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National Guard soldiers to patrol Omaha's levee system

By Katie Knapp Schubert

Omaha, NE – National Guard soldiers begin patrolling Omaha's 13-mile levee system Saturday.

South Sioux City and Council Bluffs also have National Guard soldiers patrolling the levees. Guardsmen and women will be trained Friday and begin 24 hour inspection of the levee system Saturday morning.

A Blackhawk helicopter is also scheduled to arrive in Omaha Friday, with 200 1,500 pound sandbags. Those will be used to shore up Eppley Airfield's levee in the event of a breach. But Governor Dave Heineman says it's just a precaution and there's no issue with Eppley's levee.

Two pumps are working to remove water from the Magellan tank farm near Eppley Airfield, with three more going to that location. Gov. Heineman plans to submit a request next week for a federal disaster declaration.

The Missouri River is currently at 33.1 feet. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is releasing more than one million gallons of water per second from Gavins Point Dam.