Hurricane recovery help teams deployed to western North Carolina

September 30, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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NEW YORK/ASHEVILLE, NC — NEW YORK STATE IS SENDING RECOVERY HELP TO ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Monday, Sept. 30. Thirty skilled emergency response professionals from the New York State Incident Management Team were deployed to provide operational support for recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene, which struck the state’s western portion near the Blue Ridge Mountains on Friday, Sept. 27.

Extreme flooding from the storm washed away homes, bridges and roads, causing massive sinkholes in some places. Authorities had to close more than 400 roads, including a section of east-west Interstate 40, after deeming them unsafe for travel. The teams are setting up a stand-alone operations tent to conduct search and rescue, structural inspections, communications and emergency response activities and other recovery tasks.

The New York State Incident Management Team is a multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional team that can be deployed or activated when needed to manage an incident or event safely, effectively, and efficiently, regardless of the cause, size, or complexity. The team is made available to State agencies and governmental authorities by request to the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.

Last Wednesday, ahead of Helene’s anticipated landfall, Hochul sent a team of 16 swift water rescue personnel, two canines and emergency response equipment to North Carolina. That team is currently assigned to assist the Yancey County Emergency Management Office.

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