Guardsmen continue efforts, monitor levees on foot, by air

Photo By Master Sgt. Toby Valadie | Louisiana National Guard Sgt. Ramirez Allums marks a location while Staff Sgt. Raymond Morgan inspects the levee for seepage during a patrol in response to flooding along the Red River, in Bossier City, La., June 9, 2015. Allums and Morgan are cavalry scouts with 2nd Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment, 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Toby Valadie/Released)  

BOSSIER CITY, LA, UNITED STATES

06.09.2015

Story by Staff Sgt. Denis Ricou 

Louisiana National Guard

BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana National Guard is continuing to assist local, parish and state officials, as directed by Governor Bobby Jindal, by hauling assets, assisting construction efforts, and positioning teams to assess potentially affected areas.

"The Louisiana National Guard has been on station and has been since the beginning of the Red River flood response. We will be here until the response is finished ... until we are told to go home," said Curtis regarding the efforts made by Guardsmen.

Since yesterday, Guardsmen have been conducting daily 16-hour levee seepage patrols along the Red River in Bossier and Rapides Parishes in order to assess and identify potential problem areas.

The LANG also conducted a recon flight today for the Corps of Engineers in Avoyelles Parish to monitor the levees and flood situation there.

So far, the LANG has linked Engineer Assessment Teams (EAT) to assist Bossier, Caddo, Natchitoches, Rapides and Grant Parish EOCs, at their request, with increasing protective measures for water/sewage plants in the possible affected areas.

LANG Engineer teams continue to provide personnel and equipment to Camp Minden to support production and transportation of an approximate 60,000 filled sandbags to Bossier and Webster Parishes. Guardsmen then deliver these filled sand bags to locations designated by Parish officials.

To date, the LANG has issued 475,000 sandbags to support flood fighting operations. They moved an additional 500,000 sandbags to Northwest and Central Louisiana. The LANG has provided six sandbag filling machines to North Louisiana, which can produce 400 to 500 sandbags per hour.

Louisiana’s Guardsmen remain ready and equipped to stand up at any moment to protect lives and property, maintain communications, and ensure the continuity of operations and government.

• Date Taken: 06.09.2015
• Date Posted: 06.09.2015 20:44
• Story ID: 166031
• Location: BOSSIER CITY, LA, US