EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) – The devastation caused by Hurricane Helene is widespread, but one of the harder hit areas is the state of North Carolina. This week, dozens of volunteers, including one pilot from Evansville, stepped up to help their fellow Americans in need.
“The images on TVreally don’t do it justice,” says Sherry Miyahara, Executive Director of the Civilian Crisis Response Team (CCRT). Since 2015, Indiana-based non-profit CCRT has deployed to areas affected by natural disasters. Miyahara says the desire to help defines the group.
“That’s how CCRT got started,” explains Miyahara. “A lot of like-minded people come together, what can we do, how can we help people on their worst day?”
For some in the southeast, their worst day was when Hurricane Helene made landfall. A CCRT member stationed in North Carolina called back to the Hoosier state with a plea for help, not from the ground, but by air.
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“We don’t have pilots in our organization,” says Miyahara, “so we made a shoutout for it and the response has been insane.” Evansville pilot Jules Mominee adds, “My sister saw it first and she said, ‘Are you flying with that?’, and I said, ‘Let me see’.”