La. National Guard continues to work day, night during Leon

By Staff Sgt. Denis B. Ricou, Public Affairs Office

BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana National Guardsmen continue to respond to Winter Storm Leon today after Governor Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency, Jan. 27, and authorized the mobilization of 450 Louisiana National Guardsmen to state active duty to respond to Winter Storm Leon.

With approximately 450 Guardsmen working day and night to support the citizens of Louisiana impacted by the severe winter weather, Guard teams have been coordinating with DOTD and executing their individual missions of road de-icing and road grading operations in the Hammond, Lafayette and New Orleans areas.

To date, Louisiana Guard Soldiers and Airmen have hauled more than 93 cubic yards of salt and 180 cubic yards of sand, while spreading more than 85,340 lbs of salt to improve roads and ensure safety while driving. So far, the LANG has assisted in clearing more than 198 miles of roadways over the past couple of days.

The LANG is in direct coordination with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP), as well as other state and local agencies, to anticipate any possible emergency requirements and support that the winter weather emergency may generate.