BUFFALO, N.Y. — Some Western New Yorkers are home again after spending two weeks helping people in North Carolina with recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene.
A swift water rescue team of 16 people helped rescue and evacuate dozens of people trapped in their homes. They also carried people to safety on land and cut up trees that fell down to help clear roads.
"When something happens, here those are the same folks that come to us, so it's really nice to be able to go and help them when we can," John Makin, a fire protection specialist, told 2 On Your Side. "This is the job we've trained for — for some of us years and years — so it's nice to be able to put our skills and knowledge to use."
Overall, 221 state and local government workers from New York State have been deployed to help in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
"Things became more and more clear as the day went on Friday, into Saturday, that this was going to be a long duration event," Makin said.