HILLSVILLE, Va. — Members of the Virginia Beach Fire Department’s Swiftwater Rescue Team, VA-2, are on their way to southwest Virginia to support the emergency response to Hurricane Helene in the region.
Eight members of VA-2 will support the Department of Emergency Management’s Water Rescue Team's response efforts in Hillsville, Virginia, where flood warnings were issued Thursday morning as showers hit the area. Once there, the team will be in a position to assist many of the areas along the storm's path – including cities like Asheville, North Carolina, which could see up to six to 12 inches of rain.
“We're currently being deployed to Hillsville, Virginia, in Carroll County, so we'll meet there this afternoon and then wait for orders,” said Battalion Chief Michael Carter with the Virginia Beach Fire Department.
Helene is expected to make landfall as a major hurricane in Florida’s Big Bend on Thursday night. The National Hurricane Center warns intense rainfall expected through Sunday could cause "catastrophic and potentially life-threatening" flooding throughout the southeast.
On Tuesday, More than 80 members of Virginia Task Force 2 (VA-TF2) left for Orlando, Florida to aid Floridians ahead of the storm. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin joined North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper in declaring a State of Emergency on Wednesday.
Whether it's Florida or Virginia, the mission remains the same: helping strangers in need from whatever Mother Nature brings in the days ahead.
Michael Brashear is the VA-TF2 team leader in Florida. He expects tough days ahead and that's why they are relying on each other, as Hurricane Helene approaches landfall.
"We're a close team and so our priority is also to take care of each other, because we know that in order to to serve the citizens, we got to be at our best," Brashear said.
We are told the VA-TF2 teams in Florida are expected there for at least the next two weeks and possibly longer if needed. Meanwhile, VA-2 is one of 30 Swiftwater Rescue Teams stationed throughout the Commonwealth. This is the third time the team has been deployed since it was formed back in 2022.