New York Deploys Incident Management Team to Aid North Carolina Following Hurricane Helene

Governor Kathy Hochul announced that 30 members of the New York State Incident Management Team (IMT) have been deployed to Asheville, North Carolina to assist in recovery efforts following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. The IMT, made up of emergency response professionals, will aid local first responders in tasks such as search and rescue, structural inspections, and communications management. Personnel are expected to arrive today, with additional equipment and resources scheduled to follow on Tuesday.

Governor Hochul praised the team’s swift response, stating, “New Yorkers lead by example and help our neighbors in times of despair.” She highlighted the importance of this mission, emphasizing that the resources and expertise being deployed would help save lives and assess the damage caused by the hurricane. The IMT has previously assisted in other states during natural disasters, including tornadoes in Kentucky in 2021 and Hurricane Harvey in Texas in 2019.

In addition to the IMT, New York has dispatched 17 soldiers from the Army National Guard and three heavy-lift helicopters to support recovery efforts. A separate team of 16 swift water rescue personnel, along with canines and equipment, is already on the ground in North Carolina. The response is part of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), a national mutual aid system that allows states to share resources and support in times of crisis. Various state agencies, including the Department of Environmental Conservation, State Police, and Thruway Authority, have also joined the effort.