Members of 107th New York Air National Guard assist in recovery efforts following Helene

Burnsville, N.C. (WBEN) - Relief and recovery efforts continue across the South in areas devastated by the remnants of Hurricane Helene more than two weeks ago. While some in Western New York have been transporting goods and essentials for the people of the areas affected, one local team of National Guardsmen have been in North Carolina for a little more than a week to provide any assistance.

Cpt. Shawn Lavin leads an 11-man team from the 107th Air National Guard, based in Niagara Falls, that has been stationed in the Town of Burnsville, which lies within Yancey County.

"We partnered with Kansas Fire, who did a lot of searching and they did a lot of reconnaissance in the hills here within Burnsville, North Carolina. Just going through some of the wreckage, looking for any kind of fatalities that could be there, making welfare checks for people who have no homes but are looking for a place to live," said Cpt. Lavin in an interview with WBEN. "We are also working with our local medical examiner to help with any kind of deceased or fatalities caused by the storm, and either holding them or transporting them to where they need to go."

In their time stationed in North Carolina, Cpt. Lavin says it's hard to quantify how many people they have helped, because the interactions with the community vary.

"We're tasked with Kansas Fire, so we were using their ATVs to kind of roam some of the more isolated areas here in the hills. I'd say we've probably talked to a couple hundred people in our time, just to kind of check in. And then also locally with the EOC, our Emergency Operations Center, helping them out as well. So a fair amount, I'd say, for a small unit like ours," Cpt. Lavin said.

Cpt. Lavin says the residents of Burnsville and Yancey County are pleased to see the help that has arrived.

"The demeanor of the people, I tell the New York National Guard's down here, we're here to help, and they are thrilled," he said. "They're happy to have us here, they always say, 'Thank you for coming.' So for such a challenging situation, there's just been a lot of gratitude extended to my team, at least."

From what he has seen during the recovery efforts, Cpt. Lavin says any sense of normalcy for residents in the area will take months.

"I mean, we were in some parts that might not have power until Christmas, which is just absolutely terribly sad," Cpt. Lavin noted.

"You can get in certain areas and roadways for miles will be swept away by the water. So people are isolated, depending on where their houses are built, their driveways are swept away. So if you're trying to get to a town to get food or supplies, you're stuck unless you have some kind of ATV or a friend who has access to a road. Roads to a lot of places were completely gone, based on all the water. Houses from the very bedrock have just been swept away by the amount of water. There were pictures of buses right against churches, so it just showed you how strong the currents were with all the water they had down here."

Cpt. Lavin says this is the first time his team has been deployed for relief in such a rural setting like Burnsville and Yancey County, North Carolina, but by far, this is the most devastation he has seen up close in his time with the Air National Guard.

"I will say that I'm just truly thankful we don't have to deal with this in the Western New York area. It has just been so heartbreaking for some of these communities, so it makes me more thankful to be a Western New York resident than ever," Cpt. Lavin added.

As for how long Cpt. Lavin anticipates being in North Carolina to assist in cleanup and recovery efforts, his team is willing to stick around as long as it takes.

"We're here until the job's done and they don't need us anymore. But we're fully committed to making a difference in this community. That's why everybody here dropped everything they were doing to get down here within 24 hours of being notified," Cpt. Lavin said. "People here on my team have been sleeping in trucks and doing laundry in buckets of water, because there's no running water here. So it's really kind of adapting to the circumstances, but again, we're here to help. So the reward for helping people in a community of the United States, it's worth it."

Cpt. Lavin adds he has loved his team's demeanor throughout its time in North Carolina, and he couldn't be prouder of the group he leads. He also wants to acknowledge those back home who have supported their efforts over the last week-plus.

"So many people have reached out to my team in the last week-and-a-half just to say, 'What do you need from us?' If you're looking for child care, if you want us to feed your pet, check on your parents? The community of Western New York just rallies like no other to look out for the people that are down here, and I just want to thank them directly," Cpt. Lavin said.