New Jersey search and rescue teams continue to help in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Resources from the Philadelphia area continue to help those in need after Hurricane Helene left a trail of destruction.
"It's surreal. It's the truest definition of a flash flood came down the mountains, brought up massive amounts of debris and dirt had, you know, strength that I've never seen before," Kevin Morrissey, program manager for New Jersey Task Force One, said.
Morrissey is talking about the pure devastation left behind by the storm. For the last week, he and the team of 80 members with NJ-TF1 have been in Asheville, North Carolina.
"Went from swift water rescues where the team made a couple of very risky, high-risk safety rescues to now we're into more of a wide area search. Searching the river banks, the areas that were impacted by the storm," Morrissey said.
After 24 years and countless missions, Morrissey has seen quite a lot. But how does the destruction left behind after Helene compare to other things he's seen?"
"This is a pretty significant event," he said. "It is taking its toll."
NJ-TF1 left before the storm hit and will continue to pick up the pieces from Mother Nature for at least another week.
"These are the most gracious people that we've come across — for the impact that they've had and the devastation to their lives," Morrissey said.
Nearly a week after Hurricane Helene hit, American Red Cross volunteers from the Delaware Valley continued to go down to help.
"This is an emergency response vehicle. It's a feeding vehicle," Mary Noll said. The Montgomery County volunteer will serve as a national fleet operations administrator.
Wednesday morning, the van was empty, but soon it'll be filled with food, water and supplies.
"We deliver it to shelters, neighborhoods, churches, wherever the need exists," Noll said.
Noll is driving the van down to Charlotte before heading out to communities in need.
"I started with Hurricane Katrina, so I know what kind of damage I'm going into and I'm expecting to see horrific losses of not only life, but everything that people own," Noll said.
Her co-pilot for the nearly 600-mile drive is Linda Kerner. It is this mom's first national deployment with the organization.
"If your child called and said, 'Mom, I need you,' you're in the car and you're going — so that's why I'm here today," Kerner said with tears in her eyes.
A total of 23 volunteers from the southeastern Pennsylvania region of the American Red Cross are on the ground assisting right now – including Kerner and Noll.
Together the two from Montgomery County will deliver a van of hope to our southern neighbors.
"It's also hope and a promise because we promise that we're going to be there to see them through the disaster and see them through to recovery," Noll said.
Hope and promise – both are on the way.