North Dakota Air National Guard sends emergency shelter units to Virgin Islands

FARGO, N.D. — The North Dakota Air National Guard has sent about 80 tons of equipment to the U.S. Virgin Islands to support hurricane relief efforts.

Twenty members of the 119th Wing loaded temporary emergency shelter equipment onto six C-130s Hercules aircraft this past weekend for transport to the Virgin Islands. The shelter unit houses 150 people and includes showers, latrines, water purification, laundry facilities, generators and power distribution.

Unit deployment manager Senior Master Sgt. Tim Laney says the water purification units can produce up to 2,200 gallons of water an hour. The temporary housing units will help people impacted by Hurricanes Maria and Irma.

The units were developed after Hurricane Katrina when need arose for rapidly-deployable housing with in areas with little or no infrastructure.

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