CONCORD - Gov. John Lynch announced today that New Hampshire will dispatch state troopers to Louisiana and Mississippi, in response from a request from those states.

New Hampshire will send four state troopers and two cruisers to Louisiana and four troopers and two cruisers to Mississippi.

"Louisiana and Mississippi are facing an overwhelming challenge in meeting the needs of their citizens: evacuating people, securing the public safety and protecting the health of their citizens. I have made clear that New Hampshire is willing to help in any way possible," Gov. Lynch said.

The New Hampshire troopers will depart sometime this weekend for Louisiana and Mississippi.

Colonel Frederick H. Booth, Director of the State Police said, "This is a coordinated effort that all the New England States are working together on."

Colonel Booth said that the deployment of New Hampshire Troopers will coincide with the deployment of Troopers from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont through the New England State Police Administrators Compact known as NESPAC. Commissioner Richard M. Flynn said that he expects Troopers to be deployed for a minimum of fourteen days.

Gov. Lynch has also activated 488 New Hampshire National Guard troops, who began departing for Louisiana this afternoon.