Governor Kathy Hochul announced that 221 New York State and local government employees have been deployed to assist recovery efforts in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia following Hurricane Helene. The teams, comprising National Guard members and personnel from seven state agencies and three municipalities, are providing essential operational support, including the transportation of 89 tons of food, water, and rescue equipment. As the state gears up to assist Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton, New York demonstrates its commitment to providing critical resources to communities impacted by natural disasters.
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that 221 State and local government workers have been deployed to the southern United States to assist communities in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia to help with response and recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene. Team members include staff from the National Guard, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Department of Transportation, Department of Environmental Conservation, New York State Police, Thruway Authority, Agriculture and Markets, Office of Information Technology Services, New York City, Ulster and Montgomery counties. New York State is continuing to respond to additional requests for assistance related to Helene and is gearing up to provide resources if requested as Hurricane Milton heads towards Florida.
“Our dedicated state and local teams, alongside the National Guard, mobilizing to support communities impacted by Hurricane Helene and preparing to assist Florida as Hurricane Milton approaches,” Governor Hochul said. “Together, we are demonstrating our unwavering commitment to help those in need. Let us continue to stand united, offering hope and support as we work to rebuild and recover.”
The New York National Guard has dispatched a total of 48 Soldiers and Airmen to assist the North Carolina National Guard. Sixteen soldiers and three CH-47F Chinook heavy lift helicopters from B Company of the 3rd Battalion 126th Aviation were dispatched from the Army Aviation Support Facility in Rochester to Greenville South Carolina on Sunday, Sept. 29. They have been operating from a South Carolina National Guard facility in support of missions in North Carolina. As of Oct. 7, the team had moved 89 tons of food, water and rescue equipment and moved 26 response personnel. This included Army Special Forces Soldiers from Fort Liberty, North Carolina and two special reconnaissance vehicles.
Twelve Airmen from the 107th Attack Wing’s 107th Fatality Search and Recovery Team were dispatched from Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station on Tuesday, Oct. 1. The Airmen are specially trained to locate the remains of people killed in a disaster and respectfully recover them. Twenty engineer soldiers from the 204th Engineer Company with 17 items of engineering equipment, including cranes, front end loaders, skid steers, backhoes, and dump trucks, moved to South Carolina on Thursday, Oct. 3. The Soldiers, who specialize in road building and repair, are slated to deploy into North Carolina.
The New York State Incident Management Team deployed 32 members, made up of skilled emergency response professionals to Asheville, North Carolina. So far, they have helped distribute 478,000 bottles of water, 28,000 gallons of bulk water and 20,000 MREs.
On Sept. 26, a team of 16 swift water rescue personnel, two canines and emergency response equipment deployed to North Carolina where they are assisting the Yancey County Emergency Management Office in Burnsville.
New York City deployed a 46-member Urban Search and Rescue team to North Carolina on Sept. 25, and an 18-member swift water team on Sept. 27. On October 2, NYC deployed a 34 FDNY member Incident Management Team to North Carolina, and on Oct. 5, 13 FDNY members were deployed to assist with recovery efforts in Tennessee.
In addition, two public information officers from DEC have joined the North Carolina emergency operations center team in Raleigh, and three DHSES disaster recovery specialists are stationed in South Carolina. Nine DOT staff were deployed with four 100 KW generators to Macon, Georgia.
The assistance was primarily deployed as part of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), the nation’s all-hazards national mutual aid system. EMAC has been ratified by U.S. Congress (PL 104-321) and is law in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands. EMAC’s Members can share resources from all disciplines, protect personnel who deploy and be reimbursed for mission-related costs. FEMA also deployed members of the NYS contingent.
October 8 2024 Albany , NY
Critical Questions from a Local Perspective:
- How does New York ensure that deploying state resources for out-of-state hurricane recovery doesn’t compromise local preparedness for emergencies?
- What financial oversight is in place to guarantee transparency in the use of public funds for these disaster response efforts?
- How will New York manage its own potential disaster risks while allocating significant manpower and equipment to assist other states?
- What long-term benefits, if any, does New York gain from providing substantial aid to hurricane-affected areas in other states?
Sources: NY.gov . Midtown Tribune news
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