National Guard Activated to Help Local Flood Relief Efforts 

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The Washington National Guard has deployed from Seattle to help out at sandbagging stations in areas affected by flooding on Friday. 

A formal request for National Guard aid was filed Friday morning, said State Public Affairs Officer Joseph Siemandel, and three groups departed from Camp Murray near Tacoma on Friday, with the last group leaving for Lewis County at noon, for a total of 16 people arriving to help with issues related to flooding, said Siemandel. 

“These guys have been busy, especially with COVID … and now its been the snow up north and supporting the flooding down here,” said Siemandel.

The primary area National Guard members were asked to help with was sandbagging, said Siemandel. One of the three groups was stationed at the sandbagging station in downtown Centralia Friday afternoon to help volunteers bag and load sandbags. 



The National Guard will remain in South Thurston and Lewis counties to help with flooding as long as it's needed, Siemandel said. 


– Emily Fitzgerald/emily@chronline.com