LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Southern Nevadans are once again answering the call for help in another part of the country.
On Friday, Nevada Task Force 1 received a notification that they would be deployed to help with response and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Helene.
Nevada Task Force 1 is made up of personnel from the Clark County Fire Department, Las Vegas Fire and Rescue, the North Las Vegas Fire Department, Boulder City Fire Department, Henderson Fire Department, and private civilians.
According to Billy Samuels, Deputy Fire Chief - Emergency Manager, 45 people are heading to Atlanta.
He says that typically, these missions are for 14 days but can be shorter or longer depending on community needs.
Nevada Task Force 1 is one of 28 FEMA teams that have been activated.
The storm made landfall in northwestern Florida on Thursday night as a Category 4 hurricane. It has since been downgraded to a Tropical Storm. The governors of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas and Virginia all declared emergencies in their states.
As of 1 p.m. on Friday, the death toll was at 43 and more than four million people are without power across the southeast.
This isn't the first time that Nevada Task Force 1 has stepped in to help.
Last year, the team deployed to Hawaii to help with search and recovery efforts in Maui following deadly wildfires that killed over 100 people. And here at home, members of the team helped Mt. Charleston residents after Tropical Storm Hilary moved through our area.
