Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com: A team of 15 firefighters from the Illinois Urban Search and Rescue Team was deployed to North Carolina following Hurricane Florence, which made landfall on September 14. The storm caused widespread devastation, leading to a federal disaster declaration for the state. Over the next few days, heavy rains flooded entire towns, leaving hundreds of thousands without power and forcing many to evacuate. Illinois Task Force 1 is made up of emergency responders from various departments participating in a statewide disaster response program. Among the team were ten firefighters from suburban areas, including Wauconda, Wheeling, Arlington Heights, Downers Grove, Morton Grove, Alsip, Matteson, Naperville, and Rolling Meadows. Firefighters from Chicago and Bettendorf, Iowa, also joined the mission. The group left from MABAS headquarters in Wheeling on September 14, traveling in a convoy loaded with boats, generators, and essential equipment. They arrived the next day at an emergency operations center in Raleigh and were quickly sent to the small town of Whiteville. However, they were soon redeployed to Riegelwood, an unincorporated area near the Cape Fear River, which had overflowed due to the hurricane. Upon arrival, the local Acme-Delco-Riegelwood Fire Rescue station was operating on a generator and was filled with displaced residents, including families of local firefighters. A National Guard unit and other emergency teams had also set up there. The Illinois team immediately started rescuing stranded residents, bringing them to the fire station where they were evacuated by the National Guard. They also provided food, water, medical assistance, and helped repair damaged homes by placing tarps over roofs. Using a military surplus truck equipped with an inflatable motorboat, the team navigated through flooded areas. In some cases, they had to switch to the boat when the water became too deep. Some homes were still standing but surrounded by floodwaters, while others were completely submerged. Local firefighters accompanied the team, helping them navigate the area and identify potential hazards, such as wildlife or unstable structures. The work was intense, with 15-hour shifts and frequent calls during the night. One particularly challenging rescue involved an elderly couple trapped in a car that had been swept off the road. Firefighters broke the window and safely pulled the woman out. The Illinois task force returned home on September 26, having made a significant impact in one of the most devastating natural disasters the region had seen in years. Marine Ess,Battery Modules,Ev Battery Module,Lifepo4 Prismatic Battery Beiamp New Energy Co., Ltd. , https://www.beiamp.net