In preparation for Hurricane Ike, which is expected to hit the coast of Texas Saturday, the Wisconsin Air National Guard sent five helicopters and 29 troops to be stationed near the Gulf Coast Tuesday.
According to Wisconsin National Guard spokesperson Lt. Col. Tim Donovan, two Blackhawks from Madison and three Huey helicopters from West Bend are currently in Arkansas.
The National Guard Bureau asked for the aircraft to be moved closer to the coast in case they are needed for search-and-rescue efforts.
Donovan said the first and most recent time the Wisconsin National Guard contributed to hurricane relief was after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
He said Hurricane Ike could cause substantial damage.
[It is] capable of doing a lot of damage, and helicopters are a pretty handy tool to have in your toolbox if you need to respond or recover from a hurricane,"" Donovan said.
