Michigan State Police, other agencies head to North Carolina to help people, pets after devastating Hurricane Helene

(WWJ) — Agencies from across Michigan are lending a helping hand after Hurricane Helene brought devastating destruction to much of the South, especially in western North Carolina.

The Category 4 storm slammed into the Big Bend region on Florida’s Gulf Coast on Thursday and carried on inland towards North Carolina, where flooding and at least one dam failure caused devastation.

As of Monday, the death toll across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee had reportedly reached at least 100, according to the Associated Press .

The Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division has deployed Michigan Task Force 1’s Type 1 Swiftwater Team to help with water search and rescue operations in North Carolina.

MSP officials say more than a half a foot of rain fell in parts of North Carolina prior to the hurricane’s landfall in Florida. That led to strong flash floods, landslides, heavy winds and the destruction of buildings and infrastructure.

The 19-member MI-TF1 team left for a nine-day mission on Sept. 26 and is joined by rescuers from North Carolina and several other states.

Officials on Monday posted to X that the team has already "successfully carried out multiple rescues, including one of a couple originally from Michigan."

Meanwhile, the Michigan Humane Society sent a team to provide aid and support for both people and pets. President Matt Pepper told WWJ Newsradio 950’s Ryan Wrecker the team is also on a nine-day mission to help in the wake of the storm.

“They’ve already gotten some calls from folks who were unintentionally separated from their pets. Pets remain at home, they can’t get back in because it’s still a very dangerous situation. So our teams are on their way to find out what they can do to help,” Pepper said.

Pepper said Michiganders shouldn’t expect any of the rescued animals to make their way up here, as they try to keep missing pets close to home so their owners can recover them in the near future.

Waterford-based Disaster Relief at Work, known as DRAW, handed out cleaning supplies to hundreds of people in the Big Bend area after Helene hit the Gulf Coast last week and crews on Monday were headed to near Asheville, North Carolina.

Director Greg Martin told WWJ people impacted by the storm will have a long road to recovery.

“These floods are in the same area that Hurricane Idalia was in last year, but the storm surges are much stronger, so the flooding has been much more devastating, so there’s a long road ahead for people trying to salvage whatever they can and their belongings,” he said.