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August 8, 2006

Ferry carts disaster supplies to Block Island / Photo

Journal photo / John Freidah
Rhode Island National Guard Spc. Luigi Miscuraca, left, and Lt. Russ Donahue direct a truck with emergency supplies today onto the Block Island ferry.

NARRAGANSETT -- State and federal authorities loaded a National Guard truck and a tractor trailer full of supplies onto the 11:45 a.m. ferry to Block Island this morning, the first time the Federal Emergency Management Agency has ever pre-positioned emergency supplies on the small island off the state's southern coast.

Prompted by the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina in the South, FEMA officials loaded one truck with enough supplies -- cots, blankets, wheelchairs, and a generator -- for 250 people and stuffed other items -- 3,300 bottles of water and 7,000 military-issued Meals Ready to Eat -- in the tractor trailer.

The trucks were moved onto the regular passenger ferry in Galilee as tourists with beach chairs and duffel bags looked on.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Amanda Milkovits

Posted by Steve Peoples  at 1:21 PM | Permalink

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