Guardsmen with 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conduct refresher boat training in Lake Charles, La., Aug. 25, 2020, ahead of Hurricane Laura’s landfall in southwest Louisiana.
Louisiana National Guard Soldiers and Airmen assist evacuating citizens in southwest Louisiana prior to the landfall of Hurricane Laura at the Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Aug. 26, 2020. Burton Coliseum is being used as a transition location to process evacuees and move them to safe locations outside of the path of Laura.
The Louisiana National Guard stages key equipment and personnel in Lake Charles, La., Aug. 25, 2020, in order to better respond to rescue efforts following Hurricane Laura.
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Louisiana and Texas National Guard prepared Wednesday to assist first responders as Hurricane Laura approached landfall.
More than 3,000 members of the Louisiana National Guard were ready to provide support by land, water and air. The LANG strategically positioned 222 high water vehicles and 65 boats from southeastern Louisiana to southwestern Louisiana to provide search and rescue support. It also had 19 Army aircraft prepared to assist.
Louisiana National Guardsmen with the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conduct boat training in Lake Charles Aug. 25, 2020, to respond after Hurricane Laura makes landfall in southwest Louisiana. More than 3,000 Louisiana National Guard Soldiers and Airmen in preparation were activated to respond across the state.
In addition, 10 Guard engineer assessment teams and seven engineer work teams were staged and ready to respond. Guard members of the 843rd Engineer Company worked around the clock to assist local and state agencies to reinforce the exposed burrito levee in Grand Isle.
And the LANG had 921,000 liters of water and 528,000 military rations, or meals ready to eat, strategically placed to support Louisianans.
The Texas National Guard has over 1,000 members activated for hurricane response, with over 20 aviation assets to include UH-60 Black Hawk, CH-47 Chinook, C-130 airframes standing by. Over 15 shelter teams with emergency tracking capabilities are moving to receive those in need and the Texas Guard has mobilized 117 high profile vehicles to support rescue efforts in high-risk areas. Texas is prepared to operate in a COVID-19 environment by using 160 Guard members assigned to mobile testing teams to support interagency hurricane response.
Louisiana National Guardsmen from Delta Company, 2-151st Aviation Regiment conduct recertification training on an LUH-72 Lakota helicopter hoist system used for rescue operations at the Hammond Regional Airport ahead of Hurricane Laura, Aug. 25, 2020. Guardsmen continue to prepare to respond to the citizens of Louisiana prior to the landfall of Hurricane Laura.
Hurricane Laura was expected to hit the Texas-Louisiana coast as a Category 4 hurricane Wednesday night or early Thursday, with the potential for catastrophic damage.
The Louisiana and Texas National Guard contributed to this story.
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