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.
But do your feet get wet?
LOL! Nice PR for the gov....unfortunately, unless the are all lineman, they are useless...
I hacked a hole through the ice about two weeks back and had about 18 inches. My feet got wet then but it was all slosh water.
What took them so long? Kentucky has another Blanco it would seem.
As a Republican here in sunny Kentucky, I would have to conclude that you don’t live here nor do you have a clue about the current conditions. Just to give you a clue, I work at Fort Knox, and the Commanding General closed it since Tuesday due to downed lines, fallen (and at that time falling) timber, and loss of the water plant due to power outages. Same story in the surrounding communities, power, fallen timber, water shortages.
Snow removal was not the problem, road cleaning was handled well throughout the storm. The problem is cutting fallen trees from the rights of way and streets due to almost two inches of ice on the timber.
Power poles are broken off and fallen limbs have taken down many lines. Two poles in my neighborhood alone. Power outages result in gas pumps being down, stores closed, and the general problems you might expect. Shelters are open throughout the state.
I supported Ernie Fletcher, but if he were still there he would have the same problems that Beasher is facing. He might not have called up up as many Guardsmen, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if he called up just as many.
BTW, I was out of power from Tuesday morning until about two hours ago. So, your response is what I would term as being from a “typical know nothing”.
Prayers to everyone there! Been in that situation a few times, myself. I know the resolve and self-sufficiency people have in the areas........but I can’t believe the arrogance (and TOTAL disregard) of Zero not even extending a mere ‘courtesy call’ to the people. Makes me frikkin’ SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kentucky, you are on your own, Hussien is too busy getting ready for the super bowl party at the white house.
My grandparents lived up north and they didn’t have electricity for half their lives. My own parents didn’t have electricity in the house until I was born. During Katrina, I didn’t have electricity in the neighborhood for close to 9 months.
“Talk about someone out of touch!”
He’s not only treacherous, he’s a lame POS.
I feel for you, my FRiend. I live in Tennessee. Where the hell is Obama and FEMA! Its time for us to complain as loud as they did after Katrina.
So Kentucky should just suck it up, then.
“WHERE’S OBAMA?”
He hates white people, dontcha know? After all, that’s whom the storm affected most. If the media said that Bush hated black people for not being fast enough during Katrina, then I call “equal hatred” from Obama on this.
Did you read the article? Bambi declared the emergency yesterday and the Ky official says they are working with FEMA already.
Its kinda late after the ice storm to get the guard out isn’t it ? Maybe this is cover for activation of a march on washington.
That would be change I could believe in and would give me hope.
*Sigh* don’t try and talk me out of it, I have a dream.
A Kentucky Ping....
Blanco was voted out but Nagin was reelected.
Are you saying Kentucky should put some ice on it?
Huh? A lot of the time consuming problem the linemen face is clearing power lines from fallen trees. The NG's can do that as well as get their trucks into hard to reach places. The NG's can help in many other ways from supply deliveries to purifying water and establish communications and electricity to places like Nursing Homes. IOW most NG units are also part of their states Emergency Management Team. That's part of the reason they exist.
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