then Add to Home Screen.
About 4,200 National Guardsmen from seven states responded to Hurricane Debby following the storm’s emergence last week, according to the National Guard Bureau.
There were no Title 10 activations for the Air and Army Guardsmen involved with helping the Southeastern United States recover from Debby, NGB continued.
The Guardsmen responding to Debby came from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia and New York, NGB noted.
These Guardsmen typically provided logistical support and transportation in areas Debby affected, NGB continued.
The vehicles involved in responding to Debby included fuel tankers, wreckers, water trucks and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, NGB added.
At least nine deaths related to Debby had occurred as of Aug. 9, with most caused by vehicle accidents or fallen trees, according to The Associated Press.
Debby became a hurricane on Aug. 1, making landfall as a Category 1 storm near Steinhatchee, Florida, on the morning of Aug. 5, according to The Weather Channel.
Debby moved inland over north Florida into southern Georgia before returning to the Atlantic off South Carolina’s coast on Aug. 6.
The weather system then made its final landfall near Bulls Bay, South Carolina, early on Aug. 8, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.
Debby generated heavy rainfall, strong winds, flash floods and tornadoes across much of the nation’s East Coast.
For example, at least seven tornadoes occurred in South Carolina’s Lowcountry the night of Aug. 5.
During the storm’s peak, over 300,000 people lost power from Florida to the Carolinas.
The bulk of the Guardsmen responding to Debby came from Florida, according to NGB, with 3,500 personnel from the Sunshine State involved with responding to the storm.
For instance, soldiers from the 1-265th Air Defense Artillery Battalion cleared routes and removed debris from streets in Lafayette County, Florida, Aug. 5.
"We’ll be working closely with state and local agencies for as long as we’re needed, and we can also call on out-of-state partners as necessary," said Army Col. Jeremey Davis, the commander of the Florida Guard’s 50th Regional Support Group.
"You can’t wait until the storm hits to call up the Guard, so we get our people in uniform and into position ahead of time," Davis added.
South Carolina sent about 70 Guardsmen and 30 high-water vehicles to Florida before Debby arrived, per a spokesperson for the state’s Guard.
North Carolina officials announced Aug. 8 that nearly 400 members of the state’s Guard and more than 130 vehicles were also activated due to Debby.
In Georgia, about 300 Guardsmen assisted with duties including transporting emergency supplies and repairing roads in rural areas, per Gov. Brian Kemp’s office.
The Guard frequently responds to natural disasters ranging from hurricanes to forest fires nationwide.
Guardsmen provided support to 13 states and territories for six hurricane-type storms in 2023, according to NGB.
The Guard also saved 476 people following severe weather last year, NGB concluded, while distributing 706,000 meals and 387,000 water bottles across 23 states.
— By Mark Hensch
