FBI Nashville Field Office agents are using new fingerprint recognition technology to identify individuals who died in the aftermath of Hurricane Helen.
“You still take great care when you do this, because it was a human being, it was someone's loved one. Someone's mother, someone's mother,” said FBI Special Agent Paul Durant, who has been with the FBI for five years. They were brothers and sisters.” said in a statement. “It’s hard work, but it’s rewarding to know that we can provide some answers to families who are suffering.”
The hurricane, which devastated parts of Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas and Virginia, has killed more than 230 people since making landfall on September 27.
The FBI typically uses electronic fingerprint devices connected to phones to help law enforcement identify criminals to search for bodies in areas of eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina affected by historic flooding. We are assisting local law enforcement with the tough task of identifying.
Hurricane Helen: 11 people from single-person household in North Carolina killed as authorities continue to find bodies
FBI Nashville Special Agent Paul Durant talks about the recovery process in southern Appalachia after Hurricane Helen. (FBI)
The bodies of some victims are badly disfigured. After the storm, some people crossed the state line from North Carolina into Tennessee because of the faster water flow.
“When I first walked into the morgue, I felt a sense of disbelief,” Durant said. “I had never been in the medical examiner's office before, so it was very surreal. I know what my job is, but to stand there and see the victims face to face. You won't fully understand it until 'that's when it happens' and you switch to work mode. ”
Fox Corporation begins donation drive for American Red Cross Hurricane Helen relief efforts
The FBI is targeting local law enforcement agencies with the tough task of identifying bodies in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina using electronic fingerprint devices attached to phones that typically help law enforcement identify criminals. is supporting. (FBI)
Durant added that there were days when he was “overwhelmed” “seeing the destruction and hearing the stories.”
“But at the end of the day, knowing we can help identify these victims and bring some comfort to their families makes it all worth it,” he added.
A North Carolina mother of four was hit by Hurricane Helen's floods right in front of her husband and 8-year-old son.
Brian McCormack pauses after using a wheelbarrow to clear away debris left behind by Hurricane Helen in Marshall, North Carolina, on October 1, 2024. (Jeff Roberson)
Agents use smartphones to send fingerprints taken from victims directly to the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, expediting what can be a time-consuming process. However, collecting fingerprints was not always an easy task. In some cases, agents had to use advanced forensic techniques to obtain clear prints.
“Knowing that we have unique access to the national fingerprint file that others do not have access to is extremely shocking,” said Special Agent Leanna O'Hare, senior team leader for the Knoxville FBI Evidence Response Team. This is important,” he said in a statement.
O'Hare pointed to how the FBI was able to utilize Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security databases, saying, “We were able to identify some of the victims who might otherwise have been unknown. I was able to do it,” he said.
Hurricane Helen: North Carolinians fight to survive as essential goods run out
Drone footage of the damage after Hurricane Helen passed through Asheville, North Carolina on September 29th. (Reuters/Marco Bello)
But Joe Carrico, special agent in charge of the FBI in Tennessee, emphasized that “it's not just about fingerprints.”
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“It's about the people we serve and their families,” Carrico said. “Our role is to support our state and local partners in providing answers to those who need them most, and in moments like these, we cannot help but feel the weight of that responsibility. ”
Federal, state, and local officials continue recovery and rebuilding efforts in southern Appalachia after Helen. The death toll is expected to rise further as this process continues.
