Civil Air Patrol’s month-long response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton involved more than half of the organization’s 52 wings, with members in the air, on the ground and online supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state emergency management agencies.
Responding in the wake of disasters is what CAP volunteers train for, and they play a critical role when called on to do so, said Maj. Gen. Regena M. Aye, CAP’s national commander and CEO.
“We hope we don’t have to use those skills, but when we do, we have them,” Aye said. “You are always vigilant and ready to contribute those skills that you’ve built … that [training] time is not wasted.”
Acting as a Total Force partner and the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, Civil Air Patrol helps 1st Air Force rapidly respond to nonmilitary threats domestically in a Defense Support of Civil Authorities capacity to save lives, relieve suffering, prevent property damage, and provide humanitarian assistance.
Aircrews from CAP’s North Carolina Wing, along with crews from four neighboring states and others from Connecticut, Delaware, and Indiana, launched 151 post-Helene flights totaling 340 hours in the air and 853 volunteer hours working to generate damage assessment imagery for FEMA and the Army National Guard.
“Our members answered the call before landfall [on Sept. 26] and continue to support the state’s efforts to recover from Hurricane Helene,” said Col. Dennis Bissell, North Carolina Wing commander.
“Members joined the effort to deliver critical information to governmental leaders at all levels to aid in decision-making, essential declarations of disaster, and the routing and distribution of critically needed supplies and personnel,” Bissell continued.
CAP aircrews used sophisticated camera systems attached to their aircraft and handheld digital cameras inside the planes to capture high-definition images and photos that aided in search and rescue after the storm as well as in recovery. Essential data collected from the imagery helps in getting assistance to those affected by disasters.
On the ground, North Carolina Wing members joined with fellow CAP members from the Maryland, South Carolina, and Virginia wings in amassing 7,428 volunteer hours carrying out 95 missions focusing on distributing needed supplies to residents affected by Helene. More than 1 million bottles of water, 88,000 Meals Ready-to-Eat, and 190,000 gallons of unpotable water were provided.
CAP ground teams in Georgia and South Carolina mounted similar efforts.
Largest Geospatial Team Response to DateIn addition, more than 100 members of the Civil Air Patrol Geospatial Team partnered online with FEMA’s Response Geospatial Office to expedite federal and state damage assessment efforts in the paths of both Helene and Milton.
Operations seamlessly transitioned to Milton when Helene operations ended, with no breaks between the two. In addition, the day before landfall, Milton spawned a widespread tornado outbreak across Florida, included in the total assessments.
Ultimately, more than 204 members from CAP, FEMA, and Dewberry conducted almost 259,000 assessments and identified more than 149,000 affected structures. Both cadets and adult members in a total of 32 wings were involved. Of the 108 total CAP members, 59 members worked both events.
In total, CAP provided 3,299 volunteer hours, saving the government an estimated $211,656.
“This is the largest geospatial team response to date and does not count the countless CAP flights and team members who did incredible work in the air and on the ground in the affected states,” said Maj. Scott Kaplan, who oversees CAP’s national geospatial mission.
In an unprecedented nine days after Milton’s landfall Oct. 9 in Florida, and in collaboration with FEMA, the contractor Dewberry, and other federal partners, 64 CAP members volunteered 950+ hours; completed 131,000+ structure assessments and 138,900+ total assessments, including trees, utility poles, damaged bridges, landslides, and road damage; and identified almost 99,000 affected structures.
Their efforts contributed to the presidential disaster declaration for Florida, and their volunteer hours from Oct. 10-18 saved the federal government nearly $60,000.
Geospatial Team Worked Storms in TandemBut the team’s Hurricane Milton efforts tell only part of the story of the three weeks encompassing both storms. Factoring in both hurricanes, the geospatial damage assessment response is the team’s largest since it began making assessments during Hurricane Ida in 2021.
The combined teams supporting FEMA responded to Helene and Milton (Category 4 and 3 storms, respectively) initially in tandem. Assessments were still being conducted for Helene when Milton hit, resulting in overlapping assessment efforts.
