National Guard battles storms, flooding in five states

By Lt. Col. Ellen KrenkeNovember 18, 2011

North Dakota National Guard Soldiers and airmen prepare sandbags for the rising waters of the Missouri River and Apple Creek, March 24, 2009. The two bodies of water, which are covered with ice chunks, are converging south of Bismarck, N.D., causing ...
North Dakota National Guard Soldiers and airmen prepare sandbags for the rising waters of the Missouri River and Apple Creek, March 24, 2009. The two bodies of water, which are covered with ice chunks, are converging south of Bismarck, N.D., causing ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

ARLINGTON, Va. (Army News Service, March 25, 2009) -- Rain and melting snow continue to increase flooding in five states across the northern United States today and more than 1,200 National Guard troops have been called to respond.

Soldiers and Airmen have been called up in North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming to help state residents deal with the early spring storm. In North Dakota, the number of Guard members called up has quadrupled since the weekend to 800.

"We have Soldiers and Airmen working around the clock to respond to communities' emergency requests," said Col. Jim Hrdlicka, who is commanding Joint Task Force - East in Fargo, N.D.

"Despite predictions, we are very confident that North Dakota citizens and our communities, together with the Guard, Department of Emergency Services, Department of Transportation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can mitigate this threat to the best of our abilities."

Since March 20, Soldiers and Airmen have filled sandbags; transported equipment, such as pumps and generators; manned traffic control points; constructed a clay dike in Fargo and set up hesco barriers for flood protection.

"As we stabilize the site here in Fargo, we're prepared to move north to Grand Forks later this week," said Capt. Craig Hillig, operations officer for Joint Task Force - East. "We will still have personnel in Fargo, but we'll be moving north to follow the water."

North Dakota Guard troops also continue to come to the aid of their neighbors.

"The Soldiers don't only save our country, they save the people, one by one," said Rose Silbernagl, 87, of Linton, N.D. "I never thought they'd save me."

Rose has lived in her home since 1951, "and this is the first time I had to get the heck out of there," she said.

A widow, Rose has a bad heart and is on oxygen, but she opened her home to four friends, who were flooded out earlier this week. When her sewer backed up, she still didn't want to leave, but her 15 children insisted.

Sgt. Andrew Rohrich was one of the Soldiers who helped Rose get out of the water and over to the county courthouse, which is serving as an evacuation center.

Rohrich is a Linton native, who now lives in Bismarck, where he works full time for the Guard.

Rose has known him since he was knee high, and she joked, "There's a reason there was a flood - so I can see you guys!"

Rose doesn't know when she will be able to return to her home. "Just have to make the best of it," she said before leaving to stay with her sister-in-law.

In Minnesota, the Red River and its tributaries are expected to crest in the Fargo-Moorhead area on Thursday, shifting sandbagging operations to smaller communities.

Almost 400 Guard members, including Soldiers from the 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 136th Infantry, based in Moorhead, Minn., are on duty providing security at sandbagging sites, conducting dike patrols and manning traffic-control points in three counties as well as securing pumps in the cities of Perly, Hendrum and Halstad, Minn., according to the Minnesota National Guard Web site.

In South Dakota, blizzard conditions necessitated the call up of six National Guard Soldiers along with two snow blowers, two humvees and one pickup truck to help with snow removal in the Rapid City and Sturgis areas.

In Montana, several vehicles have been stranded in the southeast corner of the state since March 23 due to heavy snow and subzero temperatures.

The state's Department of Transportation asked the National Guard for help rescuing stranded motorists.

Army Maj. Tim Crowe, the state public affairs officer, said 13 Guardsmen, along with one CH-47 and one UH-60 helicopter, were deployed to Powder River and Carter County to support search and rescue operations.

The helicopters were loaded with warm clothing, sleeping bags and food and sent to search for stranded motorists along U.S. Highway 212 between Broadus and Alzada, Mont., March 24.

Crews will resume the search in the Broadus, Ekalaka and Alzada areas this morning, Crowe said.

In eastern Wyoming, several residents sought refuge at the National Guard armory in Wheatland, said Deidre Forster, the state public affairs officer.

(Sgt. Ann Knudson of the North Dakota Army National Guard contributed to this story compiled by Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke, who serves with the National Guard Bureau.)

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