NORTH CAROLINA (WXYZ) — Michigan teams are now on the ground in the south, helping with relief efforts to destruction from Hurricane Helene.
Helene is now the second-deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland in the last 50 years. President Joe Biden will tour the damage today. As of Wednesday morning, the death toll stands at 162 across six states.
We checked with a group from Michigan humane deployed to the south last week. The four-person crew taking off from here are currently in Statesville, North Carolina, about 150 miles east of Asheville. That's their home base; Tuesday is the first time they got the okay to head into the more devastated areas, because of debris, stalled cars and heavy flooding on roads and blocked off access.
The flooding from Helene in North Carolina, devastating the state. The crew leaving from Michigan Humane Friday arrived in Statesville Saturday morning. The first several days they spent running food, water, and other supplies to area shelters and humane societies. The crew member I talked with, Myron Goldin, who says the area isn't hit by flooding, but they do not have power.
"We’re actually on our way to Black Mountain, NC for a situation we got 22 horses Trapped in an area," Goldin said over the phone. "They’re on one side of the river and the bridge that they can come Across has actually been washed out."
Myron said they may have to put on dry suits and walk the horses across the river; if the water was too strong, they'd have to get the boats out and keep running food across until the water goes down. Myron and the three other members are living in a completely self-sufficient trailer while in North Carolina.
They plan to be gone for a total of nine days; two travel days and a week of whatever they can do to help the people and animals while they're in North Carolina.
