Governor Greg Abbott on Oct 2nd, announced that he directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to deploy state emergency response resources to support Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in North Carolina following a request from North Carolina Emergency Management.
 
“Our hearts continue to grieve for all Americans who were lost during Hurricane Helene,” said Governor Abbott. “Texas will continue to do all we can to help our fellow Americans in this time of need. The aftermath of Hurricane Helene left dangerous flood waters and debris that can be life-threatening to people and animals. These state emergency response resources, including a veterinary emergency team, will ensure that Texas can help maintain the health and safety of personnel and canines working tirelessly in search and rescue operations. I thank all our first responders and emergency management personnel who are working around the clock to support their fellow Americans who were impacted by Hurricane Helene.”
 
At the Governor’s direction, TDEM has deployed the following resources to assist North Carolina’s hurricane recovery:

Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team (VET): Medical and logistics personnel to assist with K-9 medical care and decontamination for working dogs involved in search and rescue operations

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: Disaster Assessment and Recovery agents to assist with VET operations

These resources are in addition to the deployment of emergency power generators to Georgia this week following the storm and Texas A&M Task Force 1 to Florida last week ahead of storm impacts.
 
This deployment of resources is coordinated under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). EMAC is a state-to-state mutual aid system that enables states to provide assistance and share resources with another state in response to a disaster or emergency. EMAC members can share resources from all disciplines, protect personnel who deploy, and be reimbursed for mission-related costs. For more information, visit www.emacweb.org.