NEW ORLEANS - Members of the Louisiana National Guard continued Wednesday to build and install flood barriers and patrol levees along swollen rivers in the state, according to a Guard spokesperson.

Around 300 members of the Guard are working around the state to shore up flood protections along the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers.

Members of the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team have put up more than 2.3 miles of HESCO barriers on Avoca Island to prevent back flooding from reaching Morgan City and other towns in south Louisiana. Work continued overnight into Wednesday to fill those baskets with sand according to Lt. Col. Rich Hanes.

"We had a hard night, it was very cold, it was muddy, but out soldiers were motivated," Hanes said. "They stayed up all night with no complaints. I'm very proud of them. They're hard working, great soldiers and great Americans."

The levee work is part of a bigger effort to stop high water from the Atchafalaya River from traveling through Bayou Chene, over Avoca Island and into the Intracoastal Waterway, where it could flood Morgan City and other towns.

In Krotz Springs, members of the Guard have finished work on 2,600 feet of protective levees in St. Landry Parish. Members of the 225th Engineer Brigade are also conducting 24-hour patrols Concordia, East Carroll, Madison and Tensas parishes to keep an eye out for any leaks or seepage along the levee.

Two sand-bagging chutes have been provided to state officials in Tensas Parish. The Guard also issued 78,000 sandbags to Angola, Avoyelles Parish, St. Martin Parish and West Feliciana Parish.