USCG Rescues Hundreds During Hurricane Florence

Hurricane Florence hit the Carolinas on September 15 as a Category 1 storm but with flooding rains that forced evacuations and left many stranded in their homes and cars. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions responded to the emergency, and in some areas, remain on the ground as rising rivers continue to cause widespread flooding and devastation.

In North Carolina, as of September 21, the USCG shallow water response team had rescued 60 people and 71 pets while the helicopter crews rescued 133 people and 20 pets. More than 3,000 USCG members have responded to the hurricane including 35 shallow-water rescue boat teams. The shallow water teams support North Carolina counties by conducting rescues and clearing roads to enable emergency crews and shallow water vessels to reach those in distress.

In South Carolina, Coast Guard Gulf Strike Team crews also use shallow-water response boats to conduct rescue operations working closely with partners including the South Carolina National Guard and Horry County Fire and Rescue.

The Coast Guard cutter Hamilton, a 418-foot national security cutter homeported in Charleston, South Carolina, oversaw five USCG cutters in the Surface Action Group South (SAG South) that mobilized for Hurricane Florence response efforts. The SAG South conducted post-storm assessments of the Cape Fear River and ports of Wilmington and Morehead City, verifying aids to navigation that are critical for safe navigation and the movement of cargo.

“We are an agile and adaptive force, no matter the mission,” said Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Karl Schultz. “Over the past 24 hours, Coast Guard men and women have saved lives, rescued pets, helped restore power, and teamed with local, state and federal partners in the whole-of-government response to Florence. We are America’s first responders. We are Always Ready.”

Coast Guard crews from across the U.S. are working alongside personnel from federal, state and local agencies for Hurricane Florence and associated flooding.