The U.S. Coast Guard motto, Semper Paratus, Always Ready, is never more true than in times of natural disaster and extreme weather. The Coast Guard performs search and rescue operations to assist those in affected areas, often rescuing stranded individuals and families in very dangerous conditions. When the rest of us are evacuating, the Coast Guard is ready to respond.
Admiral Karl Schultz told Fox News that the Coast Guard is working to help those impacted by Hurricane Florence in the Carolinas.
“The Coast Guard activity is just starting to pick up as calls come in,” he told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum. “We’ve had a Coast Guard C-130 overflying North Carolina to get a better assessment of the circumstances on the ground.” Additional search and rescue efforts are being conducted out of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, according to the Coast Guard Twitter feed.
New Bern, North Carolina is one of the most impacted areas, with 360 rescues reported to CBS News and an additional 140 still ongoing.
The Coast Guard is also assisting to assess damage to navigation aids and maritime infrastructure in the areas impacted by the storm. They are conducting “harbor and marina assessments in South Carolina,” the Coast Guard tweeted on Saturday following the storm’s landfall.
#HappeningNow Crew members from @USCG Aids to Navigation Team #Georgetown conduct Tropical Storm #Florence harbor and marina assessments in #SouthCarolina. #USCG pic.twitter.com/MpiCxLJ54L
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) September 15, 2018
The Coast Guard is employing their shallow water rescue teams to assist local authorities and rescue efforts. Many of the rescues are being conducted by local agencies, according to Adm. Schultz. The Coast Guard is providing “depth in strength” to the efforts.
Although they do not fall under the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard is considered part of the United States military. The uniformed branch is responsible for numerous domestic maritime operations, including search and rescue efforts, maritime law enforcement, navigation, and port security, to name a few. In times of war, the President has the option to transfer Coast Guard assets to the Department of the Navy, if needed.
The Coast Guard is part of the Department of Homeland Security. One of the oldest uniformed services, the Coast Guard can date its mission back to maintenance of navigational aids and maritime security in the 1790s. Now, the Coast Guard is most often in the news for search and rescue efforts, especially in times of extreme weather.
As Florence makes landfall, the issue is prolonged heavy rains and flooding. Loss of power is also a concern for first responders trying to get to stranded residents.
Tom Robinson of the Wilmington, North Carolina fire department told Fox News that many residents evacuated or took shelter at the recommendation of local authorities. “There are always those that decide to stay but we believe a lot more people heeded the warnings this time, because of the fact that it was such a large storm coming in, Category 4,” he said.
Relief efforts remain ongoing, with support coming in from nearby states and agencies. An estimated 16 inches of rain has hit North Carolina, with more expected through the weekend. Now classified as a tropical storm, Florence is moving west at 3 mph. The National Hurricane Center warns that “heavy rains and catastrophic flooding continue across portions of North Carolina and South Carolina.”
