Events in the news this week.

Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will ask Congress for $20 million to begin major, physical work on a $1.3-billion package of flood-control improvements along the Santa Ana River from San Bernardino to Newport Beach. Supervisor Don R. Roth will also testify in Washington before a House subcommittee on the project’s importance.

The river is considered the worst flood threat west of the Mississippi. Experts predict that if the project is not built and a so-called 100-year rain occurs, it would cause the river to spill its banks, flooding half of Orange County and causing $11 billion in damage.