SEPTEMBER 30, 2024 – More than 5,900 National Guard members from multiple states rescued hundreds of people and cleared roads across the Southeast in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Guardsmen mobilized in Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, with help from the Maryland, Pennsylvania, Mississippi and Connecticut National Guard and others.
Using helicopters, high-water vehicles and boats, the Guard members were rescuing people stranded by flooding from the massive storm that made landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida late Thursday night. Guardsmen also cleared downed trees and debris from roads, patrolled hard-hit areas and distributed food and water.
Helene caused widespread damage and power outages but continued to weaken, with rain and flooding across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys and the Mid-Atlantic States. There were active flood warnings in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
In Florida, more than 3,900 Guard members, supported by 18 Mississippi Guardsmen, rescued over 150 people and 56 animals using 13 helicopters and Zodiac boats. They cleared over 1,180 miles of roads and established 30 places to distribute supplies.
“It’s pretty devastating to look at a lot of homes that have been wiped off the foundations and a lot of people that are probably going to be having to restart their lives pretty shortly,” Brig. Gen. Alex Harlamor, Florida National Guard, told CNN Saturday.
In Georgia, some 900 Georgia Guardsmen cleared routes with chainsaws and assisted local first responders.
In North Carolina, more than 400 Guard members, supplemented by Guardsmen from Maryland, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, cleared roads, transported commodities and conducted search and rescue missions with eight helicopters. More helicopters and personnel were expected from the Ohio, Iowa, New York and South Carolina Guard.
More than 490 South Carolina Guardsmen cleared roads with chainsaw teams and supported local emergency operations centers.
“Our National Guardsmen are trained and ready to support the citizens of South Carolina,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Robin B. Stilwell, South Carolina National Guard director of the joint staff. “Our efforts are focused on assisting county and state agencies.”
In Tennessee, more than 120 Guardsmen were mobilized, using seven UH-60 helicopters conducted search and rescue missions and assessed damage from the air. They rescued 54 people stranded by flooding at Unicoi County Hospital and cleared roads.
The Virginia National Guard mobilized about four dozen Guardsmen, deploying 10 high-water vehicles and three UH-60 aircraft and rescuing six people with their Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team. They also cleared roads of downed trees and other debris.
By National Guard Bureau