disaster recovery for some time.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.