An urban search and rescue team from Connecticut and a Connecticut National Guard unit have been deployed to North Carolina to aid in its response and recovery efforts to Hurricane Helene, according to the office of Gov. Ned Lamont.
Lamont’s office said he approved the request for Connecticut to deploy an urban search and rescue team and it includes eight people consisting of state and local volunteers who are “specially trained in search and rescue, including swiftwater rescue, have been organized for this mission.”
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The team, which recently returned from a similar mission in Vermont, left Connecticut Friday and are expected to remain in North Carolina for seven days, according to Lamont’s office.
The effort is coordinated by the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
That Connecticut National Guard unit is comprised of a five-soldier flight crew from the 1-169th Aviation Regiment, as well as one CH-47 Chinook helicopter.
“Hurricane Helene has caused extensive damage down south and Connecticut stands ready to help in the recovery efforts,” Lamont said, in a statement. “I thank the volunteers from this urban search and rescue team for their swift response.”
The statement noted the deployments are occurring “under the authorization of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), a nationwide system for affected states to request lifesaving resources when the need arises.”