“Our geospatial operations have the potential to enable any disaster to have a nationwide response. Other agencies now recognize the high quality, dependability, and distributed nature of our volunteer force, and know they can count on CAP when the need arises,” said Capt. Christopher Freeze, CAP’s incident commander for Helene- and later Milton-related geospatial assessments.
“Coming from Hurricane Helene, we were already coming off of the longest mission for the team since Hurricane Ian in 2022 when this disaster — Hurricane Milton — struck. Thankfully, we have a well-trained team spread throughout CAP that can respond swiftly and effectively.”
Geospatial Demands Lead to ExpansionUsing ArcGIS Online tools provided by Esri and Nearmap AI-automated assessments, the geospatial team used a variety of imagery sources, including oblique and 3D imagery taken by CAP aircrews. The teams began assessments using open-source ground and drone videos, then switched to Nearmap, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S. Coast Guard airborne imagery, and Maxar satellite imagery.
“We’ve been actively teaching CAP members how to assess all forms of imagery to serve our communities faster and more efficiently, and to assist those affected with greater speed and accuracy,” Kaplan said.
The combined teams’ assessments in response to Helene and Milton resulted in seven presidential disaster declarations — two for Florida for both hurricanes and one each for Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
“More than 1 million Hurricane Helene survivors have registered for individual assistance across the region,” FEMA reported. “For Helene survivors alone, FEMA and the federal family have distributed over $580 million in direct support.
“In Florida, nearly 600,000 Milton survivors have registered for assistance, and we have already been able to get over $15 million in FEMA funding directly to those individuals.”
CAP Also Provides Valuable Vantage PointsIn addition to the 151 flights in North Carolina and dozens of others in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee, CAP aircrews also gave FEMA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineering officials a closer look of the hardest-hit areas.
Four days after Milton’s Gulf Coast landfall, crews from the Florida Wing flew Willie Nunn, FEMA regional administrator for Region 10, and other critical FEMA personnel from Tallahassee International Airport to Albert Whitted Airport in St. Petersburg.
The flights expedited recovery efforts and improved communication between organizations responding to the storm.
In South Carolina, CAP flights for the Army Corps of Engineers allowed officials to visually assess the damage in 28 counties affected by Helene.
Boots on the Ground Effective TooMembers staffing the North Carolina Wing’s incident command post, operated both online and on the ground in Burlington, logged 3,520 volunteer-hours in 24 days overseeing the mission.
In all, 310 members participated in the Helene response, contributing 11,801 volunteer hours to the effort.
Lt. Col. Brendan Kearns, incident commander for the North Carolina mission, praised “the members who rose to the call and dedicated themselves to supporting their fellow citizens in their time of need, clearly representing the core values of Civil Air Patrol.”
“We will continue to stand ready to support and assist our fellow citizens as they recover from Hurricane Helene and stand ready to serve our state and country in time of need,” said Kearns, North Carolina Wing deputy commander.
Younger CAP members also played a role in the recovery efforts. In Georgia, Cadet Lt. Col. Ann Grammer led a ground team in support of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, which requested 15-20 members for support distributing food, meals, water, personal hygiene items, and supplies to residents affected by Helene.
The distribution point in Augusta was established Sept. 30, just four days after the hurricane made landfall in Florida and moved through northeast Georgia. The site operated daily until all relief supplies were gone.
On one day alone, the CAP volunteer team unloaded eight FEMA semitrailers and two city box trailers by hand.
Though CAP’s Helene and Milton missions have concluded, members stand ready to support future efforts in those areas devastated by the storms.
“North Carolina has many months and years of recovery ahead,” Bissell, the wing commander, said. “I believe that through our actions, we have demonstrated our ability to serve America’s communities, save lives, and shape futures.
“I could not be more grateful and proud of our members’ contributions and commitment demonstrated for almost a full month of 24/7 operations.”
