More than 500,000 pounds of supplies were delivered to Western North Carolina by volunteers flying civilian helicopters after Hurricane Helen, according to local news reports.
Adam Smith said he drove 18 hours from Texas when he couldn't reach his daughter and her mother who were stranded in North Carolina. said Worrall. In the end, he had to take a private helicopter the rest of the way to the community of Swannanoa, just east of Asheville.
After being reunited with his family, Smith organized the Savage Operations Center, which now has 150 volunteers and dozens of helicopters delivering much-needed aid to those trapped in the Appalachian Mountains.
“Half a million pounds of supplies have already been delivered,” the newspaper reported.
“The people of Swannanoa, Batcave and Chimney Rock are here to stay and continue to rebuild their lives, rebuild their homes and figure out what's next,” Smith said.
“Some homes were washed away and some people lost their lives,” he continued. “There are a lot of people who don't have anything, and there are a lot of evacuees. The big challenge going forward is not so much rescue, but how to find a place for evacuated families.”
A video Smith shared on Instagram showed some of the operations taking place on the ground.
Also joining us Friday at the Savage Operations Center were Blaze Media CEO Glenn Beck and Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL).
GoFundMe page An organization formed on Smith's behalf has raised approximately $180,000 to support his group's important work.
Other commercial helicopter pilots at the scene of Helen's tragedy included a former NASCAR driver greg biffleBreitbart News reported, was piloting an aircraft during Operation Airdrop.
In one video posted to social media Thursday, the former NASCAR Busch Series champion explains how he was able to help someone after seeing someone flash his mirrors from “more than a mile away.” showed.
