OCTOBER 7, 2024 – More than 450 Soldiers and Airmen with the Tennessee National Guard continue to support state, county, and local first responders in East Tennessee areas impacted by severe flooding following Hurricane Helene.
These Guardsmen are currently providing 24-hour ground and aerial rescue and relief support to those in need, with efforts focused primarily on Carter, Cocke, Greene, Johnson, Unicoi, and Washington counties. Organized into three task forces, they perform aviation and ground search and rescue, debris clearance, surveillance, logistics management, transporting critical supplies, and distributing food, water, and other necessities.
Task Force Aviation, made up of flight crews from the 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion, based at Knoxville’s Joint Base McGhee-Tyson and Nashville’s Berry Field, have been flying search and rescue missions with UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters since the flooding began. They have rescued over 100 citizens and transported more than 275 rescue and support personnel to needed areas. They have airlifted more than 107,000 pounds of drinking water, food, medicine, and other perishables to citizens cut off due to destroyed bridges and damaged roads. They also have airlifted generators, diapers, dog food, hay, and other needed items. In addition to performing these missions, flight crews have performed 15 reconnaissance flights to survey dams, bridges, roadways, and other critical infrastructure to begin repairs.
Joint Task Force Castle, comprised of more than 220 engineers from Trenton’s 230th Engineer Battalion, Knoxville’s 134th Civil Engineer Squadron, Nashville’s 118th Civil Engineering Squadron, and Memphis’ 164th Airlift Wing, are using bulldozers, dump trucks, chainsaws, skid steer loaders, and other equipment to clear roads and other critical locations so emergency managers can improve services to affected areas. Divided into debris clearance teams, each team deploys to an area determined by the county emergency managers and removes wreckage caused by the floods. They have already removed more than 400 truckloads, nearly 4,000 tons, of debris.
Additionally, Guardsmen from Johnson City’s 176th Combat Service Support Battalion have organized Joint Task Force Transportation, using more than 30 Medium and Light Medium Tactical Vehicles to transport personnel and supplies in and out of affected areas. These vehicles can move between 2.5 and 5 tons of supplies each, as well as personnel. So far, they have delivered over 70,000 pounds of supplies to 5 counties and are conducting wellness checks to ensure citizen safety. Guardsmen are also supplying and working in 8 distribution centers and have delivered nine 400-gallon water buffalos to be used for showers and latrines, and are operating a Tactical Water Purification System with three additional 2,000-gallon and one 900-gallon water storage system.
All these missions are being coordinated through the Tennessee Military Department’s Joint Emergency Operations Center, established before Hurricane Helene made landfall. The JEOC operates continuously to manage the response of National Guard forces, communicate with partner agencies, and rapidly deploy emergency response assets requested through the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.
By Lt. Col. Darrin Haas
Tennessee National Guard