By TRAVIS CRUM
The Herald-Dispatch
(Herald-Dispatch photo by Lori Wolfe)
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit of Huntington has deployed to Greensboro, North Carolina, ahead of Hurricane Florence, a Category 4 storm expected to make landfall by at least Thursday.
In somewhat perfect timing, the swift-water rescue team completed exercises and training skills last week when the hurricane was just a distant threat, said Chris Blank, public affairs officer for the U.S. Coast Guard in Huntington. They got the call Tuesday to deploy for a staging area in North Carolina, where they will await further instructions.
The crew has with them shallow-water pumps designed to gain quick access to neighborhoods and divert floodwaters in the event of a rescue.
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