Several MRA teams have been deployed to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, including Appalachian Mountain Rescue, Linville-Central Rescue Squad and Chattanooga-Hamilton County Rescue Service. With widespread destruction in some of their communities as well as adjacent areas, these teams are working in command post positions and also as boots on the ground in the ongoing rescue and recovery efforts across western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Some team members are responding even though their own homes or businesses have been impacted.
Linville-Central is located in Avery County, North Carolina, one of the hardest hit by the storm, and also serves several neighboring counties. Appalachian Mountain Rescue straddles eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina and has members assisting in both states. Chattanooga-Hamilton County responded to Unicoi County in Tennessee, and searched an industrial area that had been flooded and also had members assisting the incident management team.
“This is the biggest disaster I’ve ever seen,” said Bill Campbell, chief of the Appalachian team. His team has eight to 10 members deployed with a National Park Service Task Force. His team is still looking for many people who are missing.
The Nolichuckey River and Route 107 at the Unicoi County/Washington County line in Tennessee. Photo by Matt Clark
Derick Calloway, Mountain Rescue Coordinator at Linville-Central, said his team worked to prepare before the storm arrived and also did searches, rescues and recoveries during and after the storm. Calloway said the pace of missions is beginning to ease up, but he expects they will continue to assist for weeks, and will transition to more long-term support like providing access, food, water and medications to communities with damaged infrastructure.
Chattanooga-Hamilton is also talking with Linville-Central about sending members to relieve responders and provide resources, according to Cara Moore, public information officer for the Chattanooga-Hamilton team.
In addition, Chattanooga-Hamilton is delivering a retired rehab truck to a community that remains without power in Swannanoa, North Carolina, to be used as a mobile kitchen and provide a way to store food and protect from bears. That truck has been filled with donations from the Chattanooga community, Moore said.
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