Wednesday, August 31, 2011 — KINSTON, N.C. – As the final rain drops fell on a battered but unbroken North Carolina landscape, the North Carolina National Guard, in partnership with both state and local agencies of North Carolina Emergency Management began the arduous task of preparing for the aftermath of Hurricane Irene here Aug 28.



Irene began as a category IV storm earlier in the week, with winds in excess of 150 mph and spanning over 200 miles in width. The storm lost momentum and was downgraded to a category I storm as it made landfall in the early morning hours on Saturday.



“Our primary mission was to provide air support for life saving missions, reinforce infrastructure improvement by moving critical food and medical supplies into hard hit areas and also conducting air recovery missions for displaced persons,” said Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Eric Cattaneo, a tactical operations officer and member of 1-130th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 449th Theater Aviation Brigade.



Thousands of North Carolina residents lost power after the storm hit and property and roads were littered with fallen trees, debris and in some cases, power lines.



As Irene struck the N.C. coast, she produced winds in excess of 85 mph and over 12 inches of precipitation in some areas. Due to the high winds, some swift water and vehicle recovery operations could not take place.



As winds subsided however, nearly100 Guardsmen were sent to New Bern and Rocky Mount to assist local first responders in flood and swift water operations.



The Guard initially had almost 25 civilian and military aircraft available for assistance after the storm hit, as well as a full complement of heavy and light-wheeled vehicles, capable of fording deep water and making it possible to get into hard hit areas.



Cattaneo said that because the National Guard planning their air operations site early was a crucial factor to their success with North Carolina Department of Forestry and Kinston Jetport. He said by doing so, they got ahead of potential emergencies, which made the aviation support more responsive and synchronized with the overall disaster recovery plan.



During the storm and after the weather cleared, NCEM worked with the National Guard and other state and federal enablers to evaluate both civilian and military resources from all over North Carolina. All of the agencies worked together to plan for assistance and execute recovery operations in areas most affected by the storm.



“We conducted seven [air operation] missions primarily to the coast and three of them were high-priority,” said Catteneo. “High-priority” missions are those involving operations like supply movement or rescue support.



The aviators, along with their counterparts on the ground, were a valuable asset as they teamed with N.C. Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Teams (HART), Swift Water Teams, the Coast Guard, the N.C. Highway Patrol, and a host of other state and federal recovery agencies to assist with evacuations due to flooding or to move supplies to disaster areas. The NCEM used all of their assets to manage disaster relief by conducting these critical tasks after the storm. The N.C. Guard along with these other agencies provided a valuable and robust capability to the overall effort.



Catteneo cited that the strong partnership between the NCHP, HART and others made it possible to move personnel and materials into areas that could not be reached with vehicles.



In all, six people lost their lives during the hurricane, two to vehicle accidents during the storm, three from being struck by hurricane debris and one who died from a heart attack while preparing his home for the storm.



The N.C.Guard also assisted media agencies and N.C. government officials alike with aerial flights and vehicle embeds as they evaluated the damage done to North Carolina communities in the eastern part of the state. CNN was given access to National Guard aircraft, which made it possible for them to show some of the devastation of Irene and explain how the N.C. Guard, along with other agencies, were working together to serve the citizens of North Carolina.



Overall the hurricane mission helped both the Guard and their civilian counterparts to be a responsive resource in the event the citizens of North Carolina need help.



“Due to the intensity of the storm being downgraded, we were able to use our state’s organic aviation assets without having to request those resources from other states,” said Catteneo. This option is more advantageous as it is more cost effective to the state.



The air and ground capabilities combined helped to augment a “force package” approach to providing National Guard logistics, equipment and capabilities as a ready, reliable and responsive approach towards natural disaster relief.



Post-Irene recovery operations will continue until the state feels the emergency is under control, at which time N.C. Guardsmen will re-deploy to their home stations and conduct normal operations.