MONTAGUE, Mich. — A team of approximately 40 soldiers from the Michigan Army National Guard's 1,436th Engineer Company is heading to South Carolina to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The team, based out of Montague, will spend several weeks working with federal and local authorities to support communities impacted by the widespread flooding.
“Because of a lot of road closures, the state did preparation ahead of time to make sure that they had an approved route with staging points along the way,” Major Megan Breen, Strategic Communications director with the 507 Engineer Battalion, said Friday. “The team in Michigan, they're ready to go.”
The team's primary mission is horizontal engineering, which involves using heavy equipment to build and clear roads.
They will be clearing debris and making sure roadways are once again accessible.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer praised the team's efforts Friday.
“Michiganders are tough and we always help those in need,“ she said in a statement. “Members of our Michigan National Guard and Michigan Task Force 1 Swiftwater Team are risking their own lives to save others, honoring their duty and living up to the values that best define who we are. I hope they carry out the mission successfully and get home safe as soon as possible. Let’s keep helping each other.”
Meanwhile, the Michigan Task Force 1 (MI-TF1) Swiftwater Team just recently returned home from a seven-day deployment in North Carolina, where they conducted 28 rescues and evacuations, saving residents trapped in floodwaters and stranded in homes and vehicles.
The Michigan National Guard and MI-TF1 received requests for assistance from South Carolina and North Carolina through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), which allows disaster-impacted states to request help from other states quickly and efficiently.
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