Michigan Wing members have been devoting all available daylight hours since last week to assessing damage from the March 28 ice storm that affected much of northern Michigan.
Within days of the disaster, Emmet County requested help from the Michigan Wing and other agencies in evaluating road and waterway conditions.
The wing responded with:
Aircrews scanning waterways for log jams,
Small Unmanned Aircraft System teams inspecting power lines, and
Ground teams in vans looking for debris obstructing roadways.
Wing members also worked in conjunction with the Michigan State Police air support unit to scan road conditions on Beaver Island at the Michigan National Guard’s request.
“One of the main focuses of Civil Air Patrol is disaster relief,” said Lt. Col. Sheila M. Cerny, incident commander for the mission and the Michigan Wing’s assistant director of operations.
“Our members, including those affected by the storm from Harbor Springs, Alanson, and throughout northern lower Michigan, have been out here for days providing damage assessment photos and video to assist local county (emergency operations centers) and the Michigan State Police in their efforts to identify damage and mitigate risks to the community.
“We are happy to be a part of this team effort to restore power and normalcy to the local residents,” Cerny said.
Acting as a Total Force partner and the Air Force auxiliary, CAP helps First Air Force rapidly respond to nonmilitary threats domestically in a Defense Support of Civil Authorities capacity to save lives, relieve suffering, prevent property damage, and provide humanitarian assistance._____Capt. William VanderMolenAssistant Public Affairs OfficerMichigan Wing
