'No electricity, no water': Volunteers race to provide aid after Helene disaster
As millions of Americans begin the long, expensive, and heartbreaking recovery from the storm surge and flooding caused by Hurricane Helene, volunteers and first responders from the D.C. region are stepping up to help.
Montgomery County Fire Department personnel are on the ground in Asheville, North Carolina Monday, joining other Maryland assets to help save lives devastated by Hurricane Helene.
READ MORE: East Tennessee K-9 officer lost in Helene's historic floods found among dead
The death toll has now surpassed 100, with parts of Asheville, North Carolina, nearly wiped off the map. Flooding from Hurricane Helene has taken lives and destroyed properties from Florida to Tennessee. Amid this devastation, dozens of first responders from Maryland are on the front lines, rescuing more than 30 people, along with several dogs and cats.
"They're seeing people in need of help, from minor injuries to confusion about where they are. There's damage to their properties. We've also had inland water rescues, where people needed to be saved, so we've done a lot of that," said Montgomery Co. Fire & Rescue Service Chief Corey Smedley.
Members of the Maryland Air National Guard's HART, or Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team, are in Asheville sharing photos of their efforts. They began their work in Macon, Georgia, before moving up to North Carolina over the weekend, delivering aid and supplies to storm victims.
"A lot of people are disconnected because communications are down. So, we're going around methodically with various teams to ensure we cover every area we can," said Smedley.
Washington D.C.-based World Central Kitchen also has teams deployed in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina, providing food to those affected by the flooding.
"It's really bad. You've got no electricity, no running water — that's a huge problem. People can't cook or do anything without water. With so many bridges washed out, we're doing everything we can. We're no strangers to these types of disasters," said Sam Bloch from World Central Kitchen.
Bloch explained that WCK has over 30 partner food trucks spread across Florida's Big Bend region to provide meals to coastal communities.
"We're cooking on-site because it's impossible to deliver food. People's spirits lift when we bring them something like a pulled pork sandwich, but this disaster has hit them really hard," said Bloch.
