NEW YORK CITY -- New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks to the media during a visit to New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen at the Lexington Avenue Armory here Aug. 27.

The New York State military forces at the armory are just some of the nearly 2,000 Soldiers and airmen Cuomo mobilized in response to the expected landfall of Hurricane Irene, which has already caused deaths and destruction along the mid-Atlantic coast.

Soldiers and Airmen being deployed to Long Island, New York City, and the Hudson Valley will assist with traffic control on bridges and tunnels, sandbagging operations at the World Trade Center site, evacuation shelter operations in New York City, the construction of barriers for railway yards and train tunnels, and other hurricane emergency efforts.

"The National Guard will play a vital role in this," Cuomo said.

• (Read the full story)
• more images...