Coast Guard prepares for Hurricane Gustav

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Coast Guard continues to mobilize resources and personnel Sunday as Hurricane Gustav threatens the Gulf Coast.

Coast Guard units within the projected landfall of Hurricane Gustav are evacuating their personnel and families in advance of the storm, while simultaneously relocating key personnel to continuity of operations locations to maintain situational awareness, command and control, and to ensure a seamless transition from preparedness to response operations.

"Our top priority is the protection and safety of life at sea, both for mariners and residents of the Gulf Coast, as well as for our own Coast Guard shipmates who live and work in and around Louisiana," said Vice Adm. Robert J. Papp, Jr., Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area.

Coast Guard units are closely monitoring Gustav's path and strength and have a number of capabilities ready to assist the American public, including:

• The activation of 300 Coast Guard reservists to assist in recovery operations
• The activation of four Disaster Assistance Response Teams trained and equipped for evacuating citizens from flooded areas
• Thirty two Search and Rescue capable helicopters have been identified to support pre- and post-storm operations
• Three Coast Guard cutters have been designated to support post-storm operations

"It is important to remember that Gustav is a major hurricane capable of causing fatalities or serious injuries to anyone caught in its path," said Lt. Cmdr. Chris O'Neil, Chief of media relations for the U.S. Coast Guard. "Rescue and assistance by the Coast Guard and other response agencies may be severely degraded or unavailable immediately before and during a devastating storm.  Self-preservation by evacuation is critical when faced with a storm such as Gustav."

Mariners seeking additional information or a copy of the latest Marine Information Safety Bulletin can visit the Coast Guard's homeport site at http://homeport.uscg.mil/.

Information about the Coast Guard's response efforts can be found at  http://www.uscgstormwatch.com/.

Imagery of the Coast Guard's response efforts can be found at: http://cgvi.uscg.mil/.

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