{"id":14027,"date":"2017-08-28T17:01:05","date_gmt":"2017-08-28T17:01:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2017\/08\/28\/entire-texas-national-guard-activated-in-wake-of-hurricane-harvey\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T01:39:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:39:45","slug":"entire-texas-national-guard-activated-in-wake-of-hurricane-harvey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2017\/08\/28\/entire-texas-national-guard-activated-in-wake-of-hurricane-harvey\/","title":{"rendered":"Entire Texas National Guard activated in wake of Hurricane Harvey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The governor of Texas on Monday activated the entire Texas National Guard in response to the flooding that has left a million people homeless after Hurricane Harvey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The activation brings the number of Texas Guardsmen aiding in relief efforts to about 12,000, according to a news release from Gov. Greg Abbott\u2019s office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Military assets from across the country \u2014 aircraft, vehicles and emergency supplies \u2014 were sent to the Texas coast after Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on Friday. Though downgraded to a tropical storm, continued rainfall is resulting in historic flooding in southeastern Texas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

National Guard units from Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, New Mexico, New York and Oklahoma are also helping those left in the storm\u2019s wake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The National Guard Bureau told Army Times that as of Monday morning, there were 16 helicopters aiding in recovery efforts, including 10 UH-60 Black Hawks, four UH-72 Lakotas and two CH-47 Chinooks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aircraft and personnel are conducting day and night wide-area search-and-rescue missions along the Texas coast from Corpus Christi to Houston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The New York Air National Guard has provided one C-130, three HH-60s, and two C-17s. The Coast Guard and Air National Guard provided seven fixed-wing aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upward of 400 Humvees and high-water vehicles have also been deployed, according to Sgt. 1st Class Mike Houk, a spokesman with the Guard Bureau.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Six helicopters from Guard units in Utah, Nebraska and North Carolina are now heading to Texas, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The missions include search and rescue, bridging, water rescue, logistics movement, airfield openings and medical water purification, Houk said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far, no military forces in federal status have been deployed to help with hurricane relief efforts, said Army Lt. Col. Jamie Davis, a Defense Department spokesman. Active-duty units are headed to a staging area in case they are needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cU.S. Northern Command is poised to provide Department of Defense support to FEMA, state and local response efforts,\u201d Davis said on Monday. \u201cState and local agencies are in the lead for this response effort.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n