FEMA has deployed over 800 staff members, along with essential distribution centers and equipment, to the states most impacted by Hurricane Helene.
The National Guard
Approximately 6,700 National Guard members from 16 states across the U.S. have been mobilized as part of emergency management assistance compacts.
The National Guard has been activated to provide critical assistance to the hardest-hit areas. In North Carolina alone, over 1,100 soldiers and airmen are on active duty, utilizing nearly 400 vehicles and 26 aircraft to aid in recovery efforts, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
They are involved in high-water rescues, debris clearance, transportation and distribution of disaster relief supplies, search and rescue operations, and route clearance.
The timeline for how long these National Guard members will remain activated is uncertain, according to Army Maj. Gen. Win Burkett, director of operations at the National Guard Bureau.
The American Red Cross has received more than 5,000 requests for help from those looking for lost loved ones. The agency reported more than 2,400 survivors were still in 75 shelters from Florida to North Carolina.
Power and Phone Outages
Over half a million of people in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida and Georgia are still without electricity as of Friday 10/24/2024, per poweroutage.us.
