Washington – The Coast Guard in Connecticut is beginning to mobilize to help in the federal response to the enormous devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, which has dropped to tropical storm strength but continues to pound Texas with massive amounts of rainwater and threatens Louisiana.
Two officers from the Coast Guard’s Long Island Sound sector have been dispatched to the disaster area and a dozen reservists have been called up for duty, said Ensign Rodion Mazin, the sector’s public affairs officer.
The Long Island Sound sector includes all of Connecticut’s Coast Guard stations as well as those along the sound in New York.
Right now, those deployed by the sector will be tasked with incident management, Mazin said. As such, they will help the Coast Guard identify needed missions and assets.
Mazin said other teams will be sent from the sector to deal with pollution response later this week.
Harvey has torn through the heart of the American petrochemical industry. The storm has also destroyed sewage treatment sites and homeowners’ heating oil tanks.
“After saving lives, the Coast Guard is going to be saving property,” Mazin said.
At least 14 people are dead, with many more injured, as parts of the Houston area were inundated with more than 40 inches of rain. Total rainfall could reach 50 inches as rain continues through Wednesday.
President Donald Trump visited Corpus Christi and other storm-hit sites with first lady Melania Trump on Tuesday, promising a vigorous federal response and quick congressional approval of a Harvey-disaster relief bill.
“It’s historic, it’s epic, but I tell you it happened in Texas, and Texas can handle anything,” Trump said of the killer storm.