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SDWG Trains on Flood Photography

April 17, 2023

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Close to 60 members of South Dakota Wing, Civil Air Patrol, spent the day Saturday (April 15) capturing photographs of rivers and streams to simulate flood photography missions for local government. CAP crews performed air, ground and drone photo sorties along Rapid Creek, French Creek, The Cheyenne River, the Bad River and the Big Sioux River.

“Across the country, CAP members have volunteered thousands of hours to this mission of flood and disaster relief photography and photo analysis,” said Col. Michael Marek, CAP incident commander for the exercise. “It’s a perfect example of one of CAP’s most important missions for the United States Air Force - providing support to local, state and tribal government to save lives, relieve suffering, prevent property damage and provide humanitarian assistance.”

Flood photographs similar to those captured by CAP this weekend could provide local emergency management officers critical information about flood state at river bridges, obstructions in the waterway that could break free and cause more damage, and closeup visual inspection of flood damage to dams, Marek said. 

During the exercise, South Dakota Wing members performed air-to-ground, drone, and ground-based photography. Additional training sorties may occur through the end of the month. CAP has over 400 members in South Dakota with units in Brookings, Custer, Pierre, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Spearfish and Tea.

Tagged As: Emergency Services SAREX

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