MONTGOMERY, Ala. (EETV) – Gov. Kay Ivey announced on Wednesday that Alabama is sending resources
and state employees to help with hurricane response efforts in North Carolina.
The Alabama Emergency Management Agency has been asked for help from North Carolina and
South Carolina as Hurricane Florence gets closer to the East Coast. The AEMA is sending one
mobile communication site vehicle, one AEMA staff member and one Mobile County responder
to a stopping place in route to North Carolina.
“As the East Coast makes preparations ahead of Hurricane Florence, Alabama will also be
prepared to aid in any way we can. I spoke with the governors of North and South Carolina and
offered our support,” Governor Ivey said. “Alabama EMA will continue working with their
counterparts in the Carolinas. Taking the necessary precautions ahead of time and having all
hands-on deck to respond is of the utmost importance. Alabama stands ready to help.”
The Mobile Communication Site Team will help North Carolina keep important communication
links for the public safety radio. Their main role will be to support North Carolina as their need
for response efforts heighten.
“We are leaning forward to support these states that may be impacted by Hurricane Florence,”
said AEMA Director Brian Hastings. “We are a close-knit team in FEMA Region IV, and when one
state is threatened, we all stand ready to assist our incredible neighbors to prepare, respond
and recover to save lives and mitigate human suffering. Alabama is always ready to assist when
there is a need.”
Potential support for states assumed to be impacted by Hurricane Florence includes:
- Nurse strike team
- Emergency Operations Center personnel
- Damage assessment teams and debris management personnel
- Mental health professionals
- Volunteer services personnel
- Maxwell Incident Support Base
- Electrical line maintenance crews
The Alabama Department of Transportation is ready to quicken the movement of vehicles for
disaster response through Alabama to the areas impacted on the East Coast.
Resources are being organized through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.
EMAC is a mutual aid partnership between states that allows for them to support each other
during disasters. These requests for help are sent to other states during catastrophic events or
when another state has the resources needed to aid in an emergency situation. The state
sending their resources and services will be reimbursed by the state that needed help.
