National Guard working to rescue hundreds trapped by Hurricane Helene

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More than 4,700 National Guard members are mobilized throughout the southeastern United States, working to clear roads, rescue trapped people and provide relief after Hurricane Helene tore through several states.

The storm, which made landfall as a category 4 hurricane on Thursday, Sept. 26, left a path of destruction through several states, including Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas. At least 52 people are dead from the storm as of Saturday morning. Tens of thousands of homes are without power, streets are flooded and many areas have been leveled by intense winds and rain. National Guard troops, some mobilized in advance, others deployed after the storm passed, are now trying to rescue people and communities stranded or without power by Helene.

In North Carolina, rainfall from Helene has left much of the western part of the state flooded. The North Carolina Department of Transportation said that “all roads in [western North Carolina] should be considered closed.” Much of the area around Asheville, North Carolina remains flooded. Gov. Roy Cooper called the hurricane “one of the worst storms in modern history for parts of North Carolina.” 358 North Carolina National Guard troops are mobilized, working with search and rescue teams to evacuate people trapped by high waters. 

In Tennessee, In one instance on Friday, Sept. 27, three UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters with the Tennessee National Guard’s 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion took off towards Unicoi County Hospital, where more than 50 people including hospital staff and patients were trapped due to flooding. Video shared by the Virginia State Police, who also assisted in the evacuation, shows the hospital building surrounded by high waters, with people on the roof. The combined rescue teams were able to evacuate dozens of people from the hospital.

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In Florida, one of the hardest hit areas, nearly 3,900 National Guard troops are helping with evacuation efforts, emergency supply distribution and aerial rescues. Several dozen were rescued by helicopter on Friday. 

The Coast Guard and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have also been busy, working to rescue people knocked in the sea ahead of Helene’s landfall, and to reopen paths inside the state.

Military bases in the path of the storm have reported minor damage and ongoing issues with electricity. Moody Air Force Base shared with personnel that it is still trying to clear down power lines and trees that present dangers. MacDill Air Force Base in Florida rescinded evacuation orders but did tell base personnel that several areas of the installation lack power and working wastewater management. 

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Nicholas Slayton

Contributing Editor

Nicholas Slayton is a Contributing Editor for Task & Purpose. In addition to covering breaking news, he writes about history, shipwrecks, and the military’s hunt for unidentified anomalous phenomenon (formerly known as UFOs). He currently runs the Task & Purpose West Coast Bureau from Los Angeles.