NATIONAL GUARD MOBILIZED IN WAKE OF SANDY
More than 7,400 members of the National Guard had been mobilized in 11 states to respond to Hurricane Sandy by 4:30 a.m. today and more are on the way.
National Guard assistance to local first responders and the Federal Emergency Management Agency included support at evacuation shelters, route clearance, search and rescue and delivery of essential equipment and supplies.
The focus of National Guard’s missions is shifting to recovery in the aftermath of the storm.
The governors of 12 states and the mayor of the District of Columbia had declared a state of emergency because of the storm, now downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone even as it made its way further inland and continued to wreak havoc in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.
Guard members were assembling and staging in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Virginia, according to the National Guard Coordination Center, which monitors the response spearheaded by the states.
In Connecticut, Guard members were responding to evacuation security support and high-wheeled search and rescue missions. High-wheeled vehicles were supporting civilian authorities in Maryland. In Massachusetts, a National Guard Civil Support Team was on stand-by for a possible hazardous materials response. In New Jersey, Guard members were assisting state police. In New York and Pennsylvania, they were assisting state emergency managers. In Virginia, citizen-soldiers and –airmen were assisting with debris removal.
Each affected state was monitoring, assessing and responding as needed, and National Guard Bureau officials were monitoring and coordinating from the federal level.
In just one example of states helping states, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said the Wisconsin National Guard stands ready to assist civilian authorities supporting Hurricane Sandy relief efforts in the impacted regions.
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Posted by Gary
on Oct 30 2012. Filed under Breaking News, Military, Top stories, US.
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