CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa National Guard is surveying the damage left behind by Helen in North Carolina and South Carolina.
They work to bring resources to people in need.
“This is something really special,” said Jesse Ayala, a flight engineer with the Iowa National Guard.
Ayala is currently the worst hurricane to hit the continental United States since Katrina. Ayala said it was the first time he had seen this devastation.
“Seeing it from above is one perspective, but when you actually go down to one of the landing zones, you get a completely different picture of what it looks like there,” Ayala said.
One of the Iowa National Guard’s priorities is surveying the area to determine how severe the damage is. Ayala said it is difficult to receive aid in certain places because many roads and bridges have been destroyed.
He said their research efforts are an important step toward overcoming that hurdle.
“With that information, they can send out different units to help, and they can disseminate some of the information in the lack of communication,” Ayala said.
Thousands of federal employees are currently being deployed to assist in recovery efforts. This comes after the Biden administration signed a bill that appropriates $20 billion to FEMA.
Even with that funding, there are concerns that recovery efforts may fall short.
Ayala said part of the crew’s job is to talk to people on the ground to find out what responders need to provide.
“We can back up that information and use small helicopters to deliver items like medical supplies, clothing, diapers, etc.,” Ayala said.
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