Charlotte Fire Gives Up-Close Account of Saving Harvey Survivors

Charlotte, NC — Charlotte firefighters gave WCCB Charlotte an up-close look as they save those who have been stranded in Texas flooding for nearly a week.

Everywhere they look, they see devastating loss.

“These people are being pulled out of their houses by boat or by aircraft,” said Charlotte Firefighter Jay Ogden.

He says it’s loss, coupled indescribable moments of relief with every family his team pulls from the flood water.

“Just imagine that your house is affected, and you’ve got to put everything that means value to you into something that you can carry,” said Ogden.

He and the two other Charlotte firefighters are part of NC HART. It’s a group of firefighters, emergency management officials and members of the

North Carolina National Guard that Governor Roy Cooper sent to Texas first as Hurricane Harvey left cities underwater

They’ve done more than 25 air rescues in three days.

“We spend the majority of our time training for this type of situation, and then when you get called on to do what you trained for, it’s an honor, a privilege really,” said Ogden.

He showed WCCB Charlotte around the National Guard base in Ellington, Texas.

Their crew searches cities and towns in Texas and runs on 911 calls.

One of the most recent was a diabetic man who needed immediate hospitalization.

“With that, we also had his wife on board,” said Ogden. “It meant a lot tot that family.”

More Charlotte firefighters will be there Saturday morning.

Back home, The Mecklenburg County Sheriff Irwin Carmichael is trying to get businesses and churches to donate supplies to survivors.

“It’s just important everyone come together and lets show Houston that Charlotte cares,” said Sheriff Carmichael.

Ogden doesn’t know when he’ll be back with his own family, but he says this makes him want to hold them tighter.

“It always brings us a little closer every time we experience something like this,” said Ogden.

If you want to donate nonparishable food and house hold items to Houston, you can take them to The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office.