Posted on November 4, 2024
SARASOTA, Fla. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 56th chief of engineers, Lt. Gen. William H. Graham, visited the Sarasota, Florida, area to meet with leaders and volunteers involved with USACE’s Hurricane Milton response.
During his visit, Graham stopped into the USACE Hurricane Milton Emergency Field Office (EFO), to receive briefings and recognize employees who have gone above and beyond in the recovery effort.
“It’s an amazing job you’re doing here,” said Graham. “It’s great to see the work that the Jacksonville District, supported by the enterprise across the country, continues to do to get Florida back on its feet.”
While in Sarasota, Graham, accompanied by Col. Brandon Bowman, Jacksonville District commander, Maj. Matt Westcott, Jacksonville District deputy district engineer and EFO commander, and Nicole Cominoli, an Omaha District program manager and Operation Blue Roof mission manager, paid a visit to homeowner Luther Rosebaro, a local artist whose home received a Blue Roof.
Rosebaro, who has resided in Sarasota since 2008, said his home was damaged from the high winds during Hurricane Milton. After the storm passed, he heard about the Blue Roof Program on a local news station.
“After Hurricane Milton departed, I was watching Channel 13 news Tampa and heard them say something about the Army Corps of Engineers’ free Blue Roof program, so I got online, registered and three or four days later, my roof was completed,” said Rosebaro.
Operation Blue Roof is a free service to eligible homeowners and provides a temporary covering of blue plastic sheeting to help reduce further damage to property until permanent repairs can be made. The sign-up period was recently extended and now ends Nov. 14. Those interested may apply at BlueRoof.gov or calling 888-ROOF-BLU.
The counties currently identified for the program include: Brevard, Citrus, Charlotte, DeSoto, Flagler, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Manatee, Martin, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, Sumter, and Volusia Counties.
Visit the Hurricane Milton response webpage for the most up-to-date information:
https://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/Emergency-Operations/Hurricane-Milton/.
For imagery and video, visit: https://www.dvidshub.net/search/?q=usace+milton24&view=grid&sort=publishdate.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District Commander, Col. Brandon Bowman and Chief of Engineers Lt. Gen. William H. Graham discuss the Hurricane Milton Blue Roof mission with Nicole Cominoli, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District program manager and Operation Blue Roof mission manager Oct.29 during Graham’s visit at the Emergency Field Office in Sarasota, Florida. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been tasked by FEMA to assist eligible homeowners with temporary roof repairs through the Operation Blue Roof program. Right of Entry (ROE) collection sites are now open where eligible residents can apply for the program. The program provides a temporary covering of blue plastic sheeting to help reduce further damage to property until permanent repairs can be made. response missions.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Operation Blue Roof Program contractors install first blue roof at a record-setting pace, one-week post-storm and one day after the issuance of the notice to proceed, in the wake of the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
