06.08.11

Hoeven Meets with U.S. Army Corps General Temple, Stresses Flood Severity, Urges Vigorous Response and Thorough Review

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today met with Major General Merdith W.B. Temple, Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to stress the severity of flooding on the Missouri River in North Dakota. The senator urged General Temple to use all and any resources available to battle high waters. 

Given the height, duration and volume of water being released from the main stem dams on the river, Hoeven said it’s vital that requests for assistance get a prompt response and all necessary resources to strengthen public safety. 

“You need to make sure Corps people on the ground are empowered to do all they can to help,” Hoeven said. “You need to give them as much flexibility as possible, and when communities and the state make requests, you need to give them the answer they need to help them protect lives and property.” 

Also meeting with the general were Senator John Thune of South Dakota, Senator Mike Johanns of Nebraska and Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas. Hoeven and the other Senators urged General Temple to initiate a thorough after-action review of this year’s event, including a review of the Master Manual, the Corps’ principal guide to managing Missouri River management and operations. Hoeven said Corps engineers need to evaluate dikes, levees and other mitigation structures to assess their continued integrity, and make improvements if necessary. 

“Taking a hard look at this year’s flooding and the Corps’ response to it could help us improve our mitigation efforts in the future,” Hoeven said. “That has to be part of our larger response to this flood.”