UPDARE: HESCO barriers at work in the Gulf of Mexico, protecting Louisiana from the BP oil spill:
HESCO barriers go up in oil soaked Louisiana

LA National Guard Builds Barriers in Cameron Parish

The use of HESCO barriers for flood protection in North Dakota is new, and many do not know what they are. Here are a couple of pictures from the war front that show them under construction.

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan (April 11, 2009) Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5 lift a HESCO barrier into alignment during a project at Camp Bastion. NMCB-5 is deployed to Afghanistan providing contingency construction support to allies and members of the NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). NMCB-5 is one of the Naval Expeditionary Combat Command warfighting support elements providing host nation contingency construction support and security. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Patrick W. Mullen III/Released)

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan (April 11, 2009) A Seabee assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5 uses an up-armored front end loader to fill HESCO barriers during a project at Camp Bastion. NMCB-5 is deployed to Afghanistan providing contingency construction support to allies and members of the NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). NMCB-5 is one of the Naval Expeditionary Combat Command warfighting support elements providing host nation contingency construction support and security. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Patrick W. Mullen III/Released)

The tributaries to the Red River are beginning to crest. The Sheyenne wanders through eastern North Dakota, until it finally enters the Red River just north of Fargo.

Sandbaggers Needed – Valley News Live
By Matt Bradley

Volunteer sandbaggers are asked to report to the Winter Shows building in Valley City, North Dakota from 9am to 9pm Saturday [April 11, 2009]. The Sheyenne River is expected to go about 2 1/2 feet above record flood stage this week.

In Lisbon, North Dakota, the Sheyenne is expected to reach nearly four feet above record stage this week. Sandbag volunteers are asked to report to the Ransom County Fairgrounds.

A volunteer sandbagging effort is underway beginning at 9:30 Saturday morning in Briarwood, south of Fargo, where they’re preparing for the second crest of the Red River.

North Dakota Veterans Home Evacuated – Valley News Live
By Matt Bradley

Beginning today, 36 residents of the North Dakota Veterans Home in Lisbon will be evacuated, and taken to a nursing home in Wahpeton. On Tuesday, the evacuation will continue, with 52 residents being taken to a new assisted living center in Valley City.

Administrator Mark Johnson says other arrangements are being made for the remainder of residents. There are about 120 in all. Some have already made plans to stay with family members as they wait out the flood.

Johnson says the Veterans Home itself is not in danger as the Sheyenne River rises to a likely record this week. He says this is a precautionary measure.

High waters from the Sheyenne River flood over a road northeast of Kindred, North Dakota on April 1, 2009. Photo by Spc. Chris Erickson

North Dakota National Guard Soldiers responded to a request to help combat
overland flooding April 1 that threatened a handful of rural homes about four miles northeast of the town of Kindred.

Two Quick Reaction Force teams of approximately 20 Soldiers each, quickly responded to the emergency call with three bobcats, a bucket loader and a bulldozer. They arrived within an hour of receiving the assistance call, bringing sandbags loaded on a Palletized Load System truck.

The QRF teams responded from their staging locations in Fargo at Discovery Middle School, Titan Machinery and the El Zagel shrine.

“This is a perfect example of why the QRF exists,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Harley Schwind, senior enlisted Soldier for Joint Task Force-East in Fargo. “They quickly and effectively sprung into action, helping protect the homes of fellow North Dakotans threatened by rising flood waters from the Sheyenne River.”

One of the threatened homes belonged to Mike Schmidt who said that “The river overflowed its banks to the southwest of his home and flowed cross-country headed right at towards him.”

The Citizen-Soldiers of the QRF worked side-by-side with dozens of neighbors who also turned out to help Schmidt and other area residents protect their homes with sandbags.

“The response was unbelievable,” Schmidt said. “It’s a huge relief and the Guard’s help was more than welcome.”

DVIDSStory by Spc. Chris Erickson

Civil Air Patrol picture of Wahpeton, North Dakota and Breckenridge, MN Red River flooding on March 24, 2009.

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Critical integration of efforts and resources has helped the citizens of North Dakota during the recent flooding that has hit that region in the past several days.

