Update on the DoD and National Guard Response to Hurricane Sandy

IMMEDIATE RELEASE     No. 871-12
November 04, 2012

Update on the DoD and National Guard Response to Hurricane Sandy

            The Department of Defense continues to flow forces, capabilities, and logistical supplies to the New York/New Jersey region in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) response to Hurricane Sandy.  The department continues to focus on following priorities:  unwatering; power generation; and the distribution of fuel to first responder vehicles, emergency vehicles, and to the citizens of New Jersey and New York.

            Here’s today’s update on DoD’s response to Hurricane Sandy (as of noon EST):

            DoD Operations:

            -  To date, U.S Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) has delivered 117 power restoration vehicles and 244 technical personnel from March Air Force Base, Calif., and Phoenix, Ariz., to Stewart Air National Guard Base, New York.  An additional 11 flights are scheduled for today from various locations in Washington and Texas to Stewart Air National Guard Base (ANGB), N.Y.

            -  Today, two C-130 aircraft will deliver FEMA blankets from Little Rock, Ark., to Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport.

            21 USTRANSCOM aircraft are currently on alert in support of Hurricane Sandy relief operations.

            -  The secretary of defense approved FEMA’s request for DoD to provide 100 Engineering Teams (with high-capacity pumps and personnel) to support FEMA operations.

            -  Yesterday, the secretary of defense approved U.S. Northern Command's (USNORTHCOM) requests for the following:

            -  Additional Forces:  Forward Support CompaNew York, and Theater Gateway (Human Resources / Movement Support) Team.  (Total: 130 personnel) -- 24 hour Prepare to Deploy Order (PTDO) Status:  Sustainment Brigade; Headquarters and Headquarters CompaNew York Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB); Headquarters and Headquarters CompaNew York Movement Control Battalion; Transportation Palletized Load System (PLS) CompaNew York; Inland Cargo Transfer CompaNew York (ICTC); Maintenance CompaNew York; Signal CompaNew York; four Movement Control Teams; three Theater Gateway Teams; (Human Resources / Movement Support) (Total: 1,020 personnel).

            -  The 172nd Preventive Health team (from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.), the 227th Preventive Health Team (from Ft. Bragg, N.C.), and the 43rd Veterinary Team (from Ft. Hood, Texas) are expected to arrive at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. (JBMDL), today.

            -  The 6th Medical Logistics Movement Center (MLMC), from Ft. Detrick, Md., received is preparing to deploy to JBMDL arriving today.

            -  The Amphibious Ready Group/Marine Expeditionary Unit (ARG/MEU), the USS Wasp, the USS San Antonio, and the USS Carter Hall and 26th MEU, is off Breezy Point and is ready to respond if requested.  The ARG/MEU is capable of providing the following support: air support, basic engineering support, commodities distribution support, limited surface mobility support, medical services, and preventive medicine support.

                        -  Assets include: six SH-60Ss, three MH-53Es, six CH-53Es, six UH-1N/Ys and two Landing Craft Utility (LCU).

            -  2nd Marine Logistics Group (MLG) Detachment is in Ft. Hamilton, N.Y., and prepared to support recovery operations if requested.

            -  The Training Ship (TS) Empire State is in New York and in use with 266 first responders being berthed and fed; TS Kennedy is enroute and scheduled to arrive tomorrow; Ready Reserve Fleet Vessel SS Wright is enroute to arrive today, Nov. 4.

            -  Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).  The agency has approximately 230 trucks with approximately 1.6 million gallons of fuel capacity operating in the affected area.  DLA has access to approximately 24 million gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel.

                        -  DLA has coordinated with a contractor to assist the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in assessing damage and determine requirements to restore port operations.

            Food, Health, and Comfort Items: 

            -  1.5 million meals have been delivered to FEMA facilities in West Virginia (750,000 went to Charleston and 750,000 to Martinsburg).  Providing 500,000 meals to Bennett Field, Brooklyn, N.Y., and 500,000 meals to JBMDL by today.

            -  1.3 million meals are at vendors and ready for delivery, and 1 million meals are on schedule for New York City by tomorrow.

            -  DLA delivered 1,000 cots/1,000 blankets to Ft. Hamilton, N.Y., for the National Guard. 3,000 cots were delivered to JBMDL, and 150,000 emergency blankets are being delivered to New York City.

            -  500,000 meals to Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, N.Y., are expected to arrive today.

            -  500,000 meals to Lakehurst N.J., are expected to arrive today.

            -  1 million Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) to Ft. Hamilton, N.Y., are expected to arrive today.

            Fuel:

             DLA is executing the purchase of 12 million gallons of gasoline, 12 million gallons of diesel.  230 fuel trucks are on contract to support of fuel distribution.

            -  On Nov. 3, the New York National Guard dispensed 20,954 gallons at three retail distribution gas stations at armories in New York (Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island).

            -  Approximately 287,000 gallons of motor gas and 170,000 of diesel fuel (primarily for generators) were moved into the area yesterday, Nov. 3.

            -  DLA is also filling a 300,000 gallon FEMA order for points of distribution in Egg Harbor, West Orange, and Freehold, N.J.; 200,000 gallons to support three New York/New Jersey airfields, and 80K gallons to FEMA in support of Verizon.

            -  DLA delivered 30,000 gallons of gasoline and 30,000 gallons of diesel to the New York/New Jersey Armories in Vineland, West Orange, and Freehold, N.J.  DLA has set up fuel points of distribution in Bayonne, and Mille Airpark, N.J., to support FEMA.

