South Bay, Fla. – Feb. 22, 2023 -- Groundbreaking ceremonies have been used for centuries to celebrate the start of a new venture and give thanks to those who blazed a trail and made it possible. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, and the South Florida Water Management District teamed with federal, state, and local officials along with stakeholders to break ground for the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir, a major component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan that reconnects Lake Okeechobee water to the central Everglades.

South Atlantic Division Commander Brig. Gen. Daniel Hibner talks about the ongoing efforts USACE is doing in support of FEMA and the state of Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. (U.S. Army video by Bri Sanchez) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Headquarters U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency #HurricaneIan #HurricaneResponse U.S. Army Video by Brigida I. Sanchez

Carey Galantino, Kacie and Noel Manley are just a few of the Sanibel Island residents finding a path back to normalcy after Hurricane Ians, Category 4 winds swept through Southwest Fla. Hurricane Ian was the deadliest storm to strike the state of Florida since 1935. Lives were lost, many homes were pummeled, flooded and roofs destroyed. The Galantinos and Manleys sustained extensive damage to their homes and roofs. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducts its emergency response activities under two basic authorities- Public Law 84-99 and when mission assigned by FEMA under the Stafford Disaster and Emergency Assistance Act. Drone Video Courtesy of the UAS Jacksonville District Drone Team and Leah Reidenbach of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation and Conservancy of Southwest Florida Rescue Video Courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard and Lee County EOC Many Thanks to Noel and Kacie Manley, Carey Galantino, Barbara Lindstrom, Erica Skolte, Michael A. Ornella, The City of Sanibel and @BirdPeepWx

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil engineer Michael Sullivan, New Orleans District, provides technical assistance for debris removal in Sarasota, Florida, Nov. 13, 2022. USACE deployed a team of technical monitors to perform oversight of debris management for FEMA as Southwest Florida recovered from Hurricane Ian.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers teams conduct FEMA-assigned infrastructure assessments on Sanibel Island, Florida, Nov. 8. The USACE inspectors are working in coordination with Florida state and county officials to assess the structures in accordance with Applied Technology Council safety evaluation standards. In addition to the infrastructure assessments, USACE is actively supporting FEMA Hurricane Ian recovery efforts in other areas, to include temporary blue roof installations, temporary housing and debris technical assistance.

Middle East District Structural Engineer Brian Blusius and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers teams conduct FEMA-assigned infrastructure assessments on Sanibel Island, Florida, Nov. 8. The USACE inspectors are working in coordination with Florida state and county officials to assess the structures in accordance with Applied Technology Council safety evaluation standards. In addition to the infrastructure assessments, USACE is actively supporting FEMA Hurricane Ian recovery efforts in other areas, to include temporary blue roof installations, temporary housing and debris technical assistance.

Baltimore District Structural Engineer Kent Morey and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers teams conduct FEMA-assigned infrastructure assessments on Sanibel Island, Florida, Nov. 8. The USACE inspectors are working in coordination with Florida state and county officials to assess the structures in accordance with Applied Technology Council safety evaluation standards. In addition to the infrastructure assessments, USACE is actively supporting FEMA Hurricane Ian recovery efforts in other areas, to include temporary blue roof installations, temporary housing and debris technical assistance.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers used enough blue roof material to cover 690 football fields during Operation Blue Roof in support of FEMA Hurricane Ian recovery efforts in Southwest Florida. Check out this video to learn more! In total, the program covered over 20,000 roofs, installing ~900 acres of plastic sheeting material, enough to cover ~690 football fields, for homeowners in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Lee and Sarasota counties impacted by Hurricane Ian. The goal of the Operation Blue Roof program is to provide homeowners in disaster areas with fiber-reinforced, industrial-strength sheeting to protect storm-damaged roofs until homeowners can make permanent repairs. This program is a no-cost service for homeowners. Operation Blue Roof is designed to protect property, reduce temporary housing costs, and allow survivors to remain in their homes while recovering from storm events. The Operation Blue Roof program is for primary residences or permanently occupied rental properties with less than 50 percent of the roof structure damaged to ensure the safe installation of the blue roof. Before installing a blue roof, the resident must certify property ownership and verify someone will occupy it after installation. The home must be structurally sound. Vacation rental properties are not eligible for this program. Contractors cannot cover roofs made of materials such as slate, asbestos or clay tile, or other material which would be exceptionally difficult to repair, or would likely be damaged during tarp installation.

A timelapse video of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completing construction of its Operation Blue Roof mission in support of FEMA and the state of Florida for Hurricane Ian in southwest Florida, Sunday, Nov. 6.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its contractors commemorated the last day of Operation Blue Roof construction today, marking the end of the program that provided temporary roofing protection to Florida homes damaged by Hurricane Ian. The program covered more than 20,250 roofs, installing about 900 acres of reinforced, industrial-strength sheeting on homes in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Lee, and Sarasota counties. Operation Blue Roof, managed by USACE for FEMA, is a no cost, free service for homeowners.

Christine Tamura, a structural engineer with the USACE Hurricane Ian infrastructure team and a Honolulu District employee, talks about her role in supporting FEMA and the state of Florida.

UASCE Hurricane Ian safety manager and St. Louis District employee discusses the steps that USACE is taking to ensure responders are safey during the recovery efforts.

USACE Hurricane Ian responders discuss the use of drones in support of infrastructure assessments on Fort Myers Beach, Florida. A USACE infrastructure team is conducting Applied Technology Council – 45, or ATC-45, infrastructure assessments on the island. USACE officials, along with local county officials, are supporting the state of Florida and FEMA by assessing buildings to ensure they are safe. The ATC-45 is an industry standard safety evaluation after windstorms and floods. Following the assessments, USACE forwards the information to the local county officials for them to make a final determination.

A timelapse video of storm debris is hauled to a temporary debris management site on Lovers Key, Florida, Oct. 26. USACE is serving as technical debris monitors in support of FEMA to ensure the storm debris is manage safely and in compliance with all applicable rules and regulations. In addition to the debris mission, USACE is actively supporting other Hurricane Ian recovery efforts to include Operation Blue Roof, infrastructure assessments and temporary housing.

Doug Weber, USACE infrastruture assessment team subject matter expert and Seattle District employee, discusses what the team is doing to support FEMA and the state of Florida in their Hurricane Ian recovery efforts.

Stetson Smith, USACE debris specialist and Vicksburg District employee, discusses how debris is removed from sand on Fort Myers Beach, Florida, Oct. 26.

Hurricane Ian was a destructive category 4 storm; it was the deadliest storm to strike the state of Florida since 1935. Lives were lost, many homes were pummeled, flooded and roofs destroyed. Today, 31,000 people have applied for FEMA's fiber-reinforced sheeting. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Operation Blue Roof program dispatches quality assurance specialists like Diana Alape Martinez throughout Southwest Florida to facilitate the placement of FEMA's Blue Roof Sheeting. The mission's purpose is to provide homeowners and permanently occupied rental properties in disaster areas with fiber-reinforced sheeting to cover their damaged roofs until arrangements can be made for permanent repairs. This is a free service for homeowners.