Part of that interagency integration has been placed in the hands of the Air Force Auxiliary, the official federal aviation arm of the Civil Air Patrol that provides indispensable emergency services to the U.S. Air Force and its customers.

The North Central Region of CAP has been flying AFAUX missions since March 19, when the unit received word about the potential of flooding in the Red River area of North Dakota, as well as other surrounding areas in Minnesota and South Dakota. Since then, they have flown more than 30 sorties and captured hundreds of visual images to give emergency responders and on-scene commanders the most up-to-date picture of the affected areas. In the case of flooding, CAP imagery can alert decision makers of damage to vital infrastructure, which can ultimately help save lives.

Falling under the operational control of the Joint Forces Air Component Commander, Maj. Gen. Hank Morrow, the AFAUX works around the clock to assist federal, state, county and local government and law enforcement agencies. One of the added benefits of employing AFAUX in its role is the amount of money saved by the Air Force. On average, it costs $120 an hour to fly and maintain a CAP aircraft, whereas the cost of flying an Air Force fighter, helicopter or larger aircraft is much higher, making CAP a cost-effective force multiplier and essential part of Air Forces Northern’s Defense Support for Civil Authorities mission.

Air Forces Northern’s response is coordinated by U.S. Northern Command. USNORTHCOM is responsible for defense of the homeland and, when ordered by the President or Secretary of Defense, defense support of civil authorities.

U.S. Northern Command

The latest information from NorthCom:

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – U.S. Northern Command continues to coordinate additional and ongoing Department of Defense’s support to Federal Emergency Management Agency, state and local authorities in North Dakota and Minnesota supporting disaster operations in response to flooding in North Dakota.

New – Minnesota

• Mobilized a Defense Coordinating Officer and Defense Coordinating Element to FEMA Region V Regional Response Coordination Center in Bismarck, N.D., in response to the flooding. The DCO acts as the liaison between FEMA and USNORTHCOM, relaying capabilities available to FEMA and coordinating movement of active-duty personnel and equipment to assist should the need arise. The DCE acts as administrative support to the DCO.

Ongoing – North Dakota

• Deploying five CH-47 Chinook helicopters to Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., for a variety of missions in support of FEMA. Potential missions include search and rescue, supply transportation, and movement of evacuees or other response personnel.
• Deploying two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters to Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., for a variety of missions in support of FEMA. Potential missions include search and rescue, supply transportation, and movement of evacuees or other response personnel.
• Deploying three Search and Rescue planners from U.S. Northern Command’s headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., to assist in SAR planning at the Joint Personnel Recovery Center at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. These three planners from Standing Joint Force Headquarters North division of USNORTHCOM will assist in the efforts being conducted at the JRPC, which focuses specifically on large-scale search and rescue operations in the event of a hurricane or natural disaster. When a disaster occurs, the JPRC activates and coordinates the SAR actions of all rescue aircraft in the disaster area to improve the efficiency of rescue operations and reduce the potential for mishaps.
• Providing two search and rescue planners from Air Forces Northern at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. to the Joint Personnel Recovery Center.
• U.S. Northern Command, in coordination with Air Forces Northern, is sending one aviation planner to the North Dakota Emergency Operations Center to prepare for potential SAR missions in the affected areas.
• FEMA requested, and USNORTHCOM is supporting, Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., as a National Logistics Staging Area. The NLSA will consist of five to 10 acres of space, including 1,000 square feet of office space, necessary to support forward distribution of supplies and equipment to affected areas in North Dakota. The airfield at the base is also being used to forward stage Active Duty helicopters indicated in the new portion of the release.
• Mobilized a Defense Coordinating Officer and Defense Coordinating Element to FEMA Region VIII Regional Response Coordination Center (RRCC) in Bismarck, N.D., in response to the flooding. The DCO acts as the liaison between FEMA and USNORTHCOM, relaying capabilities available to FEMA and coordinating movement of active-duty personnel and equipment to assist should the need arise. The DCE acts as administrative support to the DCO.

U.S. Northern Command, established in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, is responsible for Homeland Defense and Defense Support of Civil Authorities.