BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- As Flash flooding swept the ArkLaTex region, Barksdale Air Force Base was hammered with more than 17 inches of rain throughout March 7-9, 2016.
The torrential rain led to a state of emergency being declared in over 16 Louisiana parishes. Locally, more than 100 homes were left underwater, causing hundreds of Bossier families to abandon their homes as mandatory evacuations were ordered for nine neighborhoods.
With more than 40 impassable local roads due to the flooding, Barksdale manning was reduced to mission-essential personnel only.
Some of the Airmen who continued to work through the storms were those of the SrA Bryan Bell Fitness Center, which opened its doors as a shelter and set up cots for more than 35 evacuees taking refuge.