TAMPA, Fla. – Project DYNAMO, a veteran-led nonprofit organization, which conducts humanitarian search-and-rescue operations and worldwide, has deployed personnel to western North Carolina to locate, assist and evacuate stranded Americans after the historic destruction brought on by Hurricane Helene.
About a dozen team members from Project DYNAMO are heading to North Carolina and will link up with additional volunteers once there. More than 100 people have already been reported dead in the wake of the storm.
As of Monday, in Buncombe County, the sheriff’s office had already received more than 1,000 missing person reports. Buncombe County is home to the well-known city of Asheville.
Project DYNAMO already has deployed several team members to the area of operations, and a convoy of vehicles including trailers with supplies and search-and-rescue equipment, and two recreational vehicles to serve as mobile command posts are scheduled to depart Tuesday morning.
Project DYNAMO is also planning to bring more than half a dozen horses for team members to navigate areas that are impassable by vehicles. Additionally, the crew is bringing a specialized infrared drone to help locate and rescue people who have been stranded by the flooding.
“The full extent of the devastation from the flooding brought on by Hurricane Helene is still unknown, but with more than 1,000 people stranded in the mountains, and significant operational and logistical hurdles, we are bringing a highly capable team, which has experience conducting search-and-rescue operations in some of the worst possible conditions,” said Project DYNAMO’s President and CEO Mario Duarte. “We’re eager to lend our expertise to those in need and help get these folks to safety.”
Notably, Project DYNAMO is entirely donor funded and veteran-led. Anyone interested in donating to support this effort can do so by visiting projectdynamo.net/donate.
When Hurricane Ian made landfall near Ft. Myers, Florida in October of 2022, Project DYNAMO was the first organization of any kind, public or private, to begin maritime search-and-rescue operations.
To date, DYNAMO has rescued more than 7,000 people from war zones and natural disasters.
Founded during the U.S. pullout from Afghanistan in 2021, Project DYNAMO is an international search, rescue, aid and assistance 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Tampa, Florida with worldwide operations. Project DYNAMO operates where the United States government cannot, or does not. The primary objective of Project DYNAMO is to provide assistance to those impacted in disaster areas and conflict zones throughout the world. Notably, Project DYNAMO conducted the first air-rescue missions from Afghanistan after the Taliban took control, and has negotiated the release and exfiltrated numerous Americans from captivity and false imprisonment.
For media-related inquiries, please contact our PR firm at 813.279.8335 or by emailing news@judgepr.com.