Illinois MABAS teams return from Hurricane Helene rescue efforts

WHEELING, Ill. — As rescue teams from the northern part of the country head south to Florida to help victims of Hurricane Milton, two local teams from the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) are returning from their deployment in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

Known as swift-water rescue teams, families reunited with first responders on Thursday in Wheeling, who described what they saw and what they did.

“Absolute devastation,” said Chuck Gros, a MABAS team leader. “The people down there were not ready for this. They got overwhelmed with mudslides, water, flooding, and the hurricane itself. There were even reports of tornadoes at times. It was one of the most devastating things I’ve ever experienced.”

The MABAS squads arrived a day before Helene hit and worked practically nonstop. Gros recalled one of their first calls to a nearby trailer park.

“Once we got down there, there were people screaming, standing on top of houses and standing in trees,” Gros said. “People needed assistance immediately. The water was moving up at a fast rate.”

Helene dumped so much rain that streets became rivers of debris, said team leader Josh Turen.

“There were cargo containers. There were cars flipped. There was everything, everywhere. It was complete destruction,” Turen added.

Two dozen firefighters from 17 different departments in the state brought all-terrain vehicles and boats, all while being without electricity and having to rely on gas engines and generators. Despite their trials and tribulations, Gros said Helene brought out the best in the people they encountered.

“They helped each other immediately. The amount of overwhelming support from the community to help each other and lending out a hand to each other was more gracious than I’ve ever seen,” Gros said.

On Thursday, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker mobilized three more MABAS teams to head to Florida to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, which will help fight fires and search and rescue operations.

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