U.S. Soldiers assigned to Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment, 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, deliver water, meals and non-perishable goods to senior citizens in the Spanish Lake community in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Oct. 11, 2024. The state of Florida established point of distribution centers throughout Florida and deployed logistic staging areas to ensure supplies are available to those in need.
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Florida National Guard Soldiers evacuate citizens from flooded areas in a high-water vehicle.
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ARLINGTON, Va. — Over 11,000 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen were actively conducting Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene relief missions in the Southeast on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, helping first responders and victims by air, land and water.
Disaster relief operations were centered in the hardest-hit areas of Florida, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. Guard assistance also continued in Virginia.
As of Sunday, over 7,600 Guardsmen from 19 states were mobilized in response to the severe damage caused by Hurricane Milton, which made landfall in Florida last Wednesday as a category 3 hurricane. They rescued hundreds of people threatened by flooding, cleared roads, distributed food, water and other vital supplies, provided security, directed traffic — even provided much-needed hugs to residents reeling from the damage caused by the storms. Resources included two helicopters, 590 high-water vehicles and 13 boats.
Soldiers from the Florida and South Carolina National Guard search for residents needing assistance near Stuart, Florida, Oct. 10, 2024.
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Soldiers from 151st Combat Engineer Company and 881st Engineer Support Company, part of Joint Task Force – North Carolina, complete a search and rescue mission in support of Hurricane Helene relief in Western North Carolina.
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“We train for situations like this, but actually being out there, saving lives and removing people from dangerous conditions really hits home,” said 1st Sgt. Pedro Montero, who was among the Florida National Guardmen helping people in the Fort Pierce area following tornadoes. “Our Soldiers are dedicated to helping the community, and there’s no greater honor than stepping in when people need us most. These aren’t just strangers we’re helping — these are our neighbors, our families.”
More than 3,600 Guard members from 15 states supported state and local authorities responding to damages caused by Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida Oct. 26 as a category 4 storm. Using helicopters, boats and high-water vehicles, they rescued people stranded by flooding and high and swift water. Guardsmen also cleared debris from roads and distributed critical supplies.
Army Maj. Gen. Ronald “Win” Burkett II, National Guard Bureau director of domestic operations and force development, said there was “incredible coordination and really some Herculean efforts” by the many National Guard units and federal, state and local authorities.
He told reporters at a National Guard Bureau media roundtable Friday that well over 755 people were rescued in North Carolina alone — 219 by hoist to hovering helicopters. More than 1,200 people were evacuated from flooded areas to safer ground.
Florida Army National Guard Soldiers with the 1-111th General Support Aviation Battalion conduct flight operations in Florida amid Hurricane Milton response efforts Oct. 10, 2024.
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A Florida National Guard Soldier saves a dog after rescuing the dog’s owner, who was succumbing to hypothermia due to rising waters in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
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Army Col. Blake Heidelberg, director of military support, Florida National Guard, told reporters 330 people had been rescued in Florida as of Friday afternoon. He said the Florida Guard would continue operations in the state for at least a week while power was restored.
”We’re tired. I’m not going to lie,” he said. “We’re worn down and we’d like a break.”
Heidelberg said the Florida National Guard could not have been as effective without the assistance of Guard units from so many other states. That help came as part of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, the nation’s state-to-state mutual aid agreement. EMAC matches personnel, equipment and commodities to assist response and recovery efforts across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.
“The FLNG has been graced with an incredible show of support across Guard Nation, and we are truly grateful for the willingness, responsiveness and flexibility displayed by our partner states,” the Florida National Guard said in an update Saturday.
North Carolina Guardsmen were on duty in that state, clearing debris, distributing supplies and searching for and rescuing people stranded by high water.
In Tennessee, hundreds of Guardsmen cleared roads of debris and conducted search and rescue and damage assessment flights.
Georgia deployed hundreds of Guardsmen to assist with the response there.
And South Carolina Guardsmen assisted first responders in that state.
