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Minnesota teams mobilize to aid Hurricane Helene recovery across the southeast

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Published  October 3, 2024 9:41pm CDT
Hurricanes
FOX 9

Minnesotans helping in aftermath of Hurricane Helene

Groups of Minnesotans are gearing up to aid those affected in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, including the Minnesota National Guard, the American Red Cross and Xcel Energy. FOX 9's Leon Purvis has the latest.

The Brief

    • The State of Minnesota will be sending groups to help with the recovery after the devastation of Hurricane Helene.
    • Xcel Energy, the American Red Cross and the Minnesota National will be heading to areas affected by the hurricane.
    • Hurricane Helene's death toll has risen to more than 200.

(FOX 9) - Many Minnesotans, including the Minnesota National Guard, the American Red Cross, and Xcel Energy workers, are either on the ground or on their way to help with recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene.

Minnesota will send 11 National Guardsmen and two Chinook helicopters to North Carolina to help with recovery efforts. The American Red Cross has people on the ground already, and Xcel Energy is sending 40 linemen from here to Georgia.

READ MORE: Death toll rises above 200 one week after Helene decimates Southeast

"The Chinook is an extremely capable aircraft and helicopter. It can land into small areas. It can transport large amounts of people or equipment," said First Lt. Jake Braam, a Chinook Pilot for the Minnesota National Guard.

Braam is ready to head to North Carolina to help with relief efforts for Hurricane Helene. He will be one of the 11 soldiers from Minnesota who will pilot a Chinook helicopter there.

"Seeing the devastation due to hurricane Helene, you can’t help but be compelled to want to go and help in some way," said Braam.

The American Red Cross has people stretched from Florida into Georgia and the Carolinas. They’re on the front lines, as some crew members were pre-positioned before the storm hit.

"A lot of different folks have sent us photos of a lot of destruction. Obviously, we had the storm once it got up into the mountainous areas that caused a lot of flooding and a lot of landslides which impacted a lot of the different communities," said Brice Johnson, Regional Chief Executive Officer for the American Red Cross.

Xcel Energy is on the road to Georgia. They’re sending more than 100 employees to help Southern Company, 40 of whom are linemen from the Twin Cities.

"They’ll be rebuilding a system, installing new polls, and re-stringing wires," said Todd Conner, Vice President of Electric Distribution for Xcel Energy.

Xcel Energy crews will be helping out in Augusta, Georgia, first and go where needed for about two weeks.

"What makes it worse is the fact that people don’t have power. We rely on this product so much just for daily life and normalcy that it's imperative that we get the power back as fast as we can," said Conner.

The Xcel Energy crews will arrive in August, Georgia on Friday evening. The 11 National Guardsmen from Minnesota will leave for North Carolina on Friday.