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NEW YORK- The New York National Guard had 394 Soldiers on duty this morning as New York City, Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley entered the second day of a three-day weather event.
New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo called out the National Guard troops Monday, Jan. 26, as part of a coordinated New York State response to a blizzard hitting parts of the northeast today.
Weather forcasters had predicted a massive storm.
The governor declared a state of emergency on Monday, Jan. 26 and banned travel on major roadways Monday night. The New York City and regional transit systems were also shut down.
“With forecasts showing a potentially historic blizzard for Long Island, New York City, and parts of the Hudson Valley, we are preparing for the worst and I urge all New Yorkers to do the same – take this storm seriously and put safety first,” the governor said on Monday.
This morning, conditions in New York City and Hudson Valley were better than expected, Cuomo said during a morning news conference. The travel bans put in place Monday night were lifted in much of the region.
However, snow conditions on eastern Long Island were considerably heavier, the governor cautioned.
In New York City, 50 National Guard Soldiers positioned 25 Humvees at fire stations across the five boroughs of the city in order to support emergency medical technicians. The National Guard Soldiers are there to drive EMTs to locations on roads which may become impassable due to high snow accumulations.
Six high-axle trucks were also available to the New York City Fire Department to move patients for short distances on snow-clogged side streets if ambulances could not get down the streets.
On Long Island and in the Hudson Valley New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen were on hand to provide mobility for New York State Troops if necessary.
Engineer equipment was moved into the region from 204th Engineer Battalion units in Kingston, Binghamton, Horseheads, and Buffalo. Soldiers from the 152nd Engineer Company in Buffalo, who were the first National Guard responders when Erie County was pounded with seven foot lake effect snows in November, 2014, were dispatched to the Hudson Valley to assist downstate New Yorkers.
National Guard tractor trailers were on hand on Long Island to assist in moving state emergency supplies if requested.
A total of 97 pieces of equipment, to include 75 high-axle trucks and Humvees were dedicated to the National Guard response mission. Twelve Dump trucks, four front-end loaders, and seven small skid-steer loaders were also assigned to provide support if necessary.
At F.S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton, para-rescue Airmen assigned to the New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing prepared snowmobiles for use if necessary.
Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and Air National Guard HH-60 Pavehawk rescue helicopters were also ready to be used for missions if required.
| Date Taken: | 01.27.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 01.27.2015 09:00 |
| Story ID: | 152820 |
| Location: | NEW YORK, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 174 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, New York National Guard mobilizes 390 Soldiers and Airmen in response to snowstorm, by Eric Durr, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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