"Extreme weather is raising the stakes at military bases across the nation, but preparations for the changing climate have often been slow."
"For several years, the U.S. military and federal and local officials knew that Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska lay exposed to the threat of catastrophic flooding. But a key federal agency moved too slowly to approve plans to protect the base from last weekend's deluge, a top local official said.
The flooding submerged part of the runway and inundated dozens of buildings at one of the nation's most important air bases. The calamity likely will cost many times more to repair than it would have cost to prevent, said John Winkler, district general manager of the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District, the local government agency responsible for managing the section of the river nearest Offutt and Omaha.
The damage has crippled capabilities at an Air Force base considered essential to national security. Among its many roles, Offutt is home to the U.S. Strategic Command that oversees the Pentagon's nuclear strategic deterrence and global strike capabilities."
David Hasemyer reports for InsideClimate News March 21, 2019.
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