THP Sends Strike Teams, Equipment to Assist Flood Victims in West Tennessee

NASHVILLE –- The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) has activated two of its district Strike Teams to assist flood victims and emergency response officials affected by the floods in west Tennessee. A strike team is a specially trained, self-sustained law enforcement unit able to respond to several different types of crisis situations.

 

The Jackson THP District Strike Team and the Memphis THP District Strike Team have reported to the National Guard Armory just east of Tiptonville in Lake County. The two teams will rotate 12-hour shifts until further notice. The teams are manning and guarding access points to the Mississippi River on the main levee, assisting local agencies with emergency calls, and patrolling the areas of Tiptonville, Bogota, Ridgely, Hornbeak, and south to Dyersburg, as well as the evacuated homes. This is a vast region, approximately 15 miles in length. The Lawrenceburg THP District Strike Team is on standby to be deployed if needed.

 

“Several counties in west Tennessee are in states of emergency, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol is ready to support our fellow Tennesseans during this crisis. As the Mississippi River and its tributaries continue to rise, we have state troopers on the ground to help support local law enforcement and emergency management officials in any way they can,” said Bill Gibbons, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

 

Additionally, the THP has sent its mobile command post to Dyersburg to serve as a central location for troopers, law enforcement, and others to work out of during the flood response efforts. The THP also plans to land its Huey helicopter in Jackson on Friday. State troopers assigned to the Special Operations Aviation Unit will be on standby in Jackson if needed to rescue citizens in west Tennessee trapped by flood waters.

 

“Our friends and neighbors in west Tennessee are in need, and the THP is proud to step up and help. Keeping Tennesseans safe is our number one priority, whether that is on the state’s roads and highways or during times of emergency. This is what we do, day in and day out,” said THP Colonel Tracy Trott.

 

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