The Maine National Guard mobilized on Thursday to help the state of Rhode Island after a winter storm that dumped as much as 3 feet of snow in parts of the state.
The Maine contingent includes 24 soldiers and 10 dump trucks, which will be used to haul snow from roads and other public spaces and help Rhode Island agencies speed up recovery efforts and restore normal operations in the capital city of Providence.
Much of the Ocean State was blanketed in more than 2 feet of snow in the blizzard on Sunday and Monday. The top snowfall, according to The Providence Journal, was at T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick, which got 37.9 inches, smashing its previous 1978 record of 28.6 inches.
The deployment is happening as part of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a mutual aid agreement that lets states support each other during emergencies and natural disasters.
“When our neighbors call for help, the Maine National Guard is ready to respond,” said newly promoted Maj. Gen. Diane Dunn, adjutant general of the Maine National Guard and commissioner of the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management.
“We are proud to be able to support the state of Rhode Island during their time of need,” she said.