Relocation Will Expedite Damage Assessment Flights

Civil Air Patrol's Texas Wing has moved its Hurricane Ike mission base to Houston, making it easier to launch flights to photograph storm damage in Houston, Galveston and other parts of East Texas.

"We're standing up the West Houston mission base today," said Wing Commander Col. Joe Smith, explaining that the move from San Antonio will expedite CAP's aerial damage assessment missions for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 1st Air Force and the Texas State Operation Center.

CAP's assistance was necessary after Ike made landfall early Saturday, damaging thousands of homes and businesses along the Texas and Louisiana coasts and knocking out electricity to more than 2 million customers.

Some coastal communities lack essential services like power, water and fuel, making them uninhabitable. Until those services are restored, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has urged about 30,000 residents currently in shelters to remain there until local officials have deemed it safe to return home.

Digital images already taken by CAP's aircrews, who logged nearly 80 flying hours on Tuesday, are helping expedite the recovery. The photos of critical infrastructure, including roads, bridges and power lines, assist state and federal officials who are working diligently with local officials and private sector partners to fully restore essential services to coastal communities.

"Local, state and federal officials can go to a University of Texas Web site where we upload our photos, select their county and see pictures of damage in their hometowns," Smith said.

John Salvador of CAP's National Operations Center, located at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Ala., reported CAP aircrews flew 35 sorties over East Texas and southwestern Louisiana on Tuesday in support of Hurricane Ike relief efforts. Members from both the Texas and Louisiana wings returned to work today and are scheduled to make 36 flights. According to Salvador. federal and state taskings are expected to continue for the next several days.

CAP's Hurricane Ike mission base is located at the West Houston Airport, in a hanger used by Texas Wing's Thunderbird Composite Squadron. By Thursday morning, CAP will have 10 planes and about 65 members at the Houston base, putting aircrews much closer to the East Texas communities ravaged by Ike.

Before Wednesday, aircrews were flying from San Antonio... more than 180 miles from the new base in Houston.

FMI: http://magic.csr.utexas.edu/Storm/08ike/Imagery.php, www.cap.gov/visitors/news/2008_hurricane_season/ike_photos