Governor Eric J. Holcomb activated the Indiana National Guard to aid with hurricane relief efforts in North Carolina. About a dozen Indiana National Guard airmen with the 181st Intelligence Wing, based in Terre Haute, will head to North Carolina and join other Hoosier personnel to aid in search and rescue efforts.
“Hoosiers stand with our friends in North Carolina as they navigate the devastation caused by this natural disaster,” said Gov. Holcomb. “As a force for local and global good, the women and men of the Indiana National Guard are prepared to answer the call, and our prayers are with them and the people of North Carolina.”
Following the destructive path of Hurricane Helene, North Carolina requested assistance with relief efforts to minimize the loss of human life, which stands at more than 100 across the region as of Monday.
The Hoosier Guardsmen will join local and state personnel from North Carolina and federal agencies, as well as other Hoosier teams in collaboration with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, which operates Indiana’s Emergency Operations Center.
Indiana Task Force One was initially deployed to Florida where the team assisted with search and rescue operations immediately after landfall. The team is now in North Carolina assisting with ongoing search and rescue efforts.
A swift water rescue team comprised of personnel from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, South Bend Fire Department, Goshen Fire Department, and Mishawaka Fire Department, was sent to North Carolina and has been operating nearly nonstop since Friday.
An Incident Management Team from Indiana is assisting Haywood County Emergency Management in North Carolina.
Hoosier Guardsmen are slated to base their operations in Hickory, North Carolina for approximately two weeks. In addition to responding to floods, tornados and snowstorms in Indiana, the Indiana National Guard has previously assisted with Hurricane Harvey and Irma recovery efforts.