Click here to download

"Texans Serving Texas"

FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLIC RELEASE:

Texas Guardsmen Rescue 240 in Southeast Texas floods
 
AUSTIN, Texas (April 21, 2016) – Texas Guardsmen from the 736th Component Repair Company, 36th Infantry Division, working alongside partner emergency responders from the Harris County Police officers, firefighters, Sheriff’s Office and Texas Task Force 1, rescued 140 people from severe flooding in the Ponderosa neighborhood of Houston, April 19, 2016.

“Many Harris County residents underestimated the dangers of rising flood waters; they lost all power and were cut off from society. Simple things like going to the doctor became very dangerous,” said Chief Bob Royall, Assistant Chief of Joint Emergency Operations, Harris County Fire Marshall’s Office. “Had it not been for the National Guard’s high water vehicles, we would not have been able to get to many of these folks. There are untold hundreds, possibly thousands, we would not have been able to get to.”

Currently, more than 150 Texas Guardsmen are mobilized to support flood response operations across Texas. Additionally, both high profile military vehicles and military helicopter crews remain prepositioned on standby across other portions of the state. Members of the Texas State Guard are mobilized to the State Operations Center.

Texas Guardsmen have conducted approximately 24 missions, rescuing more than 240 civilians and 40 animals, thus far and ground crews in Wharton are currently supporting local emergency responders with mandatory evacuations of the entire city.

“This is what we train for,” said Brig. Gen. Patrick M. Hamilton, Commander of Domestic Operations Task Force. “And we’re proud to stand beside our civilian partners, first responders and volunteers to serve the citizens of Texas.”

-30-

The mission of the Texas Military Department (TMD) is to provide the Governor and the President with ready and trained forces in support of the citizens of Texas and State and Federal civil/military authorities at home and abroad.

The Texas Military Department is commanded by the Adjutant General of Texas, the state's senior military official appointed by the governor, and is comprised of the Texas Military Department (formerly the Adjutant General's Department), the Texas Army National Guard (TXARNG), the Texas Air National Guard (TXANG), the Texas State Guard (TXSG) and the Domestic Operations Command (DOMOPS).

For more information about the Texas Military Department visit our Website at https://tmd.texas.gov.