The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Louisiana Wing has joined Hurricane Ida emergency response efforts to assist with assessing the damage caused by storm. According to CAP, its aircrews and ground teams have been deployed to gather photos and data for use by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP). The wing completed a total five aerial sorties between Tuesday afternoon and Thursday morning with flights expected to continue through the weekend.
“This wing has a long and distinguished history of responding to requests for assistance following disastrous hurricanes like Ida,” said mission commander Maj. Tracy Breithaupt. “We’ll once again apply our unique capabilities in support of post-Ida recovery efforts.”
The CAP Louisiana Wing is headquartered in Baton Rouge and includes more than 600 members assigned to 16 squadrons throughout the state. In addition to damage assessment, the wing’s nine single-engine aircraft and 20 ground vehicles are being used to maintain communications in areas impacted by the storm. One of the strongest hurricanes on record to hit the continental U.S., Ida made landfall on Aug. 29 near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, with sustained winds of 150 MPH.
