ARLINGTON, Va. - Several states along the Mississippi River and in the South continued relief and recovery efforts over the weekend after storms ripped across the U.S. over the last two weeks, leaving major flooding and damage behind.
In Arkansas, President Barack Obama declared several areas a major disaster in response to the damage left behind by severe storms and tornados.
Heavy rains forced the Arkansas National Guards already on-going security mission to shift to rescue and evacuation missions on Sunday, May 1 as the Guard assisted civil authorities with the rescue of about 16 residents from the Vilonia, Ark. community.
That number grew on Monday in preparation of more flooding in the state, leaving over 100 Guard members on state active duty to assist civil authorities around the state.
The Arkansas Guard opened its doors at an armory in Brinkley, Ark. to serve as an emergency shelter for civilians affected by flooding in Monroe County.
In Alabama, Guard members there continue to ramp-up response efforts after tornados tore across northern and central parts of the state, bringing the number of Soldiers and Airmen on state active duty to over 2,500 throughout the state.
The Alabama National Guard is continuing to support local agencies, such as the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, with various types of support, including transportation, road clearing, security and aviation.
The Alabama Guard is also playing a large role in assisting or running 13 distribution points in Marion, Jackson, Cherokee, Marshall, St. Clair, Calhoun and Tuscaloosa Counties.
Guard officials in Alabama said with the Alabama Guards extensive experience in disaster response, they would continue to use that experience to respond thoroughly, effectively and efficiently.
In Cairo, Ill., about 25 Illinois Guard members from the 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment, along with local law enforcement and Illinois Emergency Management Agency officials, conducted a mandatory evacuation notification for residents on Sunday, May 1 after floodwaters rose to dangerous levels.
The mission was to assist with door-to-door evacuation by notifying citizens of the danger posed by staying in the city, said Sgt. 1st Class Heath Clark, a Soldier with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Bn., 130th Infantry Regiment. "We want to give everyone the opportunity to leave by explaining the situation is severe."
Judson Childs, the mayor of Cairo, issued to order evacuate on April 30 after storms caused water from the Ohio River and its tributaries to flood across numerous southern Illinois counties.
While the evacuation was mandatory, residents were not forced to do so, Clark said
The rising water has raised concerns about how long the levees can hold.
The Missouri National Guard continued its own relief efforts as part of Operation Rising Tide, responding to major flooding across the state.
Missouri Guard members from the 1438th Engineer Multirole Bridge Company spent Sunday, May 1 searching for potential launch sites for boats to be used in support of water rescues.
The unit has two rubber rafts, six bridging boats and the ability to rapidly construct metal rafts that could be as large as 132 feet long and 28 feet wide and hold up to 70 tons.
The boats and rafts could be deployed for anything from water rescue to reconnaissance missions and moving people or equipment.
Army Staff Sgt. Tom Stebbin, the noncommissioned officer in charge and senior boat operator, said the original mission of the company was to simply find entry points for the smaller rubber rafts, but as the rain continued and the water rose, the need for the larger boats was recognized.
While out on mission, Stebbin and his squad interacted with local law enforcement to obtain more information about the area they were operating in.
"It's real important to make that contact with local law enforcement because they know the area better than anybody around," he said.
The Missouri National Guard currently has about 760 Soldiers and Airmen on emergency duty, said a report.
Missouri Guard officials said its Soldiers and Airmen will continue working in support of local authorities until released by the governor.