WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. (WTNH) — The Connecticut National Guard is sending another crew to relieve members in North Carolina who are helping those impacted by Hurricane Helene.
They’ve already delivered 164 pounds of critical supplies to date.
Helene’s powerful storm surge killed 12 near Tampa. They didn’t have to die At the Connecticut National Guard’s Army Aviation Support Facility in Windsor Locks Friday, a unit of 16 soldiers and two helicopters embarked on a mission to help those devastated by Helene.
“This is really neighbors helping neighbors, and that’s what our members joined for,” Maj. Gen. Francis Evon said.
It’s an all-hands-on-deck effort as crews work to get critical supplies to stranded North Carolina communities- something that’s proven to be an immense challenge with roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure destroyed.
Twin babies who died alongside their mother are youngest-known Helene victims “Western North Carolina is cut-off. The roads are shut down, the flooding is severe, the mudslides are tough. They need the Chinook helicopter to get necessary supplies in. That could be water, that could be food,” Gov. Ned Lamont said.
The death toll from the storm soared to 215 Thursday, with roughly half of the victims from North Carolina, according to the Associated Press. Many still remain missing.
“I’m glad to have a skill set I can use to help these people out,” Sebastian Grylka, one of the crew members going to North Carolina, said. “That feels good, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s just depressing almost to see what’s going on.”
Cadaver dogs wade through muck of communities ‘wiped off the map’ by Helene It comes after a five-soldier flight crew from Connecticut left last week to respond to the tragedy. Maj. Gen. Evon said another two crews will be added to the response effort.
For some members like Jaime Vaillancourt, it will be their first deployment.
“Just through the videos and seeing what everyone’s showing from the air up there, it is hard to grasp mentally, but excited to get down there and see what we can do to help,” she said.
The crew that departed Friday morning is expected to return back to Connecticut in a week, however, the trip could be longer depending on the need.
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