            -  A DLA vendor has 440,000 gallons of fuel available with 200,000 gallons enroute and 100,000 gallons of gasoline on order for JBMDL.

            Pumps

            -  107 pumps (1500 GPM and up) delivered to JBMDL yesterday, Nov. 3.

            -  Pumps #1 and #2 of the four high capacity 68,000 GPM at Craven Point, N.J., are being re-positioned to Joint Base Lakehurst. Pumps #3 and #4 are enroute to Lakehurst today, Nov. 4.

            -  Five submersible pumps moved in support of Navy Salvage.

            Generators

            -  51 Generators (500-2000KW) are at or in transit to JBMDL.

            Army Corps of Engineers (USACE):

            -  USACE has over 400 personnel supporting Hurricane Sandy response operations.  Priority Missions include: unwatering, temporary emergency power, restoration of ports, and debris cleanup.  USACE has created and deployed USACE-FWD-NY and USACE-FWD-NJ with two senior leaders in support of relief efforts. Yesterday, the chief of engineers toured the Hoboken Ferry Terminal along with Mayor Dawn Zimmer and FEMA officials in New Jersey.  Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is expected to meet with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg today.

            Task Force Ports

            -  Hoboken Terminal.  Power is on via the terminal’s backup generator at the ferry passenger terminal and can support 4,000-7,000 passengers per day.  Fuel supply is being monitored, approximately 2-3 days of supply on hand with a fuel source identified.  USACE is working on three courses of action to increase the passenger capacity to 20,000 per day.  USACE is moving two large generators to the site to support operations, one to backup the terminal’s backup generator and the second to supply power to the New Jersey Transit rail operation.  Both are expected to be on site by Nov. 5.

            -  Liberty State Park Ferry, N.J.  USACE has been asked to assess the port for suitable docking facilities to support Hoboken Ferry operations.

            -  International Tank Terminal, N.J.  Assessment is complete.  USACE has prepared a generator package currently staged at Ft. Belvoir, Va.; awaiting orders to move.

            Task Force Unwatering

            -  53rd Street Tunnel and Rockaway Waste Water Treatment Plant: completed by New York City authorities.

            -  Currently pumping at:  South Ferry Station; Battery Exchange Tunnel; Passaic Valley Waste Water Treatment Plant; World Trade Center; Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, and Montague Tunnel.

            -  Mobilization in progress: Queens Midtown Tunnel; PATH Train (Jersey City-World Trade Center); and 14th Street Tunnel.

            -  USACE has 91 additional pumps with varying capacities staged or available via contractor staged and ready for deployment as needed.

            -  Task Force Power: USACE is continuing to support emergency power restoration efforts.

            -  Received 68 validated requests and installed 64 generators with an additional 15-40 more deployments projected in the next 24 hours.

            -  335 generators are staged at forward locations.

            -  Expecting generator support mission assignments to support polling locations.

            -  Assumed responsibility for management of a New York generator yard, (200 generators at Citi Field) and 45 generators (at the Incident Support Bases).

            -  USACE has begun planning for generator redeployments in anticipation of power being restored at current deployment sites.

            -  Task Force Debris. USACE has stood up the task force to begin processing debris removal mission assignments.  There are SME team leaders, SMEs and/or PRTs located at four locations in New York/New Jersey with 16 personnel assigned.  This total is expected to increase to 80 in the next 24-48 hours.

            National Guard Operations:

            -  The National Guard continues significant response and recovery efforts. National Guard leadership has been assured at state level that state police in New York and New Jersey will provide all security at retail fuel distribution points.

            -  Over 7,600 National Guard personnel are assisting in response and recovery efforts across region affected by Sandy.

            -  New York National Guard:  Over 3,500 Guard personnel and 604 vehicles are supporting relief efforts. New York National Guard is conducting high-water evacuations and transportation out of the five boroughs and continues supporting power restoration, traffic control, debris removal, wellness checks, and food/water distribution.  They are the designated water and petroleum distribution for all supported state agencies.  They have five military police companies conducting presence patrols, traffic control points, and augmentation of local law enforcement agencies.  The New York National Guard 2nd CST has deployed their Unified Command Suite and providing communications support to the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management. 

            -  800 plus National Guard members and 200 plus more vehicles expected to arrive at Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, N.Y., no later than tomorrow.

            -  New Jersey National Guard:  2,029 National Guard personnel on duty.  Assisting New Jersey State Police and Fire Department with rescues, security, and evacuations.  Conducting debris clearance/removal, high water vehicle operations, shelter support, food and water distribution, and power generation.  New Jersey National Guard is still conducting aerial support missions including FEMA damage assessments.  Five New Jersey armories were identified by FEMA as fuel distribution sites; the state of New Jersey has requested that only West Orange and Freehold be used for operations.

            -  There are also 10 heavy expanded mobility tactical trucks arriving from Pennsylvania, with 40-50 personnel that will be integrated into the overall refueling effort.  They also requested a Joint Incident Site Communication Capability from Pennsylvania National Guard to enhance their interoperability in communicating with civilian first responders.

            -  Delaware National Guard:  120 personnel are moving to New York today to assist with recovery efforts.

            -  Connecticut National Guard:  634 National Guard personnel on duty.  Connecticut National Guard personnel are conducting route clearance, high wheel transport, aviation, power generation, and security missions as part of recovery efforts.

            -  West Virginia National Guard:  607 National Guard personnel are conducting community assessments, medical evacuation, and debris removal.  West Virginia National Guard aviation is conducting route reconnaissance in isolated, snowbound areas of the state.

Posted in: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Hurricane Sandy, New York, New York City