Gov. Nathan Deal dispatched a Georgia Air National Guard unit to head to storm-battered Texas and help with the recovery of Hurricane Harvey, and he signed an executive order Wednesday aimed at safeguarding the state’s fuel supply.
The governor also said the state’s emergency management arm is coordinating with Texas agencies and federal authorities to help with the growing crisis, and he said “we have boots on the ground” in Texas and in Georgia working on the response.
“I stand ready to offer any further assistance or resources that may be needed as recovery operations continue,” Deal said in a statement.
Deal’s executive order waives trucking requirements for the transport of fuel and hurricane supplies. He also authorized a C-130 cargo aircraft and crew from the 165th Airlift Wing to a Texas air base to help deploy people, equipment and supplies across the flood-ravaged Houston area.
Georgia joins a growing cadre of states that have sent Guard units to hard-hit areas around Houston to offer their manpower and equipment amid the growing crisis. Deal’s announcement came a day after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott mobilized all 12,000 members of the Texas National Guard.
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