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A special team of first responders from Phoenix left for Louisiana on Tuesday to help those impacted by Hurricane Ida.
AirCARE1, a long-range air ambulance service, posted an update to Facebook saying their Arizona crew was on its way to Louisiana on its first deployment under a Federal Emergency Management Agency contract.
“To say our crew is eager and ready to help is an understatement,” part of the post reads.
Hurricane Ida was one of the top five strongest hurricanes in the continental US, with wind speeds reaching up to 150 mph. Louisiana was hit the hardest, reporting at least two deaths in the state.
More than 1 million homes and businesses in the state — adding up to more than 2 million residents — were out of power after Ida devastated the electric grid upon making landfall Sunday, leaving all of New Orleans in the dark. The storm’s winds toppled a major transmission tower and knocked out thousands of miles of lines and hundreds of substations.
Before Ida made landfall, hospitals in the state had been reaching full capacity with rising cases of COVID-19.
Combined with the loss of water, heat, and power in the state, hospitals have been struggling to accommodate the crowds.
American Medical Response requested the AirCARE1 team from Arizona head out to the state to assist with the transport of patients to overflow hospitals, marketing director Shana Potter told The Arizona Republic.
Potter said the team is comprised of four pilots, two nurses and two paramedics who plan to help relieve some stress for those hospitals.
The team will mostly aid in the “transport and placement of patients to help free up bed space,” Potter said.
Though the team was requested for only seven days, Potter said that is subject to change, and the team will stay in the area to help for as long as needed.
USAToday Reporters Jorge L. Ortiz and John Bacon contributed to this article.
Reach breaking news reporter Athena Ankrah at [email protected] or on Twitter @AthenaAnkrah.
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