CONNECTICUT, USA — Hurricane Helene's aftermath has left western North Carolina towns and cities flooded, destroyed, and in some cases, completely wiped off the map.
With at least 215 killed, Helene is already the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland U.S. since Katrina in 2005, and dozens or possibly hundreds of people are still unaccounted for. Roughly half the victims were in North Carolina, while dozens more were killed in South Carolina and Georgia.
Connecticut has joined federal agencies and other states to send aid to those needing it.
On Sept. 27, the Connecticut National Guard was deployed to North Carolina to help with the disaster response and relief efforts. While Helene had been downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it ripped through North Carolina and other parts of the state, the storm dumped up to two feet of water.
Connecticut had sent the 1-169th Aviation Regiment, which consisted of a five-soldier flight crew on a CH-47 Chinook helicopter. The goal was for them to be out in western North Carolina for a week to help residents.
Now, a week after the first deployment, 16 guard members and two helicopters took off from Windsor Locks Friday morning, heading for Salisbury, North Carolina, just outside of Charlotte.
Officials said those members will stage there to help move supplies into the communities further west that have been cut off from access to main roads for help.
"They're just devastated," said General Francis Evon. "So if you think of rural areas, the roads are inaccessible, and in most cases, the only way to get there is by air."
Connecticut National Guard said the last time these units were sent to a hurricane-hit area was in 2018 to help with the aftermath of Hurricane Florence on North Carolina's coast.
"We have an agreement between states where we can help each other, like [in] this case, this is something we look forward to doing," said Major Mike Wilcoxson, director of public affairs for the Connecticut National Guard. "We want to help the states any way we can. It's something we are very well equipped to do and ready to do.
But it's not just National Guard members heading from Connecticut to the hard-hit areas in Helene's path.
RELATED: As search for Helene's victims drags into second week, sheriff says rescuers 'will not rest'
Eversource has estimated that around 40 line crews from each other states the company serves have gone to the south, including crews from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
Twenty support personnel also packed p their gear and trucks and traveled to Virginia to help support crews from Appalachian Power.
“There have been many times we’ve had to bring in resources from other utilities around the country to support our communities in our states after a devastating storm, and now it’s our turn to help our fellow utility companies to the south," Everource CEO, Chairman, and President Joe Nolan said about the action.
Through the industry’s Mutual Aid Network, Eversource explained that many energy companies impacted by the hurricane had contacted sister utilities throughout the United States for extra workers and resources.
Eversource says it is a longstanding member of this network, which works together to restore power as quickly and safely as possible after challenging storms and other emergencies.
Avangrid, the parent company of United Illuminating, also said they have lineworkers from New York, Maine, and Connecticut working to help restore the power.
The Red Cross in Farmington also sent over two dozen people from Connecticut and Rhode Island to help. They joined more than 900 Red Cross responders from around the country to provide shelter, meals, emotional support, and relief supplies. Farmington's Red Cross sent an emergency response vehicle that can assist in delivering ready-to-eat meals, water, snacks, clean-up kits, and other critical supplies.
President Joe Biden flew over the devastation in North and South Carolina on Wednesday. The administration announced a federal commitment to foot the bill for debris removal and emergency protective measures for six months in North Carolina and three months in Georgia. The money will address the impacts of landslides and flooding and cover costs of first responders, search and rescue teams, shelters and mass feeding.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
Brooke Griffin is a reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at bgriffin@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
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