By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
It’s been about a week since Hurricane Helene hit with hellacious viciousness, and we still don’t know the fullness of the devastation. About 180 are confirmed dead. Hundreds are still missing, and as of Wednesday, October 02, communications were still iffy. The fact that a hurricane made its way into the mountains is past strange, and when we went to print, I hadn’t heard from a family that is dear to the heart of our family. They live in the Ashville area. My husband has safely been near Bristol, TN, in his job as an over-the-road truck driver, and a Carolina woman who is like a sister to me has been able to text, but the phones are not back up. Now that I know that she and her family are okay, we have decided to wait until comms are all the way back up to talk. It is only reasonable to wait until things have settled down to have an ear-to-ear, heart-to-heart conversation, and keep space open for first responders.
So, as we went to print, there has been an organized response from our military, as well as an impressive amount of help from the private sector. Here is a rundown of some of the troops that have been deployed, and what they are doing.
The Commander-in-Chief has tasked the DOD to activate and deploy 1,000 soldiers who are currently stationed at Fort Liberty. They are considered to be a task force whose focus is relief efforts. They are part of the 18th Airborne, and are also working with members of the 82nd Airborne Division. Their purview includes mechanics, water, and fuel.
Fort Liberty has people and machines that are trained to deal with high water, and there are also support crews for rotary wing aircraft. One YouTube film has captured the rescue efforts of private citizens that fly ‘copters and what they have been able to do to rescue as well as deliver supplies has been extraordinary.
The 3,900 National Guard team in Florida has teamed up with 18 members of the Mississippi Guard and so far, have rescued over 150 people and 50 animals. They have also cleared nearly 1200 miles of road, and have put together about 30 locations from which to deliver 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 of the Florida National Guard mentioned last Saturday in an interview with CNN.
Helene is considered more than a 100-year storm, and it will take decades to build back. But, as someone who was in the middle of Mt. St. Helen erupting in 1980, I know that in time, nature will make an extraordinary comeback, and lives will rebuild. In the meantime, we have soldiers to thank for keeping us safe, and helping our neighbors to get back to normal. They are the Heroes of Helene.
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
October 4, 2024
