National Guard: 20,000-30,000 troops prepared for Harvey response

The National Guard said Tuesday it is preparing to deploy 20,000 to 30,000 of its troops to aid in the response and recovery after historic Texas flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey.

The troops have not yet been requested by Gov. Greg Abbott, but the Guard began preparing for the massive deployment due to the extent of the disaster and its anticipation of a prolonged recovery effort, Maj. Gen James Witham, the National Guard Bureau director of domestic operations, told reporters at the Pentagon.