Oklahoma Sends 150 Responders to Assist Louisiana Emergency Response to Hurricane Ida

Governor Kevin Stitt and Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Director Mark Gower announced today more than 150 Oklahoma responders are currently deployed to assist Louisiana with the search and rescue, sheltering, and emergency operations in response to Hurricane Ida, which made landfall on Sunday.

“Oklahoma’s emergency response teams are some of the best in the nation, and I applaud all of the state and local partners that are assisting Louisiana as it recovers from this storm,” said Gov. Stitt. “My prayers are with those affected by the storm and the first responders risking their lives to keep people safe.”

Teams from Oklahoma are providing operations support to the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) in Baton Rouge as well as swift water rescue support, urban search and rescue and shelter operations.

"Oklahoma is proud to be able to once again assist the people of Louisiana in their time of need,” said Gower. “We have been the recipient of support from neighboring states in the past, and we are willing to do whatever we can to return the favor and help Louisiana as they respond to another storm."

The teams are deployed through the Interstate Emergency Response Support Plan, a regional mutual aid agreement for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 6 states, and the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). EMAC is a national mutual aid system that allows states to send personnel, equipment, and commodities to help disaster relief efforts in other states. 

The deployment includes the following:

A five-person Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Support Team working with the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) in Baton Rouge to help with response coordination, Emergency Management Assistance Compact requests, and other operations support functions.

A team of 26 supporting a local EOC and offering swift water rescue support in St. Mary Parish.

A 20-person team supporting a local EOC and providing swift water rescue support in Terrebonne Parish. 

Two Oklahoma Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) teams with water assets supporting GOHSEP and local emergency management jurisdictions with search and rescue operations in the hardest hit areas of Louisiana.

A team of 29 assisting with shelter operations at the Monroe Civic Center shelter.

Oklahoma agencies currently assisting in Louisiana include:

• ODEMHS
• Creek Nation Emergency Management
• Mayes County Emergency Management
• Grand River Dam Authority
• Quapaw Tribe Emergency Management
• Craig County Emergency Management
• Washington County Emergency Management
• Pittsburg County Emergency Management
• Coal County Emergency Management
• Bryan County Emergency Management
• Wagoner County Emergency Management
• Broken Arrow Fire
• Bethany Fire
• Edmond Fire
• Oklahoma City Fire
• Norman Fire
• Owasso Fire
• Sand Springs Fire
• Tulsa Fire
• Verdigris Fire
• Oklahoma City Police
• Tulsa Police
• Oklahoma Highway Patrol
• Oklahoma State Department of Health

ODEMHS is coordinating with GOHSEP and monitoring additional requests from the affected areas. Further support may be deployed if needed.