ST. LOUIS – Coast Guard crews have conducted five rescue cases in which a total of 14 people and 1 dog were evacuated from flooded areas in North Dakota as of Monday.
Since operations began March 18, 2010, airboat crews have rescued 13 people and 1 dog in the Harwood, N.D., area. A helicopter crew rescued an elderly man 80 miles north of Fargo, in the vicinity of Oslo, Minn., today.
These rescues are part of a multi-agency operation that is responding to major flooding along the Red River in North Dakota. Coast Guard personnel, airboats and aircraft are assisting in this effort led by the state of North Dakota and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In total, there are 27 local, state and federal agencies involved.
The Coast Guard has a total of 50 people in the region to support this operation. The resources on scene include:
* HH-65 Dolphin helicopter and crew from Traverse City, Mich.
* MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and crew from New Orleans
* Airboat and crew from Marblehead, Ohio
* Airboat and crew from Belle Isle, Mich.
* Airboat and crew from Alexandria Bay, N.Y.
* Helicopter crew from Houston
* Helicopter crew from Corpus Christi, Texas
* Two Coast Guard Auxiliary communications units
* 5-person boat maintenance and support team
Also, an incident management team comprised of 24 personnel is working at Sector Upper Mississippi in St. Louis.
“Our primary goal is to provide the necessary support to the state of North Dakota, who is leading all response efforts, as well as integrate into the federal support team headed by FEMA,” said Capt. Steven Hudson, commander of Sector Upper Mississippi. “Our crews will work with our fellow agencies to conduct wellness checks and perform rescues and other critical functions to ensure the safety of the residents affected by this flooding event.”
