Members of numerous first responder agencies across Rowan County are trying to answer the call for help from neighbors in Western North Carolina, a call that began late Friday and continues into this week, even when they can’t reach the callers.

As flood waters crested along the Yadkin River, the roads that ran alongside the river were undermined or swept away, leaving most roads impassable. Hundreds of residents are in need of assistance and rescue, but not all will be reachable due to roads being completely washed away and debris blocking access even on foot.

Rowan County Sheriff Travis Allen and several of his deputies were in the area as early as Saturday, after Allen reached out to other sheriffs in the affected areas to see what help was needed.

His department has been deployed to Avery County in Banner Elk, and Allen said the devastation “has been unbelievable. If you’ve seen pictures, I can tell you it doesn’t do it justice. There are no roads left, and our guys who have been helping in search and rescue have relied on local residents who live ‘in the hollers,’ who know the area like the back of their hands, to show them along hunting trails to get to those who need help.”

Allen said on Saturday, they were with crews on Chinook helicopters dropping supplies when they were notified of a group of people in an isolated area who needed rescue. The helicopter landed and deputies helped round up 32 people and get them on board the chopper.

Other deputies have assisted with patrols and have been cooking food for those who have not eaten, sometimes in a few days. Monday morning, a 12- person crew embarked on a search and rescue for a person who is feared to have been swept away.

“It was to be a two- to three-mile hike along the river, searching through debris,” said Allen.

Additionally, Allen said his department brought back 30 inmates from a prison in Avery County because the facility there had no power or running water. By bringing the inmates here, to a functioning and staffed facility for the short term, Allen said it freed up the staff there to help with rescue and recovery efforts.

“This is going to be a long, hard recovery for the mountain counties,” Allen said. He added that it is expected the death toll will rise as waters recede, something that is hard for everyone to contemplate.

Four Salisbury firefighters, including Division Chief Martin, Engineer Lambis and firefighters Karriker and Earnhardt, have been deployed since Saturday afternoon to McDowell County according to Ethan Chirico, president of Salisbury Professional Firefighters Local 2370.

“We were requested to send a fire response as well as emergency personnel,” he said, so the department sent both a fire truck and a chase vehicle. Those who were initially on hand participated in search and rescue efforts, he said, and in some cases, crews were airlifted by helicopter then dropped into areas otherwise unreachable.

A second team of four deployed Monday to replace the original four, and that team has now joined a Kannapolis team in search and rescue. Chirico said they will continue to rotate teams of four in and out, with another team that went out Monday night at 5 p.m. and a fourth team scheduled to head out Thursday, Oct. 3 at 5 p.m. He said the plan is to continue to deploy the week of Oct. 6-12, but the state has not yet issued assignments.

“But those deployed will come home and hopefully have time to rest, but could be back out working a scene here almost right away,” he said. Lambis, who was in the first deployment group, was on the scene of the early morning fire on Gupton Road in Franklin on Saturday, where apparatus was stuck for days due to rising waters around the house.

“He got home I think about 9:30 Saturday morning, and by 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon he was deployed to western N.C.,” Chirico said.  “Everyone on the deployment list wants to go, but we all have to remember that someone also has to be here to protect people here, where we work every day. It’s hard not to feel personally connected to the affected areas because firefighters there are impacted, and firefighters as a group flex very easily to help each other.”

The Salisbury Station 1 is also currently hosting other volunteers from other departments who needed a place to stay in the area.

Spencer Police Chief Michael File and his department have partnered with the Cleveland Police department and several area churches to collect donations, and on Thursday, File said his department will be taking four pickup trucks to areas of most need to deliver supplies and offer assistance. Donations can be dropped off at the town’s National Night Out event Tuesday. The event runs from 5:30-8 p.m. at 460 S. Salisbury Avenue. They can also be dropped off at the police department at city hall.

Spencer Fire Chief Michael Lanning and his department have partnered with North Rowan Elementary School to collect donations as well, and they can be dropped off at the school or at the fire department or at NNO as well. Lanning said they are on stand-by waiting for deployment from the state fire marshal and FEMA.

Lanning said he hopes the community continues to offer support to the local agencies that are deploying. Firefighters, law enforcement and emergency crews already in the area have left behind families who may or may not have a home, to go and try to help others. The same staff here in Rowan may be leaving their family in a safe and comfortable home, but they are traveling to an area that is not safe, in order to help, and the support is appreciated.

