Guard and community worked together in flood relief

Soldiers of the Missouri Army National Guard survey a completed secondary flood protecting Caruthersville from flood waters of the Mississippi River. Officials said cooperation between the various agencies involved made it possible to build the wall in just five days. As the wall was completed Saturday, the Army Corp of Engineers lowered the projected crest of the river by nearly two feet. (Bill Phelan photo)

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. - It takes a community to save a town.

When the National Guard arrived in Caruthersville, a small town on the bank of the Mississippi River, they quickly learned they would not be fighting the rising waters alone. Local, state and federal authorities are praising the level of interagency cooperation displayed in the fight to save this city from flood waters of the Mississippi River.

That massive effort officially came to an end today when more than 100 Missouri National Guardsmen from several units left the city after building a secondary flood wall spanning 3,200 feet and containing more than 60,000 sand bags. And while Soldiers did the lion's share of the work, Guard officials are quick to thank Caruthersville residents and the numerous agencies involved in the overall local flood response, which consumed nearly two weeks and ended with drier weather and subsequently a lower river crest.

"This was ground zero so we had to make it secure," said Capt. Miguel Ortega, of O'Fallon, commander of the 1138th Engineer Company, headquartered in Farmington, which sent 50 Soldiers to the flood zone. "In the event of more rain we had to make sure the secondary wall was able to retain any spill-over so that we would have enough time to evacuate the citizens."

Once the decision was made to build a secondary flood wall parallel to the city's permanent structure, everyone involved worked quickly to make that plan a reality.

"I am really impressed with how everyone worked together. We were able to put a plan together and be supported by all these different organizations, the city, the county and the state flood task force in Sikeston," said Capt. Juan Valencia, of Kirksville, commander of the 1140th Engineer Battalion, based in Cape Girardeau. "We made the decision on the afternoon of May 2 and by the following day we were already executing that plan. A lot of leadership factors had to come together to make that happen and we got it from the mayor, the police, and the fire department who did their best to protect the citizens."

In addition to the five-day battle to build the secondary flood wall, National Guard Soldiers also battled spot flooding around the city, provided levee security, directed traffic around flooded areas, and helped tackle minor flooding issues as they popped up - all of which freed up Caruthersville Police to do their jobs.

"Without the National Guard I really don't know what we would have done," said Assistant Police Chief Tony Jones, a Guard veteran who ironically served with the 1140th, the unit which supervised construction of the flood wall. "We just didn't have the manpower or the financial resources to deal with this situation. With the Guard here, we were able to deal with crime and protect the property of our citizens and that helped us a lot."

Local and state officials were also quick to credit the cooperation of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which maintains an office in Caruthersville.

"The Corps was super cooperative," said Valencia. "They shared valuable information and assisted us with whatever materials we needed, sand bags, plastic sheeting, plans for the wall."

"It makes me very happy to hear that," said Chris Burroughs the Army Corps area commander. "We worked very closely with the Guard and city officials and everybody was on the same page to do whatever they had to do to get the job done. The cooperation was phenomenal."

"The attitude of the citizens really boosted our morale and that contributed to our job performance," added Valencia. "These people have a kind heart and all of my Soldiers recognized that and appreciated it."

Jones noted that city residents haven't forgotten that National Guardsmen responded when a tornado struck Caruthersville in 2006 and again during the February ice storm.

"And if something like that ever happens again we're just a phone call away," Valencia said with a smile.

Community and businesses helped out any way they could

While Soldiers and other official flood responders scurried about town, Caruthersville residents, churches, civic organizations and businesses did what they could to help - volunteering to sand bag and preparing meals for flood workers.

"The community has been so supportive. They have been bringing over lunch daily and even brought a microwave for Soldiers that may be on mission when the food comes so that they don't have to eat cold food," Valencia said. "Caruthersville is a community with a lot of heroes, there are former Guardsmen and veterans, and you can tell that there is a strong military community. We have had all the support we could ask for."

Much of the food provided during lunch was provided by First Baptist Church of Caruthersville.

"It's good to have a home-cooked meal," said Staff Sgt. Clint Freitag, of the 1140th. "The community has really helped raise morale and show what we are doing here is important and appreciated."

