HUNTSVILLE, Ala. ( WHNT ) — There are at least 180 deaths from Hurricane Helene so far, and that number is expected to continue climbing, especially in Western North Carolina.
“We took 300 body bags into one place, and they called back 10 minutes later and said they need more,” North Carolina Aerospace Volunteer and Muscle Shoals local Brett Harlow said.
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Harlow and a fellow volunteer crew member from AOG Solutions in Muscle Shoals flew a company helicopter to an area near Asheville, North Carolina Monday. The two volunteers decided to go on their own will, without a direct request for their presence but knew they could help.
“It was on our own merit,” Harlow said. “We were like, ‘Yeah, let’s do something. This feels great. I mean, our helicopter is available, so let’s make something happen.’”
Harlow said that nothing could’ve prepared him for what he and his team had seen both on the air and the ground. He noted the true severity of the storm damage across the state.