By Casey Smith
Indiana Capital Chronicle
Roughly a dozen members of the Indiana National Guard are headed to North Carolina to help with search and rescue efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, state officials announced late Monday.
The decision was made by Gov. Eric Holcomb, who mobilized the 181st Intelligence Wing — based in Terre Haute — to join Indiana Task Force One and other agencies that are already on the ground in North Carolina.
“Hoosiers stand with our friends in North Carolina as they navigate the devastation caused by this natural disaster,” Holcomb said in a statement. “As a force for local and global good, the women and men of the Indiana National Guard are prepared to answer the call, and our prayers are with them and the people of North Carolina.”
The request for assistance by North Carolina comes after more than 100 people have died as a result of the storm. Hundreds more are still missing.
The governor’s office said Hoosier soldiers will work alongside local, state and federal agencies. The relief efforts will also be assisted by Indiana Task Force One — a specialized emergency response team — which was originally deployed to Florida and Georgia but has since been shifted to North Carolina.
The 80-person team was activated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency last week.
Teams from the Hoosier state are coordinating with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security’s Emergency Operations Center.
That includes a swift water rescue team from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, as well as members of the South Bend, Goshen and Mishawaka fire department, which state officials said have been operating around the clock since Friday in North Carolina.
The Indiana National Guard team is expected to be based in Hickory, North Carolina for about two weeks, according to state officials.
“Whether we’re assisting our fellow Hoosiers or aiding another state, the Indiana National Guard is uniquely prepared to mobilize anywhere, anytime,” Maj. Gen. Dale Lyles, the adjutant general of the Indiana National Guard, said in a statement.
Last week, another 600 Hoosier soldiers began a year-long deployment to the Middle East.
An additional 50 Hoosier National Guard soldiers departed Indiana for the Texas border town of El Paso earlier this year, where the company is continuing to carry out a 10-month deployment meant to reinforce Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s efforts to close off his state’s share of the U.S.-Mexico border.
