A member of MSD Cincinnati’s Disaster Area Response Team tosses a sandbag to Senior Chief Petty Officer Darren Cliffe as the two men attempt to help save a house from rising floodwaters in Brookport, Ill. Their DART has been working with local and federal agencies to assist in flood response in communities throughout Southern Illinois. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Isaac Pacheco.

As communities along the Mississippi River system continue to be impacted by record high waters, Coast Guard men and women are deployed in support of Federal, state and local agencies throughout the Midwest while the South remains on alert as rising waters threaten major flooding in the days ahead.

Coast Guard disaster area response teams – or DARTs – have rescued a total of 28 people and assisted four others in evacuating flood zones since the Mississippi River response began.

In one instance, Livingston County Emergency Management and Coast Guard crews worked to rescue three people who were trapped in their home by rising waters. A Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter and a shallow water rescue boat from Marine Safety Detachment Nashville’s disaster area response team were dispatched. The three were evacuated by rescue boat from the porch of their house, which had water at the doorsteps.

Nashville’s disaster area response team is just one of six DARTs deployed or on standby to lend support in the region with the special capability of conducting operations in shallow water and urban environments. The other DARTs include: Marine Safety Unit Paducah staged in Golconda, Ill.; MSD Cincinnati and MSD Nashville standing by in Paducah; Sector Upper Mississippi River staged in New Madrid, Mo., and Dexter, Mo.; and Sector Ohio Valley staged in Fulton and Obion Counties, Ky.

Earlier this week, the Coast Guard stood up a Maritime Transportation System Recovery Unit in response to rising water levels on the inland river system that have impacted commercial traffic.

The MTSRU, comprised of experts in maritime mobility, incident response and port operations, works with stakeholders to restore the commercial capacity of a waterway following a natural or manmade disruption. The MTSRU will work to support recovery efforts and ensure recovery is a critical element of planning at all levels. MTSRU members also identify communication mechanisms and informational requirements to facilitate the recovery of waterway traffic flow.

As flooding remains a threat to the region, the Coast Guard continues to work closely with the Army Corps of Engineers, as well as local and state partners, to ensure the safety of lives and property.

The Coast Guard has established multiple safety zones and implemented vessel restrictions in several locations as a result of high water throughout the inland river system.

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In this video released by the U.S. Coast Guard, federal, state and local agencies offer assistance to a couple and their three dogs trapped by Red River flood waters near Kindred, N.D., Saturday April 18, 2009.

High resolution video is available at the following link: Coast Guard Rescue near Kindred N.D.

Coast Guard aircrews and boatcrews have conducted several patrols of flood-affected areas along the Sheyenne, Red, and James rivers since Monday, April 16, 2009, including the rescue of two women near Lisbon, N.D. on Tuesday, April 14, 2009.

Current Coast Guard units assisting city, state and other federal resources are:

• A Disaster Assistance Response Team from Marine Safety Detatchment St. Paul, Minn.
• A DART from MSD Quad Cities in Rock Island, Ill.
• An MH-65C rescue helicopter and crew from Air Station New Orleans.
• An HH-65C rescue helicopter and crew from Air Station Traverse City, Mich.
• An HH-65C rescue helicopter from Traverse City, Mich.
• An HH-65C rescue helicopter from Air Station Detroit, Mich.
• An airboat from Station Sault Sainte Marie, Mich.
• An airboat from Station Saginaw, Mich.
• An airboat from Station Marblehead, Ohio.
• An airboat from Station Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
• A smallboat from the Coast Guard Cutter Scioto.
• A smallboat from the Coast Guard Cutter Sangamon.

An HH-65 Dolphin helicopter, from Coast Guard Air Stations Traverse City, Mich., flies over the Red River March 28, 2009, in response to the flooding. Another Dolphin helicopter, from Air Station New Orleans, accompanied them during the transit from Grand Forks to Fargo to stand-by for rescue operations. (U.S. Coast Guard photo/Petty Officer 3rd Class Erik Swanson)

Machinery Technician 3rd Class Dan Fraley of Station Sault Ste. Marie assists an Oxbow, N.D. resident and her faithful friend as they disembark from the station's airboat along the Red River in North Dakota, Thursday, March 26, 2009. The station is one of three airboat crews from the Ninth Coast Guard District which conducted house-to-house searches for citizens in distress ubder the incident command of Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River in flood-prone communities on the Red River. (U.S. Coast Guard/Photo by Petty Officer Bill Colclough)

Many more pics to be found here.

A view from a U.S. Coast Guard HH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter shows Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher Wheeler using a small boat to transport six people and two dogs to a safe rescue platform after the Red River flooded the Fargo area March 25, 2009. Wheeler, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, was lowered from the helicopter and later assisted the four adults, one child, one infant and two small dogs as they were hoisted to safety by the rescue helicopter and crew from Air Station Traverse City, Mich. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. Brendan Evans)

A Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Mich. helicopter crew rescued five adults and a 14-month-old child from their home in Abercrombie, N.D., Wednesday, at approximately 1:30 p.m.

The HH-65 Dolphin crew successfully hoisted the residents, who were trapped in their home by the Midwest flood waters, and transported them to Wahepton Airport. No injuries were reported.

For video of the rescue CLICK HERE.

The Coast Guard helicopter is one of several Ninth Coast Guard District units deployed to assist in the Red River flood response. For full information on the deployment CLICK HERE.

The Eighth Coast Guard District has created a Midwest flood response information website. The web address

Coast Guard

In this photo by the U.S. Coast Guard, a small boat crewmember from Small Boat Station Sault St. Marie, Mich., responds to a search and rescue call, Wednesday, March 25, 2009. Various Coast Guard units from around the country have been called to assist in the 2009 midwest flood response. (U.S. Coast Guard photo/Petty Officer 3rd Class Renee C. Aiello)

In this photo by the U.S. Coast Guard, Petty Officer 3rd Class Peter Marvin, a machinery technician from Coast Guard Small Boat Station St. Clair Shores, Mich., works on the tire of an airboat trailer, Wednesday, March 25, 2009. The tire of trailer became frozen after exposure to the harsh winter elements following the response effort to the 2009 midwest flood. (U.S. Coast Guard photo/Petty Officer 3rd Class Renee C. Aiello)

Units from the Ninth Coast Guard District are assisting units from the Eighth District in response to flooding along the Red River, which runs through Minnesota and North Dakota.

Coast Guard crewmembers are working closely with both local and state officials from response centers in the Red River region and have saved 16 lives as of approximately 1:30 p.m. Central Standard Time.

Ninth District assets responding include an Air Station Traverse City, Mich., HH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter and crew; and 20-ft.airboats from Coast Guard Stations Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.; St. Clair Shores, Mich.; Sturgeon Bay, Wis. and Marblehead, Ohio.

Additional airboats from Stations Belle Isle, Mich., Saginaw, Mich. and Alexandria Bay, N.Y. are standing by to deploy if needed.

Coast Guard

In this photo by the U.S. Coast Guard, two airboat crews deployed from Coast Guard District 9 await the next search and rescue mission during the 2009 midwest flood response, Wednesday, March 25, 2009. The airboats are used in shallow water throughout residential areas. Numerous Oxbow residents were evacuated to dry ground. (U.S. Coast Guard photo/Petty Officer 3rd Class Renee C. Aiello)