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AWWA Statement on Hurricanes Milton and Helene

October 11, 2024

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AWWA Articles

AWWA Statement on Hurricanes Milton and Helene

In the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, AWWA CEO David LaFrance released the following statement:

As Hurricane Milton moves away from Florida, the members of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) extend our heartfelt condolences to everyone impacted by the storm. Our hearts go out to those who lost their homes, businesses and cherished possessions, and most of all, we mourn the loss of life from both Hurricane Milton and Helene.

The water community is always generous, and as expected, we have heard from many members wanting to assist in the recovery, particularly when it comes to supporting the recovery of damaged water systems.

Importantly, apart from water system needs, the people of Florida, North Carolina, and other southeastern states need humanitarian aid. There are a number of organizations to which you can give financially, from the Red Cross to the Florida Disaster Fund to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund to the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster to many other reputable organizations identified on this page from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

As the impacted water systems recover, the Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN) is playing an important role. AWWA coordinates the national WARN mutual aid and assistance network to make it easier for utilities to help other utilities in dire circumstances. State WARNs in the impacted areas are managing requests for assistance from impacted utilities in coordination with state emergency management entities. AWWA will draw members’ attention to needs as they become known.

Below is a short update on the disaster response published in the Friday, Oct. 11, AWWA Water Utilities and Water Services Insiders.

Water sector responds to Hurricanes Helene and Milton

The Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN) in North Carolina (NCWaterWARN) has mobilized multiple teams in response to Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact on the western part of North Carolina. Deployments have been informed by damage assessments conducted by EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Once completed, these assessments will inform decisions related to contractor support for longer-term recovery projects, as well as any requests for additional utility assets to supplement NCWaterWARN crews through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). So far, multiple utilities, the N.C. Rural Water Association, and others have provided support.

WARN’s response in Florida (FlaWARN) is ongoing, especially in the Big Bend region, where three coastal towns experienced up to 20 feet of storm surge. Though Helene’s storm surge impacted or delayed access to many coastal areas, FlaWARN was able to provide resources and team members to Pinellas, Manatee and Sarasota counties. Overall, FlaWARN activated over a dozen utilities and the Florida Rural Water Association in response to Helene.

Utility operations in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia were also impacted by Helene.

Hurricane Milton made landfall just south of Tampa, Florida, on Wednesday evening, passing through Orlando and the Space Coast area as it moved east into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday morning. Milton caused significant storm surges and flooding and generated more than 100 tornados, just as many systems were recovering from hurricanes Debby and Helene. A full assessment of the impacts is ongoing and requests for assistance are being managed by FlaWARN in coordination with state emergency management.

AWWA’s Resource Typing materials are designed to help utilities respond and/or request assistance, develop a team, and set up the necessary cost estimation supporting a deployment.

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