In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s wrath, the North Carolina Air National Guard has launched a relief effort to distribute 100,000 pounds of essentials across the state using C-17 Globemaster aircraft, the Guard said.
North Carolina is among the hardest hit states by the storm, with tens of thousands of residents in the western part of the state without running water and at least 90 lives reportedly lost as of Oct. 2.
The delivery included 48 pallets of Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) and 24 pallets of water, with each pallet weighing about 1,000 pounds. The cargo plane transported them from Charlotte-Douglas International Airport to Asheville Regional Airport, which has become a key distribution center providing aid to the western part of the state as local roads remain blocked by flooding and debris. With rural areas also cut off from regular supply routes, ground transportation is not an option.
“It was a big effort by the Aerial Port and some augmented personnel we had here in Charlotte,” USAF Master Sgt. Jesse Huneycutt of the 145th Logistic Readiness Squadron said in a release. “All cargo had to be prepped, loaded onto 463L pallets, inspected, and planned for safety before we could load it on the jet. Completing all of this in just a few hours took a lot of people working long hours at a fast pace.”
The 463L pallets, the service’s primary air cargo pallets, are used for transporting food, medical supplies, ammunition, and other types of cargo on military aircraft, including C-17s, and various civilian cargo planes.
The C-17 enabled the Air National Guard to deliver the equivalent of three fully loaded semi-trucks in just 30 minutes—compared to the seven hours it would take for vehicles to navigate the treacherous conditions, the ANG said. At Asheville Regional Airport, which is currently powered by generators due to outages, an advance team unloaded the cargo for the NC National Guard’s helicopter network, enabling the supplies to reach remote communities.
The statement added that the Air National Guard’s relief effort will continue “to ensure food, water, and essential goods reach every corner of the region affected by Helene” by partnering with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local authorities.
The Kentucky Air National Guard has also deployed 11 Airmen to Hickory, N.C. to assist with the humane recovery of flood casualties. Members of the 123rd Airlift Wing’s Fatality Search and Recovery Team arrived in the state to assist coroners and local officials in their recovery efforts.
“The nature of the work is demanding, but absolutely the best part of the job is the closure we are able to bring families,” 1st Lt. Zachary Endicott, the team’s officer in charge, said in a release. “We are not, unfortunately, in the business of rescuing. However, to be able to deliver somebody back home to their family and their loved ones so that they can say their final goodbyes is something that really drives this team to complete the mission.” He said that the team is well-prepared for the challenging mission that could involve navigating downed power lines and potentially toxic floodwaters.
President Joe Biden visited the state and South Carolina on Oct. 2 and took an aerial tour of Asheville while receiving operational briefings and engaging with first responders and local officials. Biden has instructed the Department of Defense to deploy up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers from Fort Liberty, N.C., to support the North Carolina National Guard in delivering supplies, food, and water to isolated communities. The department also has over 6,500 service members actively involved in relief efforts across six states, including 3,500 Guardsmen activated in Florida and 1,400 in Georgia.
“U.S. Northern Command is also providing active-duty support efforts to FEMA, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is providing emergency power planning and response teams to Georgia as well as dam, levee, and bridge inspection to Tennessee and Kentucky and temporary power to North Carolina,” Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters on Oct 1.
Ryder added that a multi-state, multi-agency effort is in full swing, with over 80 Guardsmen and 13 helicopters joining more than 800 North Carolina Guardsmen to support the ravaged communities of North Carolina.
Six days after the hurricane slammed into Florida, the national death toll has risen to more than 180, with hundreds still missing, and many caught in flooding across southeastern states.
