OCTOBER 4, 2024 – More than 6,600 National Guard members from a dozen states rescued hundreds of people and cleared roads across the Southeast in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
As of Friday, Guardsmen in 17 states are responding to disaster recovery in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia National Guard.
Using helicopters, high-water vehicles and boats, the Guard members rescued 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 before it weakened, with rain and flooding across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys and the Mid-Atlantic States.
In Florida, over 3,000 Guard members rescued 165 people and more than 60 animals using helicopters, Zodiac boats and high-water vehicles. They cleared over 2,200 miles of roads and established 36 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, over 1,500 Georgia Guardsmen conducted search and rescue operations, cleared routes with chainsaws and set up commodity distribution points.
In North Carolina, more than 760 Guard members, supplemented by over 140 Guardsmen from Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Ohio, New York and South Carolina, cleared roads, transported commodities and conducted search and rescue missions with helicopters. The North Carolina Air National Guard delivered over 100,000 pounds of food, water and other critical supplies for Hurricane Helene victims on a C-17 Globemaster III from Charlotte-Douglas International Airport to Asheville Regional Airport, which has become a central distribution hub due to impassable roadways caused by flooding and debris.
The Kentucky and New York Air National Guard each deployed 11 Airmen to North Carolina to help local authorities recovery flood casualties. The Airmen, from the 123rd Airlift Wing’s Fatality Search and Recovery Team and the 107th Attack Wing’s Fatality Search and Rescue Team, will work with coroners and health officials in the western part of the state.
More than 730 South Carolina Guardsmen cleared roads with chainsaw teams and supported local emergency operations centers. The New York Army National Guard dispatched 16 Soldiers flying three CH-47F Chinook helicopters assigned to Detachment 1, B Company, 3rd Battalion, 126th General Support Aviation Battalion, to Greenville to provide heavy lift helicopter support in the state. On Oct. 3, NYNG sent 20 engineers assigned to the 204th Engineer Battalion with 17 pieces of heavy equipment, including dump trucks, backhoes, front-end loaders, and cranes, to the South Carolina Army National Guard’s Readiness Center.
“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 280 Guardsmen were mobilized, providing 24-hour, ground and aerial rescue and relief support and clearing roads. Since flooding began, service members from the 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion, based at Knoxville’s Joint Base McGhee-Tyson and Nashville’s Berry Field, have rescued over 100 people and transported over 34,000 pounds of drinking water, food, generators and other equipment to those in need. They also performed reconnaissance missions surveying dams, bridges, roadways and other critical infrastructure to begin repairs.
“Our priority has been to rapidly deploy to the affected areas and assist emergency responders with rescue operations,” said Maj. Gen. Warner Ross, Tennessee’s adjutant general. “We are working with local emergency management agencies through TEMA by providing forces and support wherever needed. Our Guardsmen are prepared to help with relief efforts for as long as we are needed to ensure the safety of our fellow Tennesseans.”
The Virginia National Guard mobilized more than 50 Guardsmen, rescuing six people with their Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team. They also cleared roads of downed trees and other debris.
By National Guard Bureau