Ahead of landfall of major storm, personnel, assets are staged for response efforts
Hawk helicopter crew lands in Jacksonville,
Florida, prior to the arrival of Hurricane
Florence.
As Hurricane Florence bears down on the East Coast and millions evacuate, U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel and assets are in place, ready to respond. Aircraft and crews from across the country are staging at locations in the Southeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic to support CBP operations as well as federal, state, and local partners. Meanwhile, CBP officers and U.S. Border Patrol agents from as far away as Washington and Arizona deployed to the areas expected to be affected by the storm. In addition, CBP has spent the last week preparing equipment and pre-positioning assets in key areas. At the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., the Emergency Operations Center is coordinating CBP’s efforts internally as well as externally with other federal, state and local partners.
storm, CBP set up an Emergency Operations
Center at agency headquarters in
Washington, D.C.
“CBP has prepositioned resources so impacted areas can get assistance as soon as conditions allow,” said Dario Lugo, CBP’s Operations Chief for the response. “In addition, CBP has a team of professionals with extensive hurricane response experience.”
Six CBP Air and Marine Operations Black Hawk and two A-Star helicopter crews staged their operations in safe areas to be ready to go once flying conditions allow so they can conduct search and rescue operations in affected areas after the storm. Two 30-foot CBP Air and Marine Operations SAFE BOAT crews are in Raleigh, North Carolina, ready to assist in coastline and barrier island rescues once Florence passes, and CBP has staged more shallow water vessels to respond as needed.
Sector Mobile Response Team in Texas
deployed to North Carolina to assist in
law enforcement support, urban search
and rescue efforts as Hurricane Florence
approaches the Atlantic Coast.
Border Patrol agents and watercraft, including shallow water vessels and personal watercraft, have deployed from the southwest and northern borders to staging locations near the projected affected areas. In addition to deployed personnel, Border Patrol agents and CBP officers are also on standby to join the effort. CBP is also working closely with federal, state, and local agencies to include Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Several ports and CBP operations in North and South Carolina and Georgia closed ahead of the storm:
equipment ahead of Hurricane Florence
arrival.
- Ports of Wilmington and Morehead City in North Carolina, and the Ports of Myrtle Beach and Charleston, in South Carolina ceased operations.
- CBP’s Field Office Academy in Charleston, South Carolina, is closed.
As of this afternoon, CBP suspended services at international airports in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina, and CBP services are still available at Charlotte, Greenville/Spartanburg, and Raleigh-Durham international airports.