DAYTON, Ohio — Ohio Task Force 1 (OH-TF1), one of 28 Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) teams within FEMA’s National US&R Response System, has been reassigned to North Carolina after completing critical missions in Pasco County, Florida, in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The team is expected to begin operations in North Carolina around noon on Monday.
North Carolina has been hit particularly hard by flooding from Hurricane Helene, with many small communities devastated by raging floodwaters. Some areas have been so severely impacted that entire towns have been “wiped off the map.” The true extent of the damage, along with the total loss of life, remains unclear as many rural communities in the southern part of the state are still inaccessible due to washed-out roads and collapsed bridges.
OH-TF1 will join other rescue teams in assessing the damage, assisting survivors, and helping communities begin the process of recovery in the aftermath of this historic storm.
