The US military knew the flood risks at Nebraska's Offutt Air Force Base, but didn't act in time.
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The damage has crippled the capabilities at an Air Force base that is home to the U.S. Strategic Command, which oversees the Pentagon's nuclear deterrence and global strike capabilities. Approval from the Corps finally came last year. The district then approved construction bids earlier this year for work that will begin as soon as the floodwaters recede and the grounds dry, probably in May or June.
The flooding submerged as much as a third of the base, closing down the runway and halting flight operations. “It’s going to be a long recovery,” the base commander, Col. Michael Manion, said Tuesday, speaking onAll of the 10,000 base personnel have returned, though 3,000 have been assigned temporary quarters because their workplaces remain inaccessible. Water no longer covers the runway, but its return to operation is pending inspections, said Drew Nystrom, a base public affairs spokesman.
— carried out by officials representing the base, the city of Omaha, the natural resources district and various cities and counties protected by the levee — warned that the levee needed to be built up, and cautioned that climate change might make matters worse. It went on: “Due to changes in the base flood elevation of the Missouri River, Federal Emergency Management Agency has identified the need to raise the levee between two inches to several feet for it to be capable of protecting the installation.”
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