Posted on 01/31/2009 4:57:04 PM PST by upchuck
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Gov. Steve Beshear is ordering the largest call-up of National Guard forces in Kentucky state history.
A state official said about 438,000 Kentucky homes and businesses remain without electricity following this week's ice storm.
Beshear called up all of his Army National Guard troops and some Air National Guard units to get the state back on its feet following the crippling ice storm.
"This is the largest state call-up of Kentucky National Guard forces in the history of the commonwealth," Beshear said. "It represents the strongest possible effort to relieve human suffering and ensure the safety and well-being of our citizens."
The addition of 3,000 soldiers and airmen makes 4,600 Guardsmen pressed into service.
"We are now in the process of notifying these newly activated Guard soldiers and Airmen," said Maj. Gen. Edward Tonini. "They have been instructed to report to their home armories and bases as soon as possible."
The activation does not include Guard members who are college students or who have not completed basic training.
Joint Task Force Kentucky
To coordinate the call-up, the National Guard is setting a command called Joint Task Force Kentucky.
Brig. Gen. Lonnie Culver has been named as the task force commander. Culver previously led a similar command in Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina.
"This mission is nothing new to the Kentucky National Guard," Tonini said. "We have come to the aid of our fellow Kentuckians on a regular basis for more than 200 years. What is different today is the scope of this disaster. We are committed to the safety and well-being of our neighbors, and we will be on duty until the job is done."
The main priority of the force will be to help utility workers restore power to homes, water plants and other services.
Troopers will also clear routes for emergency vehicles and create shelters to distribute supplies.
Commanders said that Guard helicopters will conduct overflights for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in areas that are impassable. Guard personnel will also be assigned to team up with local emergency workers to conduct wellness checks at homes across the state.
At homes where families don’t have enough supplies to make it through the storm, troopers will attach red tape on the mailboxes to alert emergency centers to the problem.
"We are fortunate to have the Air Guard's 123rd Special Tactics Squadron in this effort," Tonini said. "Their expertise in search and rescue, coupled with their access to snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles, makes them valuable members of this task force."
Storm Affects Entire Region
The storm is suspected in at least 42 deaths across several states. Authorities said it could be weeks before some areas get power back.
A spokesman for the state Public Service Commission said Saturday that crews were able to restore power to some 100,000 customers overnight.
The numbers are down from a high of 607,000 earlier this week, a state record.
Many people are pleading for a faster response to the power outages. A FEMA spokeswoman said some agency workers began working Friday and more help is on the way.
Utility companies report significant progress in restoring power outages caused in southern Indiana.
Some 42,000 Indiana homes and businesses remained without power on Saturday.
A large concentration was in counties just north of Louisville, Ky.
Harrison County REMC had about 5,000 outages Saturday. Duke Energy, meanwhile, reported about 2,000 outages in that area, which is down from the 12,000 it still had on Friday.
Kentucky, FEMA Work Together
Kentucky’s storm emergency needs continue to be a priority for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is coordinating and delivering federal resources to the commonwealth.
FEMA’s Mobile Emergency Response Support units (MERS) have moved from Thomasville, Ga., and Frederick, Md., to Kentucky. MERS assets include portable radio towers, repeaters and radios; multiple portable KU Band satellite systems and satellite telephones to help officials in areas where cellular towers are inoperative.
“This is an amazing effort and we have worked long hours to move supplies and equipment. Our working partnership with FEMA ensures we are getting excellent help under difficult circumstances for Kentuckians suffering from the winter storm,” said Gen. John W. Heltzel, director of Kentucky’s Division of Emergency Management.
WHERE’S OBAMA? That’s right he doesn’t think snow and ice should close anything since it doesn’t in Chicago. Talk about someone out of touch!
It’s especially hard on those southern states. Here in the north it’s one of the things we plan for every year. In the south it’s not something they can really ever be fully prepared for.
Damn that global warming ...
Typical Democrat KY response. Wait until after the storm to start snow removal. The state has dump trucks. Why does not each truck have a snow blade. The blades can be changed to new trucks when the old ones are disposed of.
When Fletcher was governor, snow and lots of other things got dealt with. Now; typical liberal response from a crook, it is some one else’s fault.
That global warming is going to freeze us all to death.
I’ve got a lot of faith in the people of Kentucky.They will help each other through this-who needs Obama anyway...
LOL!!! Earlier this week, we could have used some Global Warming in Oklahoma when it didn’t get above freezing. It was in the 60’s today and still didn’t melt all the ice and snow. The ice where the sun doesn’t directly hit is still very hard and extremely slippery.
This crap happens every 3 or 4 years. The Dems simply stick their heads where the sun does not shine and wait for some one else to bail them out.
sarc/off
I agree. In an ideal world the media would concentrate on the lack of whining from those states hit by the storm.
Kentucky gets plenty of cold weather, snow and ice. I have seen pickups driving on the Ohio River.
PING to Joe!
We finally hit 27 degrees today here in southern Mi. I don’t think we’ve seen a heat wave like that since mid December.
No doubt....and it’s a good thing since he doesn’t appear to care much.
WHY oh why did KY allow a dem to take office??
“plenty” is relative. I’ve been walking on water since November. LOL
And tomorrow Obama is having a Super Bowl party....
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