Lt. Col. Troy Krabbenhoft
Public Affairs Officer
Flying in support of the state of North Dakota, CAP aircraft and aircrews from all 11 squadrons in the North Dakota Wing have been taking thousands of digital photos of the major rivers in the state, including the Missouri, Knife, Heart, Souris, Sheyenne, James, Wild Rice, Maple and the Red.
This monumental effort involves North Dakota Wing’s five aircraft, flying out of bases at Minot, Dickinson, Bismarck, Fargo and Grand Forks to provide the state’s emergency responders with a “real-time” picture of the flooding.
Since March 20, CAP aircrews have made 95 flights totaling 230 hours, capturing more than 5,000 photos for the State Emergency Operations Center. The CAP imagery has alerted decision makers of potential damage to vital infrastructure, which is bolstering the emergency response.
“CAP is like the cavalry for North Dakota,” said Greg Wilz, state director of emergency services. “We couldn’t have responded as well as we have without them.”
To consolidate Civil Air Patrol’s efforts throughout North Dakota, CAP Incident Commander Maj. Bill Kay split the state into three manageable area commands – Bismarck Area Command, Fargo Area Command and Grand Forks Area Command. This allows members of each command to concentrate on their area without the need to worry about what is going on in other parts of the state.
Bismarck Composite Squadron Commander Maj. Sean Johnson, meanwhile, is in charge of the SEOC’s Air Operations Branch, which was established – for the first time ever – to manage all state and federal air assets for the disaster.
In addition to the aerial surveillance, the North Dakota Wing has assisted citizens on the ground with sandbagging in flooded areas in Fargo, Grand Forks, Bismarck and Beulah. Other volunteers from CAP’s Minnesota and South Dakota wings have also helped.
Civil Air Patrol’s flood relief efforts are even more critical now, as temperatures start to rise in North Dakota and the state’s rivers and their tributaries begin to thaw.
“CAP is not done yet,” said Kay. “We will continue to fly aerial imaging flights for the SEOC, making sure that the state is aware of potential ice jams and overland flooding.”