The state of Nebraska is sending help to hurricane ravaged North Carolina. Governor Jim Pillen has announced the mobilization of the Nebraska Telecommunicator Emergency Response Team as North Carolina continues to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
The group deployed on Oct. 4 to Buncombe County for 14 days. That county is one of the hardest hit locations from the storm. “The hurricane catastrophically damaged communication systems in North Carolina and this team is desperately needed to provide the kind of specialized 911 communications support that will ensure public safety,” Pillen says.
The TERT team received a thorough briefing before departure. Living conditions are hampered by power outages, flooding, debris, downed trees and sporadic cellular coverage. The team will be staying in a gymnasium used to house other emergency responders, including TERTs from other states.
“The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency continues to monitor and review resource requests from impacted states via the EMAC system,” says Erv Portis, assistant director for NEMA. “We are constantly communicating with those state and local partners to assess Nebraska’s capacity to respond when those requests come in. We will be doing the same as Hurricane Milton makes its approach toward Florida in the coming days.”