With the brunt of Hurricane Sandy's devastation striking New York City, the state National Guard is now concentrating its forces downstate.
There are 2,290 National Guard troops mobilized as a result of the powerful storm, said Eric Durr, spokesman for the state Division of Military and Naval Affairs. There are now 300 troops deployed in New York City and another 500 on Long Island, but both of those numbers will grow.
"We're doing a lot of moving around," he said.
He said an additional 350 troops from the western part of the state and the Southern Tier are on their way to Camp Smith in Westchester County. The camp is just 30 miles from New York City, which is still grappling with massive power outages.
Patrol boats are headed south, Durr said, as is a fleet of 40 Humvees. Six Blackhawk helicopters are on their way to Long Island. In all, about 475 vehicles will be used in the New York City and Long Island area.
The primary mission of the Guard at this point is to rescue stranded people and to assist in the transportation of local police and firefighters, he said.
Copyright 2012 - Times Union, Albany, N.Y.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
