Re: Hurricane Helene - Part 2
Posted by Pete on October 13, 2024 at 22:13:59
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in Reply to: Re: Hurricane Helene - Part 2 posted by kmf on October 13, 2024 at 21:06:58:
Thank you for your kind words. To address your point about "what happens if the fire station gets taken out by the disaster?" - Well, that depends. Short answer is, we call for help from nearby departments. At least in my neck of the woods, we actually have binders full of pre-planned logistics that cover a ton of possible scenarios. But a lot of what I'm hearing from out in WNC (western North Carolina) is that the fire stations and vehicles themselves are fine, but the staff can't physically access the stations due to roads being blocked or washed out. In those situations, really the only thing to do is work to get the roads cleared, and then get the necessary people and equipment into those areas.
What is making this unique compared to other serious hurricanes is, simply, the mountains. Hurricanes typically hit coastal areas that are, well, FLAT. So even when damage is extensive, like it is in Florida and the gulf coast, responders can usually access the entire incident pretty easily. Not sure if you've been to the area that Helene hit here in the Carolina, but these are very rugged mountains. Its a rural population spread out across hundreds of miles. A couple bigger cities, but mostly little clumps of a few houses scattered up and down "hollers." Those places can be difficult to access even in good weather, and darn near impossible when roads are washed out. That's really what's making this so difficult right now.