Guardsmen focus on Southwest Louisiana - Preparations for Hurricane Ike begin

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, UNITED STATES

09.11.2008

Courtesy Story

Louisiana National Guard

By the Louisiana Army and Air National Guard Public Affairs Office

BATON ROUGE, La. - With parts of Louisiana still recovering from the damage of Hurricane Gustav and National Guardsmen continuing to provide assistance, Governor Bobby Jindal directs troops to relocate, stage and prepare for possible landfall of Hurricane Ike at a moment's notice.

"Our governor has called upon us once again and our guardsmen are prepared to help our communities", said Gen. Bennett C. Landreneau. "Our guardsmen are mobilized and ready to support the citizens of Southwest Louisiana."

Three-thousand troops will move to staging areas outside of Hurricane Ike's potential impact area in order to conduct response efforts for Southwest Louisiana. These efforts include evacuations, security, and any preparations for possible search and rescue missions after landfall.

Calcasieu Parish authorities are expecting the arrival of 300 troops tomorrow morning to support evacuations; with 40 troops reporting to Cameron, La., and 40 troops to the Lake Charles Convention Center in Lake Charles, La. Fifty National Guard boat teams will be staged in the Calcasieu area. Liaison and satellite communication teams will also be stationed in Southwest Parish emergency operation centers.

There will be a C-130 cargo plane staged in Lake Charles to assist with the evacuations of medical patients, capable of moving 30 patients at time with several trips as needed.

• Date Taken: 09.11.2008
• Date Posted: 09.11.2008 09:58
• Story ID: 23505
• Location: BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, US