U.S. Northern Command Support to Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief
Sept. 12, 2005
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – As directed by the Secretary of Defense and in accordance with the National Response Plan, U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) is supporting the Dept. of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other federal agencies in disaster relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Updates
- Active-duty forces continue to assist local authorities in searching affected areas both for survivors and to locate victims of the hurricane. DoD personnel are also assisting in the removal of debris and obstructions in some areas in order to facilitate recovery operations.
- More than 22,028 active duty members and 46,228 Army and Air National Guard members are currently supporting the disaster relief efforts in the U.S. Gulf Coast.
- 21 ships (17 Navy, 4 Coast Guard cutters) are on station in the affected area. Three ships from Canada are scheduled to offload humanitarian supplies in Pensacola, Fla, Monday before proceeding to Mississippi, where engineers will assist with recovery efforts.
- To date more than 40.5 million liters of water, 140.9 million pounds of ice and 19 million Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) have been delivered to areas in Mississippi and Louisiana.
The impact of providing such assistance will not adversely affect military preparedness. For more information on USNORTHCOM involvement in national disaster relief efforts, log onto our website at www.northcom.mil or contact USNORTHCOM Public Affairs, at 719.554.9618. To contact Joint Task Force Katrina Public Affairs, call 601.558.4214.