Flooded homes following Hurricane Helene along the Catawba River during a flash flood emergency in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday, September 29, 2024. (Daniel Whittaker)
(WTAQ-WLUK) — First responders from across Wisconsin, including some from our area, have been deployed to North Carolina in the aftermath of devastating flooding from Hurricane Helene.
16 members of Wisconsin’s Urban Search and Rescue Task Force, known as Wisconsin Task Force 1 (WI-TF1), made the trip Friday night — bringing along specialized equipment and supplies to assist with search and rescue efforts.
Officials say the team is currently conducting searches in the western portion of North Carolina, where some areas experienced two feet of rain from Tuesday through Saturday.
The state’s request for help from WI-TF1 was made through a nationwide mutual aid system. WI-TF1’s seven-day deployment may be shortened or lengthened based on need.
“Wisconsin Task Force 1 is a state asset with specialized training and capabilities that not only helps protect Wisconsin communities, it can also respond throughout the country,” said Wisconsin Emergency Management Administrator Greg Engle in a news release.
States supporting one another during natural disasters or emergencies is a core emergency management value and helps make us a more resilient nation.
WI-TF1 is comprised of first responders from fire departments across Wisconsin. Deployed on this mission were members from Appleton, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Janesville, La Crosse, Neenah/Menasha, Oshkosh and Superior fire departments.
WI-TF1 is a resource of Wisconsin Emergency Management, a division of the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs.
The latest numbers say 128 people are dead and the White House is reporting 600 people missing and unaccounted for.
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