Statement From Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder on DOD Support to Hurricane Helene Response Efforts

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following statement on DOD Support to Hurricane Helene Response Efforts:

At the request of FEMA and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, and in close coordination with our local, state, and federal partners, the Department of Defense continues to be integrated into the efforts of local, state, and federal emergency responders to help the people of North Carolina impacted by Hurricane Helene. Nearly 1,000 soldiers from Fort Liberty, North Carolina, and Fort Campbell, Kentucky, have been mobilized to support the residents and affected counties devastated by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina. These soldiers are closely working with FEMA to provide commodity distribution to local jurisdictions designated by FEMA, in close coordination with North Carolina officials. Additionally, soldiers are assisting in the clearance of emergency routes, and rotary wing aircraft have been deployed to the region.

Employment of these soldiers provides additional manpower and logistics capabilities to support local, state, and federal emergency responders and has enabled FEMA and other interagency partners to reach the hardest hit areas as quickly as possible.

In addition, today, the Department, working closely with FEMA and at the request of North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, in close coordination with our Federal, state, and local partners, will move another 500 troops with advanced technological assets to provide greater situational awareness on the ground. This would bring the total of active-duty soldiers operating on the ground to approximately 1,500.

Additionally, and significantly, the National Guard has activated more than 6,100 Guardsmen, hundreds of high-water vehicles, and dozens of helicopters and rescue boats from 18 different states in State-Active-Duty status. These Guardsmen have been spearheading the response effort across the impacted region in support of their governors and communities, providing critical life-saving and life-sustaining support to the victims of this historic natural disaster.

The US Army Corps of Engineers has established 12 Emergency Operations Centers across the southeast, with three in North Carolina. The Army Corps of Engineers also has emergency power teams conducting assessments in North Carolina and Georgia as well as water/wastewater assessments, bridge and road inspections, and debris removal efforts in North Carolina and Florida.

The Department of Defense will continue to stay fully engaged with FEMA and the whole-of-government relief efforts related to Hurricane Helene, providing capabilities that best support needs on the ground.