NY Air National Guard unit to help with hurricane response

ALBANY, N.Y. – Dozens of airmen are assembling at a New York Air National Guard base on Long Island to prepare for deployment to southern states in the path of Hurricane Florence.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says Wednesday that 50 members of the 106th Rescue Wing based at Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach are preparing to travel to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. The Democrat says elements of the unit will depart as early as Wednesday afternoon to offer assistance along coastal areas of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

The New York Army National Guard is ready to deploy four helicopters — two CH-47 Chinooks and two UH-60 Blackhawks — to help storm response efforts. The aircraft are based at the Army Aviation Support Facility at Rochester International Airport.