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(Lincoln, NE) Gov. Dave Heineman and Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy announced tonight that federal emergency management officials and the State of Nebraska continue to identify additional needs that Nebraska can address in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.
The Nebraska Army National Guard will be sending eight members of its Counter-drug Task Force to join military and civilian law enforcement patrols and to assist in some of the region’s more difficult search and rescue attempts. They will fly from Lincoln to Louisiana along with two light armored vehicles tomorrow morning.
Another 15 members of the Guard’s 24th Medical Company will fly two Black Hawk ambulance helicopters to New Orleans tomorrow to transport seriously ill or injured patients from the region to hospitals in surrounding communities and states.
“I am especially proud of our citizen-soldiers who have already been asked to sacrifice so much,” Gov. Heineman said. “There was never a moment’s hesitation from these brave men and women to help their nation in a time of need.”
The Governor also announced that they have been contacted by federal officials to evaluate whether Nebraska has suitable mass shelter capacity for any number of hurricane victims seeking shelter. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials have received help from airline companies willing to fly evacuees to other states.
Earlier this week, Gov. Heineman had asked the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to explore available mass shelter opportunities and how aid could best be coordinated, if requested by federal emergency management officials.
Lt. Gov. Sheehy, Nebraska’s Director of Homeland Security, said, “We are working with organizations across Nebraska to identify service agencies and communities where people might receive reasonable shelter and the necessary care. At this point, the Lancaster County Chapter of The American Red Cross has identified its capacity to serve up to 200 people.”
Gov. Heineman also issued an executive order tonight eliminating some bureaucratic hurdles that might delay shipments of food, fuel and other emergency supplies to the storm-affected region. The change will allow truckers carrying emergency cargo to travel through Nebraska more quickly and without having taken the time to register in Nebraska. It will also allow commercial carriers that serve only Nebraska to leave the state for storm relief efforts.
The directive also eases restrictions on the owners of older gas pumps so they can charge for motor fuel by the half-gallon. State law requires fuel to be sold at whatever price is listed on the pump. These pumps can only list per-gallon prices of up to $2.99. Several stations have reported spot shortages of fuel because they could not afford to refill their tanks when wholesale gas prices had exceeded what their pumps could charge.
“We cannot afford to have state requirements that would create fuel shortages for Nebraskans,” Gov. Heineman said.
Already, the Nebraska National Guard has sent approximately 45 Nebraska Army National Guard soldiers, primarily military police officers, to Louisiana. The Nebraska Air National Guard has transported 66,000 meals ready to eat (MREs) to hurricane victims via KC-135 Stratotanker, as well as additional fuel for rescue helicopters in the affected region.
Earlier this week, Lincoln sent its Urban Search and Rescue team from Lincoln Fire and Rescue, and private fund-raising efforts are succeeding.
Gov. Heineman again urged Nebraskans who want to help victims of Hurricane Katrina to donate money, not goods, to recovery efforts until federal officials request that help. Visit Nebraska’s Web site, www.nebraska.gov, and click the “Hurricane Katrina” box for more information on how to assist rescue and recovery efforts in the affected region.
Please Note: The full text of the executive order is available on the Governor’s Web site at www.gov.state.ne.us/news//pdf/Executive Order_0505.pdf.
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