National Guard mobilizes 500 to help clear roads, restore power in Georgia after Helene

MACON, Ga. (WGXA) — The National Guard has 500 members throughout Georgia trying to clear the roadways so power can be restored.

Rescue and recovery efforts are underway after Hurricane Helene not only claimed lives, but also left behind snapped trees, damaged homes and dangerous floodwaters.

The guardsmen who are trained to clean debris, transport supplies, and other disaster recovery efforts, began clearing the roadways Friday after the destructive storm.

Some of the missions that we're currently doing include drought and debris clearance teams, and we're doing that in an effort to try to get the path ways cleared so that we can get the power turned back on as as quickly as possible," saidMajor General Richard Wilson who is leading the Georgia National Guard.

Governor Brian Kemp said there are 20 mobile cut teams, eight heavy equipment teams, and pods that were being moved around Friday for supply distribution.

On Friday many rescue teams were racing to free people that became trapped by deadly Helene.

Dozens of people were still trapped in buildings destroyed by the Category 4 hurricane, according to Kemp.

The dangerous conditions left behind by the hurricane is making it difficult for crews, like the guardsmen, to help those that need it the most.

Multiple hospitals in southern Georgia were without power, and authorities were “having a hard time getting to places” so teams with chainsaws were “working to free up roads,” Kemp also said in Friday's news conference.

He assured that resources will be moving as soon as it is safe.

So we're moving troop deployments from Northwest Georgia again to South once more, roads are clear," said Kemp. "We're currently assessing by air, it took us a little while to get the choppers up and drones up because of the because of the winds, and then also a low ceiling this morning.

Georgia National Guard's mission is to support the state's efforts, according to its post on X.

Wilson said, "a lot of a lot of hard work is happening across the state at the local, state and the federal level."