DEFENCE MOVES TROOPS, AIRCRAFT, SEARCH & RESCUE UNIT TO BATTLE HARVEY IN TEXAS

WASHINGTON, United States – Defense Department has mobilised heavily to Texas in search and rescue operation even as Hurricane Harvey has been downgraded to tropical storm.

Prepositioning troops, search and rescue units, aircraft, vehicles, equipment and supplies are now very close to areas worst hit by the flooding in southeastern Texas in anticipation of a possible request for assistance, a Pentagon spokesman has said.

According to Army Col. Robert Manning “Continuing rainfall from the hurricane is expected to cause devastating and life-threatening flooding throughout this week,” Manning said, adding,
Manning said the New York Air National Guard has provided one C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft, three HH-60 Pave Hawk search and rescue helicopters and two C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft. Besides, six rotary-wing aircraft from the Utah, Nebraska and North Carolina Army National Guard are en route to the area.

Seven fixed-wing aircraft from the U.S. Coast Guard and Air National Guard are in support, he added, and the Texas National Guard is using about 200 Humvees, 218 high-water vehicles, 15 wreckers and 19 fuelers.

He said U.S. Northern Command is poised to provide DoD support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the federal lead. State and local response agencies are in the lead for their own response efforts.

“DoD has provided [Joint Base San Antonio-]Randolph, Seguin Auxiliary Airfield as a forward staging area to support distribution of supplies and equipment to the affected areas,” the colonel added, “and DoD has prepositioned a search and rescue … unit that includes two SAR planners, nine SAR rotary-wing aircraft, two fixed-wing aircraft, pararescue teams and associated command-and-control … elements”, adding that and the Defense Logistics Agency has prepositioned logistics management and resource support, including 11 generators, 50,000 gallons of gasoline and 50,000 gallons of diesel fuel.

“Safety is the No. 1 priority,” Manning said. “We urge residents in the affected areas to continue to follow the instructions of state, local and tribal officials” and to stay away from evacuated areas until they are told the areas are safe.

Although Harvey has been downgraded from hurricane status, federal officials warn that the storm could still present a life-threatening situation on the ground. Harvey’s impact is likely to be felt for weeks to come. If you’re in an area impacted by the storm, federal officials recommend the following:

Monitor local radio and TV for updates. Follow the instructions of state, local and tribal leaders. Do not return to an evacuated area until you are told it’s safe to do so.

Avoid driving through flooded areas. Almost half of flash flooding deaths occur in vehicles, according to FEMA. If you’re in distress from Harvey you can call the U.S. Coast Guard at any of these numbers:
281-464-4851
281-464-4852
281-464-4853
281-464-4854
281-464-4855
Find an open shelter near you. Text SHELTER and your zip code to 4FEMA (43362) or use the FEMA mobile app.

Keep portable generators outside. If you’ve lost power and are using a back-up portable generator, don’t bring it inside. The carbon monoxide gas can kill you within minutes. Follow these safety tips if you’re using portable generator (PDF, Download Adobe Reader).

Find out if you’re eligible to apply for disaster assistance. Certain counties in Texas are eligible. You may be able to apply from your mobile device.mDownload the FEMA app for disaster resources, weather alerts and safety updates. The app (available in English and Spanish) provides a customizable checklist of emergency supplies, maps of open shelters and recovery centers, disaster survival tips, and weather alerts from the National Weather Service.