WASHINGTON — As we continue to see more devastation in Asheville, North Carolina, more people are stepping up to help.
"We want to be there to help them get back to having safe, reliable drinking water for everyone that is in that Asheville area,” D.C. Water Senior Manager Communications Sherri Lewis said.
More first responders and people from the D.C., Maryland and Virginia communities coming together to assist. WUSA9 learned that D.C. Water is preparing a team to head down South. Sunday night the focus was packing up and loading before they take the 8-hour-drive to North Carolina to help with ongoing hurricane recovery.
"We're grateful to have the staff and the people who have the expertise that are able to go into these areas and help where they're needed,” Lewis said.
Monday morning D.C. Water has a crew heading down to help restore water and sewer services. The team will load up at the water headquarters in Navy Yard.
"Our teams will be doing logistics, planning, they'll be helping in the emergency operations center, coordinating situational information, working to help the Asheville water utility. It's not just flip a switch and the water comes back on,” Lewis said.
They are joining other teams that have deployed crews down South to help.
Greg Vernon is one of the members making the trip to Asheville. He says he's ready to help in any way he can.
"We're looking enough to have internet and telecommunications as well as power down there, so we're lucky there that we're not truly roughing it," Vernon said. "But it definitely a whole lot of preparedness for ourselves as well as personal protective equipment for ourselves to make sure if we have to go out in the field that we're ready to go as needed."
Chris Coit told WUSA9 that he hopes to bring the experience of DC Water to those who need it.
"We're able to provide the combined experience of the emergency response side of DC Water with the water utility experience," Coit said. "We're hoping to lend that experience to the folks in Asheville and really help out in any way we can."
Virginia Task Force 1, a search and rescue team based in Fairfax County, is in Florida to assist with the response to the storm. The team of 80 highly trained personnel and 4 search-and-rescue canines deployed last week.
Maryland Task Force 1 returned after two weeks of work in Georgia and Western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene. The task force sent another crew to help after Hurricane Milton last Thursday.
"The level of resilience is one that person never seen before. The sense of community in those areas,” Maryland Task Force 1 Rescue Specialist Nathan Wondimu said. “They're all willing to support and help each other. They are appreciative of our presence and checking on their welfare and filling the gaps as far as any need and supporting their needs as well."
The crew of four from D.C. Water is expected to work in Asheville for about 15 days.
"They need a break too,” Lewis said. “So, we're there not only to help people get their water and sewer service back but to also to help those people who have been working so hard for so long."