BATON ROUGE - Close to 300 Louisiana National Guardsmen are working throughout the state to construct protective barriers ahead of approaching flood water, and will be patrolling levees to support local, parish and state officials.

More than two miles of levees with are being built on Avoca Island by the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team to prevent backwater flooding from reaching Morgan City and other South Louisiana towns. Similar construction happened back in 2011.

“Our levees worked in 2011, and we're back on the same ground we were then,” said Maj. Gen. Glenn H. Curtis, LANG adjutant general. “I fully expect they will work again.”

"We're coming in and putting in a layer of aggregate for a good base and we're going to come in with our HESCO barriers and our sand to put on top of those in case the water does get up to high," said Aaron Ulery, who's overseeing the construction work.

More than 60 engineers are also working to build 2,600 feet of protective levees in Krotz Springs in St. Landry Parish.

Aviators with the National Guard conducted an aerial survey of the Morganza Spillway Dam Thursday, and they’ll carry out another reconnaissance flight next Tuesday.

The 24-hour levee patrols are being carried out in the parishes of Concordia, East Carroll, Madison and Tensas as National Guardsmen keep an eye out for leaks and seepage. They expect to wrap up work in Krotz Springs in the next three days.

13,000 sandbags have been issued to Angola, Avoyelles and West Feliciana parishes.