Tennessee sends rescue crews to help Kentucky flood victims

Logan Washburn, Nashville Tennessean
·2 min read

Tennessee has sent emergency crews to assist with flood rescue efforts in eastern Kentucky.

More than 6 inches of rain fell in the region earlier this week, and floods have killed at least 16 people so far. President Joe Biden declared the flooding a major disaster.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency asked three Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Teams to respond to Perry County, Kentucky on Thursday, according to a news release. The Nashville Fire Department, the Tennessee Air National Guard, and local authorities are working together to conduct rescue efforts.

Each rescue team is composed of different agencies, NFD Public Information Officer Joseph Pleasant said. Nine members of the NFD are assisting with the missions, he said, and the National Guard provides pilots.

A flooded Kentucky community from a Tennessee rescue helicopter.
A flooded Kentucky community from a Tennessee rescue helicopter.

RELATED: Death toll hits 16 in Kentucky floods; victims include 4 young siblings, governor says: Updates

The National Guard sent five Blackhawk helicopters to assist with flood relief, according to a news release. National Guard Lt. Col. Marty Malone said after helicopters land in Kentucky, they are dispatched to help with flood response in different locations around the state.

A Tennessee rescue helicopter in Kentucky.
A Tennessee rescue helicopter in Kentucky.

Officials sent two helicopters to Jackson, Kentucky, one to assist with the HART response and another to work with the NFD's swift water rescue team, according to a news release. The National Guard also sent three MEDEVAC helicopters from Louisville, Tennessee to help rescue efforts.

Capt. Hulon Holmes coordinated the flood response from the National Guard base in Louisville. He heard they needed to send teams to Kentucky just before 12 p.m. Thursday, he said, and helicopters were in the air less than 2 hours later.

"We were kind of dealing with some weather at the time yesterday, for us to get up there," he said. "The moment they got up there, they went straight to work."

Holmes said his helicopter teams are operating out of London and Jackson. Tennessee aircraft rescued more than 25 people Thursday, he said. According to the NFD's Twitter account, HART responders rescued at least seven flood victims Friday.

Tennessee rescue teams helped a family that had been stranded on their roof.
Tennessee rescue teams helped a family that had been stranded on their roof.

"They picked up some medical emergencies, people that have been swept away in the water," Holmes said. "They'll go through remote areas and look for distressed people. Sometimes when they fly by, people are at a house and wave them down."

Holmes said while there is rain in the forecast, he thinks the floodwaters could recede soon.

"We'll see, it's hard to say," he said. "We can sustain as long as Kentucky needs us."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee sends rescuers to help Kentucky flood victims