Press Release Index
CONTACT: Lt. Col. Richard Goldenberg, 518-786-4581
FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, Sep 02, 2008

New York National Guard Hurricane Gustav Update

Army and Air Guard aircrews, aircraft, joint Louisiana Guard response

Following Sunday's mobilization of forces by New York State Governor David A. Patterson, members of the New York National Guard continue their efforts today to support the Gulf Coast response to Hurricane Gustav. Now downgraded to a depression, Gustav still has maximum sustained winds near 35 MPH with higher gusts. A slow weakening of the storm is forecasted during the next 24 hours. Deployed elements of the New York Army and Air National Guard continue their movements to support the Louisiana National Guard in the response and recovery from the storm's damage. In all, more than 100 members of the New York National Guard and nine aircraft are mobilized to support the response to Hurricane Gustav in the Gulf Coast. Two HH-60 Special Operations helicopters and one HC-130 long range search and rescue airplane from the New York Air National Guard's 106th Air Rescue Wing based on Long Island are in place with the Louisiana Air National Guard Task Force Eagle at Meridian Miss. in order to support potential search and rescue operations. An additional HC-130 aircraft is on standby at Gabreski Air National Guard Base at Westhampton Beach for potential follow-on missions. Three CH-47 Chinook helicopters from the New York Army National Guard's Army Aviation Support Facility in Rochester arrived in Huntsville, Ala. yesterday and proceed today to Baton Rouge, La. They will be joined by three additional aircrews and UH-1V (medevac) helicopters from the Rochester facility's medical evacuation detachment expected to arrive in Baton Rouge from their overnight stay in Smyrna, Tenn. The Army Aviation elements and its 45 Soldiers will support the Louisiana Army National Guard's aviation Task Force Razorback. At the Scotia Air National Guard Base near Schenectady, medical evacuation personnel from the Air National Guard's 139th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, part of the 109th Airlift Wing, remain on alert for movement to the Gulf Coast through noon on Wednesday should missions come up. Senior leaders and staff of the New York National Guard Joint Forces Headquarters in Latham continue to coordinate and monitor activities in the National Guard's joint operations center to respond to the needs and requirements of the Gulf Coast through Governor Patterson and the New York State Emergency Management Office. Gustav is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 6 to 12 inches over portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Southern Missouri, Southeast Oklahoma and northeastern Texas with isolated maximum amounts of up to 20 inches possible through Thursday. Photo cutlines embedded in Photoshop.

Attachments:


© NYS DMNA Press Release:New York National Guard Hurricane Gustav Update
URL: https://dmna.ny.gov/pressroom/?id=1220375169
34.228.188.171
Page Last Modified: Sep 02, 2008