Health & Environment

Veterinary Emergency Team Returns After Assisting In Hurricane Helene Recovery Efforts

The team provided support for search teams in the aftermath of one of the deadliest storms in U.S. history.
By Megan Bennett, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences October 21, 2024

A group of Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team members put bandages on a dog's foot during a deployment to North Carolina to help in the recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene.
Texas A&M University Veterinary Emergency Team members provide care to a search dog during a deployment to North Carolina to help in the recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene.

College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

 

The Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team (VET) has returned home to Bryan-College Station following a 15-day deployment to North Carolina in response to Hurricane Helene’s flooding and damage.

As one of the top 10 deadliest storms in U.S. history and the deadliest in North Carolina history, Hurricane Helene devastated many areas of the state, disrupting utilities and communication, destroying roads, triggering extreme mudslides and causing fatalities.

The VET was deployed on Oct. 2 by the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) at the direction of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. The team joined a network of North Carolina first responders, national disaster response groups and volunteers from across the country working to support those impacted by the storm.

VET members, assisted by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Disaster Assessment and Recovery (DAR) agents, traveled to North Carolina to provide veterinary care for the search and recovery dogs that played a vital role in Hurricane Helene response. These working dogs and their handlers searched through miles of destruction each day to provide answers and closure for individuals affected by the storm.

“We were amazed by the resiliency of the people affected by Hurricane Helene, as well as the search and recovery teams who worked miles of mountainous river areas every day,” said Dr. Deb Zoran, director of the VET. “Working canines and their handlers play a critical role in helping families find closure after disasters of this magnitude. It was an honor for us to be there to support their work and help the communities begin the long journey to recovery and renewal.”

For the first week of the deployment, the VET set up base in Cherokee, North Carolina, and sent team members to a forward operating base in Asheville each day to serve Buncombe County. As the canine work continued and expanded, the team was moved north to Burnsville, North Carolina, to set up at a local high school and care for search teams working the remote areas of Yancy, Mitchell and Madison counties.

“The search teams were working in very difficult and challenging environments, including miles of tree and destroyed-structure debris fields that have devastated many parts of the beautiful western North Carolina region,” Zoran said.

Not only did the VET care for working dogs from Texas, but team members also provided care for dogs from other local, state and federal agencies. Because of the vast area impacted by the storm, the VET worked in partnership with Dr. Jen Jeske, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Urban Search and Rescue Incident Support Team veterinarian, who cared for dogs in the eastern part of the region while VET members cared for dogs in the central and northern areas.

“The partnership worked well because of the sheer size of the work area and the fact that the working canines, which got up to 48 at one point, were spread out over the entire area,” Zoran said.

At the height of the response, the VET provided end-of-day check-ups for up to 25 working dogs each day, with care that included addressing injuries, assessing overall health and decontaminating the dogs to remove any potential hazardous substances they may have been exposed to during their searches.

“Daily veterinary care was crucial for keeping the dogs healthy and working amidst very difficult conditions,” Zoran said. “The VET, working with Dr. Jeske, ensured that their physical tiredness and soreness from the long, challenging workdays, as well as their bumps, abrasions and cuts, were all appropriately treated so a small issue did not become something bigger. The end-of-day checks allowed us to make sure the dogs were well and provided a crucial opportunity to find unexpected issues that could be managed so that they were able to continue their mission.”

This was the VET’s second deployment to the East Coast, the first being to Florida in response to Hurricane Ian in 2022.

“Having served communities across Texas, in California and on the East Coast for 15 years, the Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team has witnessed the devastation that disasters have on animals and their owners,” Zoran said. “As disasters continue to increase in frequency and intensity, the VET’s ability to serve both within and beyond Texas will be vital to helping families recover.”

Media contact: Jennifer Gauntt, [email protected], 979-862-4216

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