UNICOI COUNTY, Tenn. — The 58 members of Utah's Task Force One remain in eastern Tennessee nearly one week after being deployed to assist with clean-up efforts after Hurricane Helene ravaged the area.
“We're in it for the long haul. Everybody's doing well," said Special Operations Division Chief Bryan Case.
Unified Fire’s team has been working in Unicoi County, where floodwaters originally trapped dozens of people after the deadly storm passed through, including a local hospital.
“Here in this area, there are debris fields, full of old hardwood trees, just giant trees," said Case. "There's lots of cars placed around the waterways and rivers.
"Many of the buildings have been wiped away.”
Task Force One has been assigned to do searches in the county that was devastated by Helene. Eleven workers at a plastics factory in the county town of Erwin were swept away by storm flooding, with only five being rescued.
“It is unfortunate, of course, that there are people in this area that have been confirmed as missing and more than likely deceased as a result of the floods," Case shared. "And so we are really just trying to help them.”
The Utah crews are doing the best they can to help small communities in need across the country.
“They're taking care of us very well here. The locals are very accommodating, very gracious," Case said. "We work probably a 12 hour day.”
The team is expected to be in Tennessee for another week.
