Washington State Task Force-1 Joins Massive Recovery Efforts for Hurricane Helene. Hurricane Helene has wreaked havoc across the East Coast, leaving unprecedented inland flooding and destruction in its wake, stretching as far as the Carolinas. Rescue teams are racing against time, working tirelessly as hundreds of people remain unaccounted for. The scale of the response has been compared to the recovery efforts seen during Hurricane Katrina and the 9/11 attacks, making it one of the largest mobilizations in recent U.S. history.