MILFORD, Mass. - The Massachusetts Army and Air National Guard has been activated since Wednesday, providing relief to areas affected by the tornado that left more than 30 miles of western Massachusetts in ruin, leaving four dead, displacing many families and destroying multiple homes.
In conjunction with state and local responders, about 675 Guardsmen are working to relieve the pressure associated with the aftermath of the tornado.
The Massachusetts National Guard, anticipating the onslaught of severe weather, began assessing its capabilities, personnel strength and equipment status while the Midwest was experiencing damaging weather conditions.
Coordination between the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, State and local police and civil authorities resulted in a joint strategy that immediately provided damage assessment to authorities, safety and security to citizens and a system to search for missing or injured people, clear debris for route access and re-direct traffic.
“The citizens of the Commonwealth are some of the most resilient people in New England,” said the adjutant general of the Massachusetts National Guard, Army Maj. Gen. Joseph C. Carter.
“They have weathered blizzards, floods, droughts and now, a devastating tornado. Members of the Massachusetts National Guard are those resilient people. They work, live, play and raise families in these communities. In keeping with a 374 year tradition of taking care of our own, the Guard quickly responded as planned and is utilizing skills honed over many years of training for incidents as these.”
Working in conjunction with emergency responders, Air and Army Guardsmen have performed over 470 residential welfare checks, 100 business checks, have cleared 143 downed trees and manually cleared five miles of roadway to make the area accessible to supplies, medical and safety personnel.
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Up to 1,000 Guard members respond to Mass. tornadoes
By Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill
National Guard Bureau
ARLINGTON, Va. - Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick ordered up to 1,000 National Guard members to support civilian authorities after deadly tornadoes caused property damage and power outages across the state Wednesday afternoon.
About 450 Citizen-Soldiers and –Airmen already were on duty this morning, the Massachusetts National Guard reported.
At least four people were killed, dozens were injured, damage hit 19 Massachusetts communities and tens of thousands of residents were without power after severe weather Wednesday afternoon, according to civilian media reports.
The governor declared a state of emergency.
Among other duties, Guard members were expected to assist with damage assessment, debris removal, health and wellness checks, route clearance, traffic control points and road closures, Guard officials reported.
Air Guard officials were assessing possible damage at the Barnes Air National Guard Base near Westfield, Mass.
– CBS Boston contributed.
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