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DOD increases support for Hurricane Helene response efforts

  • Published
  • DOD News

The Defense Department is continuing to increase its support for local, state and federal emergency responders in a massive effort to bring relief to residents impacted by Hurricane Helene. DOD support efforts have ranged from assisting with rescue operations and delivering humanitarian relief to debris cleanup and engineering support in the affected areas.

Nearly 1,000 soldiers from Fort Liberty, N.C., and Fort Campbell, Ky., have been mobilized to support residents and affected counties devastated by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.  Another 500 soldiers are helping clear emergency routes, and rotary wing aircraft also have been deployed.

More than 6,100 Guardsmen, hundreds of high-water vehicles, and dozens of helicopters and rescue boats from 18 different states have also been placed on active duty status. Ryder said these Guardsmen have been leading the response effort across the impacted region.

The DOD will continue to be fully engaged in the federal and state effort, providing the capabilities that best support needs on the ground, Ryder said.

An aerial view of flooding in rural area.

Helene Flooding

A National Guard helicopter flies above the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, Sept. 28, 2024.

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A group of soldiers wearing yellow vests that read "National Guard" load bottled water into the back of a car during daylight.

Hurricane Response

Georgia Army National Guard soldiers load emergency supplies into a car in Valdosta, Ga., Oct. 4, 2024. The guardsmen are assisting in the response to Hurricane Helene.

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Marines in athletic clothing sort through boxes on a pallet during daylight.

Damage Assessment

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Enrique Ramos, left, and Staff Sgt. Florencia Viverette sort through damaged equipment following Hurricane Helene at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., Oct. 1, 2024.

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Troops and civilians pass packages of bottled water they are unloading from a parked helicopter in a field.

Water Delivery

South Carolina Army National Guardsmen fly relief missions across the South and North Carolina border aboard a CH-47F Chinook helicopter during post Hurricane Helene response operations in western North Carolina, Oct. 2, 2024. The missions are being flown daily from Greenville, S.C., as part of a multistate relief effort to provide aid to communities that have become isolated in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

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A soldier looks over a debris-strewn field from the back of a low-flying open helicopter.

Arriving to Help

Army Staff Sgt. Derick Bauman, a flight engineer assigned to the Ohio Army National Guard’s Company B, 2nd Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment, watches for obstacles from the rear ramp of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter while landing in a field to distribute food, water and other supplies to communities in western North Carolina Oct. 4, 2024, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

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Suitcases sit next to cots in a fitness center as seen from above.

Resting Place

Airmen establish temporary living quarters in a fitness center at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., Sept. 30, 2024, to support Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.

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National Guardsmen saw large trees blocking a street.

Tree Cleanup

South Carolina Air National Guardsmen cut downed trees to assist with debris removal from damage caused by Hurricane Helene in Greer, S.C., Oct. 3, 2024.

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