Kannapolis Fire Department has also deployed several members of the department to assist, and a post on Facebook from Kannapolis Fire Chief Tracy Winecoff noted that crews had been assigned to search and rescue missions in the Edneyville and Bat Cave communities in Henderson County. On Sunday, KFD staff joined with several other departments to hike more than 10 miles along U.S. Hwy. 64, searching for those trapped or in distress.” That mission resumed Monday morning with KFD members being air-dropped by South Carolina HART teams into isolated areas that have been inaccessible even by foot.

“I could not be more proud of the courage and passion that these members have shown since first arriving on Thursday evening,” said Winecoff. “We will continue to rotate fresh crews in for the foreseeable future until there are no more missions.

“The emotional toll that this disaster has and will continue to take on those on the front line is overwhelming. Responders respond, and in this case, they can’t. In some cases, calls for help are not able to be answered because there is no access — no roads, washed away or impassable.”

Chief Allen Cress of Rowan Emergency Services said there are, in addition to firefighters from Salisbury and Kannapolis, staff from Rockwell Rural and Gold Hill fire departments currently deployed.

“At this time, we are in a standby mode” regarding additional deployments, he said. They await orders from the state on whether or not they will be deployed going forward, but it is anticipated they will. It’s just a question of when.

Cress said that “in 59 years I’ve never seen anything like this here.”

RCSO and Rowan County Emergency Services will be coordinating a drop-off for supplies to take to the western part of the state on Thursday, from 2 to 5 p.m. both departments will be at the Rowan County Fairgrounds receiving donations.

Donations can also be made through the Red Cross or United Way. The United Way office on West Innes Street is a drop-off point, and they are in communication with local offices on the ground in the western area and they are getting lists of needed items specific to particular locations. The United Way website should have an updated list.

There are multiple local businesses acting as drop off points for different collections as well, and there are multiple lists of needed items, which can be found on separate sites or on Facebook, but the primary need right now is basic supplies, including non-perishable foods, first aid supplies, baby formula and diapers, toiletries and socks. Larger items like furniture and clothing items are down the list since many have no homes to store things. As the days and weeks carry on and cleanup shifts, lists of additional items will be posted.

One common thread did run through conversations with every first responder group. They ask individuals not to travel to the area.

Each noted they understand everyone wants to help, but the few roads that remain are unstable, and civilians traveling to the area who have not been dispatched as part of the ongoing state and national plan could actually impede first responders’ ability to get to people who have been in need since Friday.

“This is a national incident, and agencies are being deployed by a specific plan according to region,” said Chirico. “The goal is noble, to help, but the last thing they should do is go. We don’t want civilians to be part of the problem.”

Allen pointed out that there are videos of even fire trucks being washed away in flood waters, and Lanning said it is important to remember first responders have training to be able to help after delivering supplies. Lanning added that his department was asked not to bring a fire truck, but to bring smaller vehicles including an ATV, which is also part of the equipment supplied by RCSO.

It is also important to check out who you are making donations to, particularly on line or by phone.

“We’ve all seen heartbreaking scenes of devastation and loss in western North Carolina,” said North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall. “In the face of such immense suffering we all want to reach out and help, but please remember that while natural disasters can bring out the best in many people, they can also bring out the worst — including scam artists. So I encourage everyone to look for organizations that have resources on the ground and an established track record of helping people.”

A few tips for smart giving:

• Be wary of high pressure solicitations on social media or via emails or texts.
• Give to established charities with resources on the ground to help the affected regions.
• Watch out for groups mimicking the names of established, respected charities.
• If you get an unsolicited call, text or email from an organization, research that organization yourself online instead of just clicking on links the organization provides.
• Also make your donations directly on the charity’s official website rather than clicking on a link in a text or email.
• Never give your credit card or bank account information over the phone or email.
• Visit the Secretary of State’s Charitable Solicitation Licensing Division online at http://www.sosnc.gov/CSL/ to research charities registered with the Secretary of State’s Office, and download the Secretary of State’s Smart Donor Checklist for a handy list of suggested questions you should ask any charity that solicits you for contributions.