Office of External Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard

Date: April 13, 2009

Contact:  Coast Guard Public Affairs
(314) 269-2619

ST LOUIS - The Coast Guard has established an Incident Command Post in preparation for the high-water conditions in the Sheyenne and Red Rivers, which runs through Minnesota and North Dakota.  

Due to current high-water conditions in the Sheyenne River and the expected high-water conditions in the Red River, the Coast Guard is working with various federal, state and local agencies in preparation of flood operations.

Coast Guard crewmembers have been deployed to Emergency Operations Centers in North Dakota and Minnesota to coordinate response efforts with local and state officials. 

Coast Guard assets responding are:

• A Disaster Assistance Response Team from Marine Safety Detatchment St. Paul, Minn., staged in Tower City, N.D.
• A DART from MSD Quad Cities in Rock Island, Ill., is staged in Enderlin, N.D.
• An MH-65C rescue helicopter and crew from Air Station New Orleans, staged in Fargo, N.D. 
• An HH-65C rescue helicopter and crew from Air Station Traverse City, Mich., staged in Fargo N.D.
• An airboat from Station Sault Sainte Marie, Mich., staged in Enderlin, N.D.
• An airboat from Station Saginaw, Mich., staged in Tower City, N.D.  
• An airboat from Station Marblehead, Ohio., staged in Tower City, N.D.
• An airboat from Station Sturgeon Bay, Wis., staged in Fargo, N.D.
• A smallboat from the Coast Guard Cutter Scioto, staged in Enderlin, N.D.
• A smallboat from the Coast Guard Cutter Sangamon, staged in Tower City, N.D.

Each DART consists of three flat-bottom boats known as flood punts, capable of navigating in shallow flood waters and are accompanied by eight crewmembers trained in flood response. 

For up-to-date information on the Coast Guard's response go to: www.uscgfloodwatch.com.