Church pastor Brother Doug Boyd said the church is also trying to do something for the Soldiers' morale.

"A Soldier asked us where they could watch the fight tonight around town, and we thought, rather than Soldiers having to pay to try and get somewhere to unwind and watch the fight, why not bring it to them?" Boyd said.

FBCC and other members of the community then set forth the plan to bring in a big-screen television and popcorn maker to the armory and order the pay-per-view fight to play in the drill hall where the majority of Soldiers in the area are staying while activated.

"We just wanted to find a way to say thank you and give them something to help them relax from the hard, hard work they have been doing for us and our town," said Boyd.

The theme of doing whatever one could to help a cause was also seen in Martin Buchanan of Nucor Yamato Steel in Blytheville, Arkansas.

"I wanted to do anything I could to help the city," Buchanan said. "I didn't want to just sit by and do nothing. I knew that the National Guard was doing all they could, but I wanted to see if there was anything that I could do to help at all."

With that thought etched into his mind, Buchanan took leave from work to personally assist with flood relief in Caruthersville and, with the blessing of his company, came bearing gifts.

"We thought that donating some Bulk Super Sacks would speed up the procedure that they already had in place," Buchanan said. "We have donated a couple hundred so far, but our company is willing to donate as much as it took and whatever it took to get the job done."

Extraordinary flood response effort pays off

An essential part to the National Guard's success was also found through cooperation with the State Emergency Management Agency. SEMA has provided National Guard Soldiers with raw materials, including more than 1.1 million sandbags, 4,800 tons of sand, 7,300 tons of gravel, more than 50 pumps, 2,500 feet of hoses and 77 pallets of bottled water to Missouri communities affected by the flooding, said Paul Parmenter, SEMA director.

Parmenter went on to recognize the importance of the relationship between the organization and the military.

"As in all disaster responses, the communication and cooperation with the Missouri National Guard was outstanding, and really helped speed the ability to get resources and assistance to the communities that needed them the most," Parmenter said. "The Missouri Guard's Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen made a great difference when it comes to helping residents affected by flooding and protecting Missouri communities."

City officials claimed victory over flood waters - thanks to the monumental efforts of those involved and a little help from Mother Nature.

"We mounted an extraordinary effort to help Caruthersville," said Lt. Col. Sharon Martin, a flood task force commander with the 175th Military Police Battalion. "We threw together multiple units and made a great flood fight here. We've had a lot of big flood battles along the way that have been successful and this is probably the largest."

We dodged a bullet," said a very happy Charlie Jones, the city's fire chief.

Units supporting the flood response include: 70th Troop Command, Jefferson Barracks; Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 35th Engineer Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood; 175th Military Police Battalion, of Columbia; the 1140th Engineer Battalion, Cape Girardeau; the 1221st Transportation Company, of Dexter, Portageville and Sikeston; 1140th Forward Support Company, Cape Girardeau; the 1138th Military Police Company, of West Plains and Springfield; the 1138th Engineer Company (Sapper), of Farmington and Fredericktown; the 1175th Military Police Company, of St. Clair and St. Louis; the 3175th Military Police Company, Warrenton; the 1139th Military Police Company, Harrisonville; the 880th Engineer Haul Team, Perryville; the 220th Engineer Company, Festus; the 1438th Engineer Company, of Macon and Kirksville; 70th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment of Jefferson City; 7th Civil Support Team, Jefferson City; Missouri Wing Civil Air Patrol and the Joint Operations Center at Joint Force Headquarters in Jefferson City.

Missouri's Soldiers and Airmen will continue working in support of local authorities until released by the governor.

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please visit www.moguard.com and our social media sites:
www.facebook.com/Missouri.National.Guard; www.twitter.com/Missouri_NG; www.youtube.com/MoNationalGuard; www.myspace.com/missouri_ng; www.flickr.com/photos/missouriguard; www.blog.moguard.com

Despite rising flood waters of the Mississippi River, Caruthersville residents maintained their sense of humor as evident by these signs in local businesses. State and federal agencies battling the flood praised the attitude and cooperation of city officials and residents alike. (Bill Phelan photo)