Crews from Massachusetts have continued to conduct search and rescue efforts in North Carolina in recent days as the region grapples with the aftermath of flooding from Hurricane Helene.
Helene made landfall in Florida late last Thursday night as a powerful category four hurricane. The storm churned inland carving a path of devastation from the Gulf Coast into the Appalachian Mountains.
Though Helene weakened by the time it reached North Carolina, it dumped a massive amount of rain on the western part of the state, causing landslides and catastrophic flooding.
At least 215 people have died across six states as a result of Helene. With some still missing, the Massachusetts Task Force 1 has been among the army of workers combing through tangled masses of debris on land and in the water.
The task force specializes in urban search and rescue and includes firefighters, technical rescue technicians, medical professionals, canine handlers, engineers, and civilians. It deployed from Beverly before Helene came ashore and quickly set up shop in North Carolina.
Task force spokesperson Thomas Gatzunis shared new photos of the task force at work Friday morning, showing members cutting through one pileup of fallen trees under a bridge.
In addition to the Massachusetts Task Force 1, the Weymouth-based Brewster Ambulance Service said it deployed trucks to South Carolina on Friday of last week, the day after Helene hit.
The Massachusetts arm of the American Red Cross said more than a dozen trained disaster workers from Massachusetts joined the Helene response.
The YMCA of Greater Boston has also done its part, sharing a picture on Friday of crews loading a truck with food to bring to Asheville, North Carolina.
Impassable roads have complicated efforts to reach people who are still stranded. Already the deadliest hurricane to hit the US mainland since Katrina in 2005, experts fear Helene’s death toll could still rise.
Both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris recently toured damaged areas.
As of this week, the White House said 1,000 active duty troops and 6,000 National Guard members had been deployed to assist in response and recovery efforts.
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