Louisiana has sent a team of water engineers to Jackson to help the Mississippi city with the current water crisis.
The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) and the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) deployed a four-person drinking water engineering team to Jackson to assist with their daily operations, a release states. The drinking water system in Jackson has been severely damaged after recent heavy rains and flooding.
The LDH team members have a combined 87 years of experience with drinking water system operations and water testing. The team has also been a part of response and recovery following nearly all of the recent hurricanes and other significant weather-related events.
“Louisiana stands ready to provide this support whenever possible,” said GOHSEP Director Casey Tingle. “We have had our own experiences dealing with this type of flooding. It is essential to get access to safe drinking water. Our team will help our partners in Mississippi with this mission and we are proud to be a part of that work.”
“Louisiana is no stranger to disaster, and we appreciate the many ways communities and partners work to lend a hand,” said LDH Chief Engineer Amanda Ames. “This is an opportunity for us to pay it forward to a neighbor.”
EMAC offers assistance during governor-declared states of emergency through a responsive, straightforward system that allows states to send personnel, equipment, and commodities to help disaster relief efforts in other states. Through EMAC, states are able to join forces and help one another, as needed, during each phase of the emergency. The state-to-state system was developed after Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and established in 1996.
For more information on the Emergency Management Assistance Compact visit www.emacweb.org.
GOHSEP has coordinated EMAC teams to assist in recent emergencies such as a flood event in New Mexico and a wildfire event in New Mexico. Louisiana has benefitted from EMAC assistance during several recent events including hurricanes Laura, Delta and Ida. Teams of emergency management personnel and first responders from other states helped with our efforts.
