Hurricane Harvey: Entire Texas National Guard Activated

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday that he has activated the entire Texas National Guard in response to Hurricane Harvey, the remnants of which have brought done astounding amounts of rain in the state, flooding entire highways and forcing residents out of their homes.

The extreme rain event is so unprecedented that the National Weather Service has said that all impacts from the storm are unknown and beyond anything experienced. Emergency services in Houston, America's fourth largest city which is virtually underwater, have responded to thousands of calls for assistance and authorities are working around the clock to get residents to safety.

By activating the entire Texas National Guard, the total number of deployed guardsman is roughly 12,000, Abbott's said in a press release. The troops will assist in the ongoing search and rescue efforts and will also be involved in the recovery effort in the aftermath of the storm. (For more hurricane news or local news from Houston, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Houston Patch, and click here to find your local Texas Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

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“It is imperative that we do everything possible to protect the lives and safety of people across the state of Texas as we continue to face the aftermath of this storm,” Abbott said in the statment. “The Texas National Guard is working closely with FEMA and federal troops to respond urgently to the growing needs of Texans who have fallen victim to Hurricane Harvey, and the activation of the entire Guard will assist in the efforts already underway. I would like to thank FEMA Administrator Brock Long, as well as all our brave first responders for their hard work in helping those impacted by this terrible storm.”

Currently, the Texas National Guard has approximately 3,000 personnel activated in response to Harvey.

"This new mobilization by Governor Abbott send (s) those who are physically able, not currently deployed, preparing to deploy or in a combat preparation cycle to answer the call for help and assist their fellow Texans in need," Abbott's office said in the press release.

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