By Sara Sciammacco
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkno/local-wkno-914389.mp3
Washington, DC – A commander for the US Army Corps of Engineers admitted to a Senate subcommittee that the agency failed to properly provide an accurate weather forecast and communicate other critical information during the 2010 Tennessee flood. The hearing examined what went wrong and what went right before and after the nation's largest natural disaster since President Obama took office. Sara Sciammacco reports from Washington.
In testimony, Democratic Congressman Jim Cooper slammed the National Weather Service and the local arm of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He said the flood had not been taken seriously until a Nashville elderly couple died and the Cumberland River had risen an additional 19 feet.
"They were so unprepared that they didn't even have standard operating procedure for 24/7 staffing, even though that's routine for TVA. The Corps had not read its weather service emails, determined who was essential or nonessential personnel, or even established a telephone tree. I know Boy Scout troops that are more prepared than this," Cooper said.
Cooper pointed to a federal report that concluded the loss of Internet service slowed down the information exchange, and there was a lack of understanding of operations and terminology between the two agencies. General John Peabody is with the Greats Lakes and Ohio River Division of the US Army Corps of Engineers.
"I think several of the congressman's criticisms are well placed. I think the general conclusion that we need to improve and the statement that we were not prepared for this event, I think is accurate. And that's exactly the point. This event was so extraordinary that all the procedures we had in the past which had proved adequate going back as far as we can remember both personally and institutionally were simply overwhelmed," Peabody said.
Democratic Congressman Steve Cohen used the opportunity to urge Senate lawmakers to pass legislation that would slow down the effects of climate change.
"It is devastating what can happen and I think this is part of it I think it was a thousand year flood but I think there was a reason for it," Cohen said.
Other testimony focused on the ongoing efforts to improve flood forecasting and develop systems similar to those used in predicting tornadoes.