Emergency workers from New Jersey and Pennsylvania have been deployed to areas affected by Hurricane Helene. The Category Four storm made landfall approximately 45 miles southeast of Tallahassee, Florida, late Wednesday night. Both New Jersey Task Force One and Pennsylvania Task Force One were deployed Wednesday night to North Carolina, where a state of emergency is in effect.
The Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Task Force One, a 45-person team including two search dogs and 12 trucks loaded with equipment, left for Greensboro, North Carolina on Thursday morning. Task Force Captain Brian Booth told NBC10 that the team is prepared for various rescue environments, including storm surge, structural collapses, and flash flooding.
New Jersey Task Force One, consisting of 80 personnel, 20 vehicles, and four K9 search teams, traveled to Asheville, North Carolina on Wednesday night. Both teams are prepared to stay for at least two weeks, with the possibility of extending their stay if necessary.
According to 6abc, American Red Cross crews from Southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey are already in Florida with supplies.
Helene, now downgraded to a tropical storm, made landfall in Florida on Thursday, with storm surge potentially climbing to 20 feet along some parts of the coast. The hurricane is said to be the strongest to hit the United States in over a year.