Soldiers with the Florida Army National Guard’s 1-111th General Support Aviation Regiment worked alongside members of the Texas A&M Task Force 1 Search and Rescue Team to conduct emergency response operations after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida.
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Sgt. Justin Wingarder, a crew chief from the Florida Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 111th Aviation Regiment, conducts a search and rescue mission in an HH-60 Black Hawk helicopter outside Tallahassee International Airport Sept. 27, 2024.
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Florida Army National Guard, State Guard, local law enforcement, EMS, and fire personnel work together at an emergency operations center in Perry, Fla., Sept. 26, 2024. Response to Hurricane Helene is a massive team effort, and FLARNG fully mobilizes all available forces.
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ARLINGTON, Va. — More than 5,500 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.
FLARNG Soldiers from the 753rd Brigade Engineering Battalion clear debris from roads in Bell, Fla., on Saturday, September 28, 2024. Response to Hurricane Helene is a massive team effort, and FLARNG fully mobilizes all available forces.
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U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 1221st Engineer Company, 122nd Engineer Battalion, South Carolina Army National Guard, from Graniteville, traveled to North Augusta, Sept. 28, 2024, in support of local agencies as they continue to respond to recovery efforts post Helene. Despite power outages, blocked roads, downed power lines, and widespread damage, the South Carolina National Guard is actively engaged in assisting South Carolinians in affected areas across the state and stands ready to continue to provide help to our citizens in need.
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Georgia National Guard route clearance teams, including Georgia State Defense Force, Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency and state and local agencies, worked to clear roads and ensure that residents and businesses impacted by Hurricane Helene received essential supplies.
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FLARNG Soldiers from the 753rd Brigade Engineering Battalion clear debris from roads in Bell, Fla., on Saturday, September 28, 2024. Response to Hurricane Helene is a massive team effort, and FLARNG fully mobilizes all available forces.
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In Florida, more than 4,000 Guard members, supported by 18 Mississippi Guardsmen, rescued over 150 people and 50 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,” Army Brig. Gen. Alex Harlamor, Florida National Guard, told CNN Saturday.
In Georgia, over 480 Georgia Guardsmen cleared routes with chainsaws and assisted local first responders.
Soldiers from the 2-116th Field Artillery pass out food and water to civilians in Perry, Fla., on September 29, 2024. FLARNG has established PODs throughout the area to assist those affected by Hurricane Helene.
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The Florida Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 111th Aviation Regiment, prepares a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters for support operations ahead of Hurricane Helene, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. The FLARNG is well-equipped, with assets including high-wheeled vehicles, helicopters, boats, and generators.
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The Florida Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 111th Aviation Regiment, prepares a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters for support operations ahead of Hurricane Helene, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. The FLARNG is well-equipped, with assets including high-wheeled vehicles, helicopters, boats, and generators.
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Since the landfall of Hurricane Helene, Tennessee National Guard Soldiers and Airmen have worked around the clock in the Joint Emergency Operations Center, supporting Tennessee Emergency Management Agency’s disaster response operations.
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In North Carolina, more than 400 Guard members, supplemented by 30 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 370 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, Guardsmen in 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 10 high-water vehicles and three UH-60 aircraft, rescuing six people with their Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team. They also cleared roads of downed trees and other debris.
