National Guard’s Storm Preparations Affected By Government Shutdown

October 4, 2013

As the Panhandle prepares for Karen, the Florida National Guard says preparations have been affected by the partial shutdown of the federal government. The National Guard has about 2,000 full-time federal employees, and half of them are furloughed.

“We will be affected,” National Guard Capt. Melissa DeLeon said Thursday. “Our maintenance guys have been furloughed, so they are currently not here. In normal operations we would be maintaining equipment right now, and we can’t do that, since those soldiers have been furloughed.”

State emergency managers are working with the National Guard to fund the positions in the short-term with state money, and later apply for reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Parts of the Panhandle — including Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties — were placed under a hurricane watch after Tropical Storm Karen formed Thursday morning off the coast of Cancun, Mexico. The storm is expected to become a hurricane, before making landfall as a tropical storm this weekend, possibly in Alabama, Mississippi or Northwest Florida.

Comments

2 Responses to “National Guard’s Storm Preparations Affected By Government Shutdown”

  1. xpeecee on October 4th, 2013 9:03 am

    I totally agree, Robert S!!!!!!!!!

  2. Robert S. on October 4th, 2013 5:46 am

    My government is an embarrassment beyond words that can be written in a public family forum.
    Many things need to be changed from the very top to the very bottom, however, shutting down — through furlough — what could be emergency services is near treason.
    Red Party, Blue Party, Tea Party, Shades of Gray and all other political groups whom we have elected you should be ashamed of yourselves.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under Archive