National Guard supports hurricane-affected states > US Department of Defense > Department of Defense News

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall last week and has since dissipated, National Guard units in the hardest-hit states across the American Southeast are still working with state emergency management agencies to restore life to communities affected by the storm bring to .

Approximately 6,700 Guardsmen from 16 U.S. states were activated to provide assistance as part of emergency management assistance packages in the states most affected by the hurricane. Guard members are involved in operations such as flood rescues, debris clearance, transportation and distribution of disaster relief supplies, search and rescue operations, and route clearance.

How long National Guard members will have to remain active is currently unclear, said Army Gen. Win Burkett, director of operations in the National Guard Office.

“The response will be for the governors in each of these states to decide when they can pivot — life-saving, life-sustaining, toward recovery and toward that longer-term recovery,” he said. “At this point, the National Guard in general has a smaller and smaller … role to play. But the forecast … depending on the state or territory in each of those states will be dramatically different depending on the conditions and where the governor thinks they can make that transition.

Army Col. Paul Hollenack, commander of the North Carolina National Guard's 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, said the guard in his state has no plans yet to halt its activities.

“We are here until the mission is complete,” he said.

In North Carolina, Hollenack said, the National Guard has more than 1,100 soldiers and airmen on active duty and deploys nearly 400 vehicles, including 26 aircraft.

“We have support from 10 different states,” he said. “(There is) a lot of thanks to our other state partners who have provided equipment and people to help us.”

Hollenack said the North Carolina Guard is working with “force packs,” 200 of which have been activated and are now deployed at 20 locations in western North Carolina.

“Yesterday we surpassed the one million pound threshold in goods delivered, with 600,000 pounds of that shipped by air – food, water and supplies to western North Carolina,” he said. “We have … saved over 500 people and 150 pets through the search and rescue operations. Removing road obstructions is another major effort. (As it is) we're trying to get access and then continue to establish the ground supply routes in western North Carolina.”

More than 1,000 guardsmen are currently deployed in South Carolina, said Army Col. Jason Turner, director of military support for the South Carolina National Guard.

“South Carolina is supporting South Carolina and North Carolina with aviation support,” he said. “And from South Carolina’s perspective, the saved number, the last number that was given to me, was 32.”

The state is also working with eight other states through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact for assistance. Currently, Turner said help is pouring in from Florida, Mississippi, New York and Michigan to support the South Carolina National Guard.

“We will deploy them as soon as they get here,” he said.

The biggest effort so far has been clearing debris, he said. This includes, for example, removing trees from roads so that ground transport can resume and authorities such as energy suppliers can begin restoring power.

“We have aviation, we have engineers, we have logistics, we have drones, we have various engineering devices that are on the way,” he said. “We are using the equipment we have to help citizens.”

In Tennessee, Army Lt. Meredith Richardson, commander of the Tennessee National Guard's Task Force 176, said about 300 personnel were on site to provide assistance to the state.

“From Friday, while aviation was in the air at the same time … we also had personnel on the ground in flood vehicles working with our emergency management teams and assisting with search and rescue operations and welfare checks in the areas we were able to access.” in our flood vehicles,” she said. “We operate in six different counties. We, like the other states, have strong engineering support in debris removal to open this critical infrastructure.”

Richardson also said the Tennessee Guard is involved in distributing supplies and goods from 12 different distribution points

“We are also handling the distribution of water in bulk to shelters and medical facilities, as water has very quickly become an urgent need in communities,” she said.

The Tennessee National Guard has nine aircraft deployed across the state, along with 100 aircrew operating the equipment.

“We have two medevac aircraft that are currently providing immediate medical response to anything that arises. They will be available immediately. And then a series of lifting stations that do water movement and supply movement. So any type of equipment.” “The mission needed by these districts is being fulfilled by them right now,” said Army Maj. Hulon Holmes, commander of the Tennessee National Guard Medevac Detachment.

A concern of the National Guard in all affected areas – in addition to deploying and supporting their communities in recovery – is also caring for the Guardsmen themselves, many of whom are also affected by the storms. “This is something that concerns the leaders of the Guard,” Burkett said.

“In every case we respond to, we assess not only the needs at the local level, but also the status of our military families, all of them. These are the civilians who support our team, as well as the Airmen and Soldiers,” Burkett said.