Share

As Hurricane Sandy bears down on the Northeast, the National Guard of states up and down the coast began to leap into action. Guardsmen from Virginia all the way up through New York were activated as they brace for the high winds and expected flooding, reports The Associated Press.

In Pennsylvania, where the storm is expected to hit especially hard, 750 Guardsmen have been activated, and government officials expect to have a total of 1,600 troops placed on active duty in an effort to assist with the expected cleanup and recovery. Forecasters have predicted that some parts of the state could see up to 10 inches of rain accompanied by wind gusts up to 75 miles per hour.

The situation was even more serious in New York, where Governor Andrew Cuomo activated 1,000 National Guardsmen to help respond to the storm surge that is expected to be at near-historic levels. However, Cuomo is confident that the Empire State can respond effectively thanks to the fact that last year's Hurricane Irene prepared them, according to the AP.

While the situation in the Northeast isn't supposed to be at its worst until Monday night into Tuesday morning, the Armed Forces have already played a big role. On Monday, the Coast Guard came to the rescue of the crew of the tall ship the HMS Bounty when the hurricane forced them to abandon ship off the coast of North Carolina, according to The Associated Press.