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CAP Helps fight floods on Red River
General Aviation News
Link to Original Story
By Janice Wood · March 26, 2009 .
Volunteers from the Civil Air Patrol’s North Dakota and
Minnesota wings are stepping forward to help fight the
threatened flooding of the Red River.
CAP members are filling and stacking hundreds of thousands
of sandbags near the civic center in Fargo, N.D., as well as
outside a radio station in the city. CAP aircrews also are
making damage assessment flights, as weather permits, taking
photos to help protect critical infrastructure.
North Dakota and Minnesota have been hit with multiple
weather emergencies in recent days as flooding persists
along the Red River and its tributaries. A severe blizzard
blew through most of the region earlier this week,
blanketing the ground with thick heavy snow. Power lines are
down in western North Dakota and a massive ice jam has
blocked the Missouri River south of Bismarck, N.D., causing
the evacuation of residents. Ice jams have caused several
other smaller evacuations.
Much of the Fargo, N.D.-Moorhead, Minn., metropolitan area
has become an island with the closing of most roads in and
out of area communities due to flooding and snowdrifts.
Over the past three days, more than 150 Civil Air Patrol
members from the North Dakota and Minnesota wings have
participated in sandbagging operations as well as limited
damage assessment flights for local emergency managers.
Operations began on Monday with teams from both wings
sandbagging at various locations in the Fargo area, such as
the Fargo Dome, where members assisted with filling
thousands of sandbags an hour.
CAP members also assisted radio station KFGO in Fargo. Four
teams of members assisted local residents with sandbagging
operations that helped protect this critical emergency
communications point for the community. The station is still
up and broadcasting.
Air operations branch director, North Dakota Wing Col. Walt
Vollmers, plans to launch flight crews from Fargo and Grand
Forks as soon as weather permits. The air crews will be
tasked with taking damage assessment photography of
communities along the Red River and the rising lakes in
northeast North Dakota.
CAP members also are assisting with disaster relief
operations near Crookston, Minn.
“I am very proud of the members of Civil Air Patrol who are
coming from all parts of both states to help in this time of
need,” said Minnesota Wing Commander Col. Thomas Theis.
Civil Air Patrol is maintaining a Web site that notes
communication to members and digital images of its efforts
at
www.ncrpao.org/specials/2009_floods/index.htm
For more information:
www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com
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