Mobile District strengthens hurricane readiness through exercise
Photo By Jeremy Murray |
Patrick Yoder, emergency management chief for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile......read moreread more
Photo By Jeremy Murray | Patrick Yoder, emergency management chief for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, speaks with district leadership and personnel during a hurricane tabletop exercise in Mobile, Alabama, May 7, 2026. The exercise focused on coordination, planning and response efforts ahead of the 2026 hurricane season. (Photo by USACE Jeremy Murray) see less
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Mobile District strengthens hurricane readiness through exercise
With hurricane season approaching, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, is continuing to strengthen its hurricane preparedness efforts through a planned tabletop exercise designed to bring personnel and partners together ahead of the 2026 season.
The exercise emphasizes coordination, planning, and decision-making during a simulated storm, allowing participants to tackle authentic challenges in advance.
For Dehyrl Middleton, disaster program manager for the Mobile District, preparation begins with protecting people and critical resources.
“Our biggest risk during hurricane season is ensuring the safety of our essential personnel and critical equipment,” Middleton said. “We prepare extensively for scenarios where some team members must ride out the storm at key facilities to maintain operations, while also planning the relocation of equipment to protect our assets.”
The exercise allows the district to make critical decisions in advance, including what must remain on-site to support the mission, what should be moved out of harm's way, and how to sustain operations under pressure.
“These exercises help us refine our decision-making processes, so we know exactly what resources need to stay in place, what needs to be moved to safety before a storm makes landfall, and how to effectively integrate with our partner agencies to deliver a unified response,” Middleton said.
That partnership reaches beyond the district.
Patrick Yoder, Mobile District Emergency Management chief, said robust partnerships are vital to an effective response.
“During a hurricane, the district coordinates continuously with state, local, Tribal and federal partners through established emergency management frameworks, pre-planned agreements, and joint operation centers, with life safety as the top priority,” Yoder said. “Once a hurricane threatens or makes landfall, the district stands up its emergency operations center and embeds liaisons with state, local, and FEMA counterparts to maintain real-time information sharing and unified situational awareness.”
As response efforts grow, those partnerships guide how support is prioritized and delivered across affected areas.
“The district coordinates closely with county and city officials, state emergency operations centers, Tribal governments, and other federal partners to prioritize and sequence support,” Yoder said.
Exercises like this provide personnel across the district with a clear view of how their roles contribute to the larger response effort.
“These exercises are invaluable because they bring everyone around the same table — from seasoned professionals to new district leaders,” Middleton said. “It’s not just about understanding your own role; it’s about seeing how all the pieces fit together across the entire operation.”
Preparedness efforts persist year-round, ensuring the district can respond rapidly when required.
“Our district prepares for hurricane season all year so we can act quickly to support our communities when a storm threatens,” Yoder said. “We train and exercise with state and local partners, keep emergency plans current, and maintain a 24/7 emergency operations center capability.”
That readiness enables the district to support missions such as flood control, temporary power, and infrastructure assessments when requested.
“We ask the public to stay informed, follow local evacuation guidance, and know their flood risk so that our efforts are as effective as possible when a hurricane approaches,” Yoder said.
While storms are unpredictable, officials said the district’s preparation ensures it is ready to respond—mobilizing people, resources, and partners to back communities when it matters most.
