Authorities & Funding
This official public law number and U.S. Code citation establish USACE authority for Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies
What is Public Law 84-99 (33 U.S.C. 701n)?
Ref: PL 84-99 / 33 U.S.C. 701n
The two overarching forms of emergency assistance USACE can provide during flood fighting—one providing expertise and the other providing physical assets/contracts.
What are Technical Assistance and Direct Assistance?
Ref: ER 500-1-1, Chapter 4
To be eligible for PL 84-99 rehabilitation assistance following a flood, a non-Federal flood control project must maintain this program status.
What is Active status in the Rehabilitation and Inspection Program (RIP)?
Ref: ER 500-1-1, Chapter 5
Advance Measures operations can only be initiated when there is an imminent threat of unusual flooding supported by forecasts from this partner agency.
What is the National Weather Service (NWS / NOAA)?
Ref: ER 500-1-1, Chapter 3
This binding legal agreement between USACE and the public sponsor must be executed prior to providing direct emergency or rehabilitation assistance.
What is a Cooperation Agreement (CA)?
Ref: ER 500-1-1, Sec. 2-4
This specific Congressional appropriation account (Treasury code 96x3125) funds all authorized PL 84-99 activities
What is the Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies (FCCE) appropriation?
Ref: FCCE 96x3125
Expendables like sandbags are issued permanently, but these non-expendable assets must be returned to USACE upon mission completion.
What are loaned equipment and plant (e.g., pumps, generators)?
Ref: ER 500-1-1, Sec. 2-1
While repair of eligible damaged Federal projects is 100% Federal, eligible non-Federal flood control works require this mandatory cost-share ratio.
What is 80% Federal and 20% Non-Federal?
Ref: ER 500-1-1, Sec. 5-3
Direct assistance for Advance Measures must be formally requested in writing by this designated senior official.
What is the State Governor (or Tribal Leader)?
Ref: ER 500-1-1, Sec. 3-2
The five-letter acronym representing the real estate requirements (Lands, Easements, Rights-of-Way, Relocations, Disposal areas) furnished at 100% local cost.
What is LERRDs?
Ref: ER 500-1-1, Sec. 2-3
Under ER 500-1-1, USACE emergency assistance cannot replace local actions; it must strictly adhere to this baseline operating principle
What is supplemental assistance (supplementing State and local resources)?
Ref: ER 500-1-1, Chapter 2
Under ER 500-1-1 limitations, USACE direct assistance is strictly prohibited from being provided exclusively to these private entities.
What are individual homeowners, private property owners, or commercial businesses?
Ref: ER 500-1-1, Sec. 2-2
Known by the acronym PIR, this mandatory document establishes engineering feasibility and economic justification before rehabilitation can proceed.
What is a Project Information Report?
Ref: ER 500-1-1, Chapter 5
Physical flood protection works built under Advance Measures must be temporary and removed by the sponsor unless this approval is granted.
What is permanent incorporation (with sponsor O&M and NEPA compliance)?
Ref: ER 500-1-1, Sec. 3-4
This active-duty U.S. Army engineer battalion provides specialized prime electrical power assessment and generation assets under USACE readiness missions.
What is the 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power)?
Ref: ER 500-1-1, Chapter 1
While PL 84-99 is USACE's organic authority, this 1988 federal statute governs disaster response missions assigned by FEMA
What is the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act?
Ref: PL 93-288 / Stafford Act
When assisting with river ice jam emergencies, USACE support is strictly limited to technical advice and explicitly forbids this action.
What is ice blasting / ice jam clearing operations?
Ref: ER 500-1-1, Sec. 4-1
Any repair work that increases the flood protection level beyond the pre-flood design or adds new features is classified as this and must be 100% sponsor-funded.
What is a Betterment?
Ref: ER 500-1-1, Glossary
Under Section 5(b) of PL 84-99, emergency water assistance (hauling or well construction) can be provided during drought if this condition is met.
What is a threat to public health/welfare and a formal Governor's request?
Ref: ER 500-1-1, Chapter 6
Known by the acronym DTOS, these mobile command platforms are deployed to provide self-contained satellite, voice, and data communications at disaster sites.
What is Deployable Tactical Operations System?
Ref: ER 500-1-1, Sec. 1-6
This primary Engineer Regulation, supplemented by EP 500-1-1, prescribes policies and procedures for the Civil Emergency Management Program
What is ER 500-1-1?
Ref: ER 500-1-1
The maximum allowable contingency percentage on PL 84-99 emergency construction contracts is 10%, except for this specific work type, which allows 15%.
What is emergency dredging?
Ref: ER 500-1-1, Sec. 2-3
To obtain approval for PL 84-99 rehabilitation construction, the project must demonstrate an economic Benefit-to-Cost Ratio (BCR) of at least this threshold.
What is 1.0 to 1 (Unity / Economically Justified)?
Ref: ER 500-1-1, Chapter 5
Unlike drought water assistance which requires non-Federal reimbursement, water assistance due to contaminated sources is provided at this cost-share.
What is 100% Federal cost?
Ref: ER 500-1-1, Sec. 6-2
Located in Mobile, Alabama, this specialized USACE center manages nationwide emergency management training, curriculum, and readiness exercises.
What is the Readiness Support Center (RSC)?
Ref: ER 500-1-1, Glossary