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DOD provides update for Hurricane Sandy response

American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2012 –

The Department of Defense remains fully engaged in the ongoing federal disaster response efforts underway in the eastern and northeastern United States as a result of Hurricane Sandy, according to DOD officials.
In the context of its current support activities the department is focusing on providing unique capabilities to support civilian efforts to restore power to vital facilities and to assist with the resumption of mass transit services in the New York and New Jersey area, officials said.
Here is today’s update on DOD’s response to Hurricane Sandy, as of 9 a.m. EDT:
National Guard Operations:

-- Nearly 7,400 Army and Air National Guard soldiers and airmen in nine eastern states are performing communications, engineering, evacuation, medical, security, search and rescue, sheltering, debris removal and transportation missions.

-- New York, with 2,632 troops; New Jersey, with 1,900 troops; Pennsylvania, with 1,225 troops; Connecticut, with 670 troops; and West Virginia, with 540 troops currently have the highest number of Guard members responding to the storm.

-- Army National Guard units from North Carolina, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Georgia are providing six UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and two CH-47 Chinook helicopters to assist search-and-rescue missions from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

-- Yesterday, 50 New York Guard members evacuated residents from a structurally unsound nursing home in New York City’s borough of Brooklyn.

-- The New York National Guard helped distribute 144,000 meals from 16 distribution locations they’d set up in New York City and Long Island.

-- The New York Air National Guard’s 105th Airlift Wing based at Stewart Air National Guard base in Newburgh, NY, is receiving numerous C-17 and C-5 aircraft carrying critical civilian power restoration assets that will aid utility restoration efforts.

-- The New Jersey National Guard has rescued more than 2,000 people and 200 pets from flooded areas and transported them to safety.

-- The West Virginia National Guard Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Enhanced Response Force Package has assessed snow-damaged buildings in 14 areas throughout Nicholas County.

-- New York National Guard members continue to go door-to-door visiting New York City high rises to deliver food and check on citizens.

-- New Jersey National Guard members have been feeding more than 300 residents at the Menlow Park Veteran's Home, using a mobile field kitchen.

-- National Guard members throughout the area continue to clear debris so that local power and transportation teams can restore power to millions.

-- The Pennsylvania National Guard is partnering with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to use Fort Indiantown Gap in Pennsylvania as a base to distribute critical supplies.

-- The New Jersey National Guard is providing power generation at State Police facilities.
Status of DOD Operations:

-- The USS Wasp is anchored approximately five miles off of the coast of Brooklyn. The Wasp contingent includes three MH-53E and two MH-60S helicopters with rescue swimmers. Also anchored off the coast of Brooklyn are the USS San Antonio with one Landing Craft Utility vessel and four MH-60S helicopters with rescue swimmers and the USS Carter Hall with one LCU. These vessels are prepared to support potential Defense Support of Civil Authorities missions if requested. They will also be available to provide refueling and command and control of DOD helicopter support missions in the area.

-- 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit: Initial elements of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit came aboard the USS Wasp yesterday with more scheduled to arrive today. The total force will include six CH-53E Super Stallion and six UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" helicopters, and 320 personnel.

-- The secretary of defense approved the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration's use of three of its National Defense Reserve Fleet vessels to berth first responders in New York City. The Training Ship Empire State is in New York and in use with 266 first responders being berthed and fed. The TS Kennedy is making preparations for movement from Massachusetts and arrives Nov. 5. The Ready Reserve Fleet Vessel SS Wright is making preparations for movement from Baltimore and is scheduled to arrive on Nov. 4.

Defense Logistics Agency:

-- DLA has coordinated with a contractor to assist the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in assessing damage and determining requirements to restore New York and New Jersey port operations.
CLASS I Commodities (Food)
About 1.5 million meals are expected to be delivered to FEMA facilities in West Virginia by noon today, with 750,000 meals having arrived at Charleston and 750,000 en route to Martinsburg. Around 1.3 million meals are at vendors and ready for delivery.

-- DLA is currently working to provide 1 million meals to New York City by Nov. 5.
CLASS III Commodities (Fuel)

-- DLA is issuing fuel to the New Jersey National Guard.

-- Sixty fuel trucks arrived at incident support bases at Westover Air Force Base, Mass., and McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., delivering approximately 200,000 gallons of fuel.

-- About 600,000 gallons of fuel, with trucks, are available in Virginia for movement to the incident support bases and the capacity to deliver 200,000 gallons of fuel per day for 10 days.

Water removal:

-- Meeting FEMA’s request for two generators (2,000 kilowatt-hour and 1,500 kilowatt-hour capacity for delivery at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Nov. 3. Twenty-two generators -- 500 kilowatt-hour and 2,000 kilowatt hour -- will be delivered to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst on Nov. 3 from North Carolina, Texas and Florida.

-- Sixty-nine pumps are scheduled to arrive at Lakehurst Naval Air Station, NJ: Two 68,000 gallons-per-minute pumps and an additional 21 pumps of between 900-2,800 gallons-per-minute capacity are scheduled to arrive today. The remaining pumps of between 900-2,800 gallons-per-minute capacity are scheduled to arrive over the weekend.
Power generation -- Twenty-five generators are en route to Lakehurst Naval Air Station today, and 22 are scheduled to be delivered tomorrow.

Army Corps of Engineers:

Army Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, chief of the Corps of Engineers, has toured the affected areas in New York City and northern New Jersey, met with governmental leaders, and received updates on current and emerging requirements for power and unwatering.

-- Hoboken New Jersey Terminal: The Army Corps of Engineers, in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, New Jersey Transit, New York City Waterways and others, conducted a joint site assessment survey yesterday. Corps of Engineers personnel will visit the Hoboken terminal today, to determine if a temporary generator can be safely installed. The PATH station at the terminal has been drained, but the tubes remain flooded.

-- The Corps of Engineers is also working options and analysis of the Hoboken Terminal Pier Refinery Download Point, scoping the mission and working contractor options.

-- The Corps of Engineers has technical pumping and drainage expertise on the ground with state and city leaders, and engineers to advise on removing water from critical infrastructure.

-- Pumping is underway in New York City at Battery Park Underpass/West Street Underpass and the Holland Tunnel.

-- The Corps of Engineers developed the technical plans to start pumping operations at the following sites: Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, Queens Midtown Tunnel, Jersey City PATH Train Tunnel, World Trade Center Site, South Ferry Station, Montague Tunnel, 14th Street Tunnel, and 53rd Street Tunnel.

-- The Corps of Engineers is completing site assessments for the Rockaway Waste Water Treatment Plant and the Passaic Valley Sewage Commission.

-- The Corps of Engineers shipped 12 8-inch and 13 6-inch pumps to support drainage operations. The Corps of Engineers is tracking the arrival of 69 additional pumps from DLA.
Temporary Emergency Power:

-- The Corps of Engineers is supporting the emergency temporary power mission in New York and New Jersey. The Corps of Engineers has 319 generators staged at forward locations.

-- Corps of Engineers power teams conducted 74 of 84 requested assessments and installed 14 power generators. Most of these generators have been installed at hospitals and nursing homes.

-- The 249th Engineer Battalion is preparing to move a 13-megawatt power package via convoy from Fort Belvoir, Va., to support Consolidated Edison. This system will be plugged into ConEd’s East River grid.

-- Additional 249th Engineer Battalion personnel were deployed last night to support anticipated missions in Ohio and Connecticut.