Statement From Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder on DOD Support to Hurricane Helene Response Efforts DOD Awards $15 Million to Increase Heavy Forge Production[...]

Since Hurricane Helene made landfall on Sept. 26, the Department of Defense has been in close contact with local, state, and federal partners to support and coordinate Hurricane Helene response efforts.

In North Carolina, where Hurricane Helene has brought about devastating damage and flooding, U.S. National Guardsman from Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Ohio, New York, South Carolina, and Florida have joined more than 700 North Carolina Guardsman as part of a multi-state, multi-agency effort to deliver relief to North Carolina communities. And throughout the broader Southeast region, U.S. National Guardsmen are equipping state and local response efforts with warehousing support, high-water vehicles, law enforcement support, search and rescue, route clearance, evacuation support, and more.

Florida is conducting emergency response missions in dozens of counties with the support of nearly 3,500 Guardsmen, hundreds of tactical vehicles, and boats, and 11 rotary wing assets. Georgia has around 800 Guardsmen activated in support of state and local governments. South Carolina has activated nearly 600 Guardsmen and two helicopters in their recovery efforts. Tennessee has around 130 Guardsmen and 7 helicopters activated. Virginia has activated nearly 50 Guardsmen along with 1 helicopter and numerous high-water vehicles. On the active-duty side, U.S. Northern Command has deployed a joint enabling capability team to Nashville, Tennessee, and has sent a liaison to the federal search and rescue coordination group in Orlando, Florida.

Additionally, a federal team staging facility has been established at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama with additional incident staging bases at Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Georgia, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, and at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. A mission assignment support team is integrated with the National Response Coordination Center in Washington, D.C., and the Civil Air Patrol has been activated for disaster operations support, including damage assessment in North Carolina and South Carolina.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is providing emergency power planning and response teams to Georgia, as well as dam, levee and bridge inspection to Tennessee and Kentucky, and temporary power to North Carolina. A team for command and control for high water vehicles and air operations support for rotary wing aircraft has been established at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. Four rotary wing search and rescue aircraft and pararescue teams have been deployed to McGee-Tyson, Tennessee. As of Monday, 8 Army helicopters and 10 Navy helicopters will be at Fort Liberty, and 30 high-water vehicles are staged at Ft. Campbell.

As the DoD continues to aid response efforts, Secretary Austin and Department leaders will continue to be engaged and stay in close contact with federal, state, and local officials to ensure resources are available and to maximize a coordinated response. And in the days ahead, the Department will continue to keep our fellow Americans who have been impacted by this storm's devastation in our thoughts.