FEMA and National Guard receive Praise for Joint Efforts after Storm
By: Sujata Khandelwal
Updated: November 2, 2012
MARTINSBURG, WV - Governor Tomblin and Senator Manchin arrived at the 167th airlift, applauding those who have left their homes to help others.
"It's been a joint effort from FEMA, the federal government working with the state governor's office," says U.S. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia. "The national guard is always on the front line."
Nearly 100 Army National Guard and Air National Guard members are serving two-thirds of the state. They've been getting supplies to residents as well as helping some evacuate areas like the Opequon creek, which flooded earlier in the week.
"We've taken resources from counties that have already been able to recover and get them all into the affected areas now," explains West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin.
The Governor and Senator, who have been touring the state, say the combination of Hurricane Sandy and heavy snowfall was a historical duo.
"Even humvees are getting hung up, and the humvees are meant to go everywhere," says Manchin. "So, we're chaining up humvees to try and get them back to get people out. It's just something we haven't had to deal with before."
However, the governor says West Virginians have shown their resilience again.
"It's just typical West Virginians reaching out, checking on each other, making sure their friends and neighbors were ok, and that's what makes me proud to be a West Virginian."
"It's been a joint effort from FEMA, the federal government working with the state governor's office," says U.S. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia. "The national guard is always on the front line."
Nearly 100 Army National Guard and Air National Guard members are serving two-thirds of the state. They've been getting supplies to residents as well as helping some evacuate areas like the Opequon creek, which flooded earlier in the week.
"We've taken resources from counties that have already been able to recover and get them all into the affected areas now," explains West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin.
The Governor and Senator, who have been touring the state, say the combination of Hurricane Sandy and heavy snowfall was a historical duo.
"Even humvees are getting hung up, and the humvees are meant to go everywhere," says Manchin. "So, we're chaining up humvees to try and get them back to get people out. It's just something we haven't had to deal with before."
However, the governor says West Virginians have shown their resilience again.
"It's just typical West Virginians reaching out, checking on each other, making sure their friends and neighbors were ok, and that's what makes me proud to be a West Virginian."
