Soldiers with the 230th Brigade Support Battalion out of Goldsboro assist in delivering essential food and water to Vander Fire Department in Fayetteville, N.C. during Tropical Storm Florence. (Army Video by Sgt. Joe Roudabush, N.C. National Guard Public Affairs)
Thirteen States were unified in sending service members to join the more than 3,000 North Carolina National Guard members activated in response to the massive storm. Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wisconsin National Guards sent Soldiers and Airmen to support North Carolina’s recovery effort. Air support vehicles included CH-47 Chinooks sent by five States; Black Hawk helicopters sent by 11 States; additional helicopters sent by the U.S. Coast Guard and other rotary wing aircraft sent by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
“I would put it right up on the scale with Hurricane Matthew. Along the coast, there was a lot of surge and wind damage. Then, once the storm stalled a little bit, the rain just heavily impacted southeastern North Carolina,” said SGM Robert Bowen, acting command sergeant major of 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, North Carolina Army National Guard.
At the height of the relief effort, 50 aircraft were used in 346 missions, resulting in the rescue of over 440 citizens and 127 animals. National Guard members and first responders moved more than 685,000 pounds of supplies and equipment during the response.
“We switched over during the storm to what we call “all-purpose support packages.” That’s [when we] go out and do multiple different things, rather than just specializing in one area. That allows the State counties and the National Guard the flexibility to do anything from food distribution, to security, to transportation needs, to even flooded-area rescue.”
