NC Governor warns Guard poorly equipped for disaster

[mnhtnbb]

Years of war in Iraq have cut into the National Guard's stock of trucks, communications equipment and other gear across the nation, and states such as North Carolina could come up short in a major hurricane, disease pandemic or terrorist attack, Gov. Mike Easley said Monday.

Easley is co-chairman of a committee of the National Governors' Association that deals with National Guard issues.

Speaking in a telephone news conference Monday, Easley said that the Guard in North Carolina has enough equipment to handle hurricanes only up to category 3, such as Hurricane Fran in 1996. The state's Guard has about 55 percent of its "dual use" equipment, such as trucks, that can be used both in wars and in disasters at home. The Guard is actively replacing equipment and expects that number to rise to 59 percent in September, Easley said, but the Guard would like to get more, faster because of the impending hurricane season.

Also speaking at the news conference was Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, who is trying to get Congress to budget $1 billion this year to help replace the Guard's missing equipment nationwide. Total needs are $24 billion, Leahy said.

Even if the Guard is given the needed funding, it would take a long time to replace the equipment, he said.


for the full article:

http://www.newsobserver.com/712/story/574138.html

[deutsey]

1. Why does he hate America?

:eyes:

[mnhtnbb]

2. I didn't know that Leahy was trying to get funding to replace equipment

We're going to be in big trouble if we take hits during the hurricane season this year. We lucked out last year. That first tropical storm, Andrea, has already
damaged beaches in NC. Not a good sign.