Louisville, KY –The Louisville District Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is supporting operations and deploying a debris team to the Gulf Coast in response efforts associated with Hurricane Ike.

The debris team will deploy to the Texas cities of Houston and Galveston this week. The mission is expected to be 30 days, but could be extended to 60. The team is comprised of 16 Corps of Engineers members from Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.

"We are thankful we have such dedicated folks to step up to the plate to help in a crisis," said Steve Rager, Louisville District Emergency Operations Chief.
In addition to the clean up efforts in Texas, the Louisville District EOC is supporting a flood fighting response in Northwest Indiana, which is a result of heavy rains from the remnants of Hurricane Ike. Ike's remnants swept through parts of the Louisville District on Sunday, Sept. 21, resulting in wide-spread power outages, damages to buildings, and uprooting of trees.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers EOC is still finishing up the FEMA housing mission in Indiana from this past June flood and are also heavily involved in getting volunteers from the regional area overseas for "Task Force Safe.” Task Force Safe is a massive inspection program designed to protect U.S. troops and civilians from electrical, fire, and other facility related hazards.