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Photos and story by Sgt. Bryan Ploughe/1-623rd Unit Public Affairs Representative
[caption id="attachment_1394" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Kentucky National Guardsmen from 1st Battalion, 623rd Field Artillery and local volunteers build a sandbag wall to help prevent the Green River from flooding a water treatment plant in Canmer, Ky., May 3 after the weekend's damaging storms."]
CANMER, Ky.-- Members of the Kentucky National Guard's 1st Battalion, 623rd Field Artillery were deployed to help with flood relief efforts at a water treatment plant in Canmer, Ky., May 3.
[caption id="attachment_1411" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Staff Sgt. Charles Finley and Private 1st Class Brad Clouse, 1st Battalion, 623rd Field Artillery, help build a sandbag wall to prevent flooding by the Green River in Canmer, Ky., May 3."]
The water treatment plant is under the control of the Green River Valley water district. The treatment facility provides for 27,000 citizens in four counties. Helping with the relief efforts were more than 50 Kentucky Guardsmen, 24 inmates from the Hart County jail as well as representatives from five volunteer fire departments. David Page, District General Manager for Green River Valley water district, John Rutledge, plant superintendent, and Kerry McDaniels, local state emergency management representative, worked with the Corp. of Engineers and volunteers to coordinate getting sand, dump trucks, backhoes and other assets together to accomplish the mission to save the treated water for the citizens of the four counties possibly effected.
[caption id="attachment_1396" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Kentucky Guardsmen and local volunteers and officials completed the sandbag wall just hours before Green River reached its crest in Canmer, Ky., May 3."]
The state continues to assess the damage caused from last weekend's storms around the Commonwealth. It will be unclear of the total damage for several more days but the Kentucky National Guard continues to provide support and stands ready to deploy to any area needing assistance.