National Guard Responds To Hurricane Omar | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-05.13.24

Airborne-NextGen-05.07.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.08.24 Airborne-FlightTraining-05.09.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.10.24

Fri, Oct 17, 2008

National Guard Responds To Hurricane Omar

Kiowas, Sherpas Among Aircraft Helping With Rescue

More than 90 National Guard members in the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico were on duty Thursday after Hurricane Omar passed through their area as a major Category 3 storm that caused little damage.

"Take this very seriously," Gov. John deJongh of the US Virgin Islands said Wednesday after he activated his National Guard, closed all public schools and imposed a 6:00 pm curfew for all islands. The National Hurricane Center said the core of the storm with the most intense winds passed between St. Martin and the US Virgin Islands overnight.

The storm knocked down trees and caused some flooding and minor mudslides, but there were no immediate reports of deaths or major damage, Mark Walters, director of the US Virgin Islands disaster management agency, told the Associated Press.

About 75 Guard members are providing communication support in St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John, and transportation support on St. Croix with three Humvees and two 2.5-ton trucks. They also are manning shelters in St. Croix and St. Thomas.

Aviation assets, including an OH-58 Kiowa helicopter and a C-23 Sherpa turboprop airplane, are flying reconnaissance and damage assessment missions on the three islands.

National Guard officials said St. Croix is without power, and St. Thomas and St. John have no power on their north sides. All of the islands are still being hit with heavy rain and strong winds. Puerto Rico, which was brushed by the storm, has 12 Guard members conducting command and control in the state's Joint Operations Center.

Wednesday, two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from Puerto Rico were used to move rescue and medical personnel to the islands of Vieques and Culebra. One death was reported on Culebra. Authorities say a man collapsed from cardiac arrest while trying to install storm shutters to his house.

Four C-130 Hercules transports from the 156th Airlift Wing in Puerto Rico were evacuated this week, with three going to MacDill Air Force Base, FL and one going to Homestead Air Reserve Base, FL. Three returned to the island Thursday, with the remaining aircraft scheduled to return Friday.

Air National Guard officials are planning at least one mission tomorrow to transport packaged meals from Puerto Rico to the US Virgin Islands.

The National Hurricane Center reported this morning that the storm is moving toward the central Atlantic, away from the US East Coast.

(Aero-News thanks Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke, who serves at the National Guard Bureau.)

FMI: www.af.mil, www.defenselink.mil

Advertisement

More News

Sierra Space Repositions Dream Chaser for First Mission

With Testing Soon Complete, Launch Preparations Begin in Earnest Sierra Space's Dream Chaser has been put through the wringer at NASA's Glenn Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio, but w>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.10.24): Takeoff Roll

Takeoff Roll The process whereby an aircraft is aligned with the runway centerline and the aircraft is moving with the intent to take off. For helicopters, this pertains to the act>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (05.10.24)

“We’re proud of the hard work that went into receiving this validation, and it will be a welcome relief to our customers in the European Union. We couldn’t be mor>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (05.11.24)

"Aircraft Spruce is pleased to announce the acquisition of the parts distribution operations of Wag-Aero. Wag-Aero was founded in the 1960’s by Dick and Bobbie Wagner in the >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.11.24): IDENT Feature

IDENT Feature The special feature in the Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS) equipment. It is used to immediately distinguish one displayed beacon target from other be>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC