Tropical storm Florence has had a devastating impact on North Carolina. A North Carolina Emergency Management spokesperson confirmed to the Lakewood Sentinel that the death toll from the storm is 16. There have been over 1,000 road closures across the state, and 21,000 evacuees are in shelters.
“I'm looking out my window, and the sun is peaking now. The effects of the weather conditions are still looming. The rivers are still flooding, and a lot of neighborhoods and communities are going to be impacted,” Sonja Bennett-Bellamy, public information officer in the joint information center of North Carolina Emergency Management said. WHEN?
Bennett-Bellamy confirmed that 1,200 first responders are out in the field, assisting community members. Those first responders aren't just from North Carolina. Colorado responders are there to give them and the community a helping hand.
Colorado's Task Force One is currently working in Pembroke, North Carolina as the community continues to recover from the storm. The task force, which is based out of West Metro Fire, is made up of 45 first responders including doctors, firefighters, paramedics and engineers. The team is working with North Carolina first responders, FEMA and the National Guard.

Colorado's Task Force came equipped and ready with boats, gear and search dogs to assist those who need help. The team has responded to other disasters in the past including hurricanes and the World Trade Center attack, and it's one of 28 FEMA task forces in the country.
The storm was originally described as a Category 1 hurricane, but it was downgraded to a tropical storm. About 40 inches of rain will have fallen in southeastern North Carolina and the northeastern tip of South Carolina, according to weather reports. Other areas of both Carolinas will have seen 20 inches of rain by the time the storm ends.
Colorado's Task Force is anticipating to stay in North Carolina until the first part of next week, according to Rod Tyrus, the Colorado Task Force program manager.
“For us to be able to respond on a national effort to help people throughout the nation … It's something very special,” Tyrus said. “To be able to respond on a national level is a huge reward.”