Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Aircare shares stories of recovery after Hurricane Helene

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WGHP) — Saturday marks one year since Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on the western part of our state.

FOX8 watched as air rescues were happening in real time, pulling people from the rubble, bringing them to safety.

Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist’s aircare team was just one of the many agencies that flew in to help.

The aircare team transported more than 200 patients and air-dropped supplies for weeks.

For them, it’s been a year of resiliency and recovery. When Helene hit, all three of their helicopters were making up to six trips a day, saving lives and bringing necessary supplies. 

Mckenzie Goss is a flight nurse for Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist’s aircare unit.

In the aftermath of Helene, she was flying back and forth from Ashe County.

It’s a county she knows well. That’s where she’s originally from.

“Seeing it completely demolished … was heartbreaking. At work, you were constantly reminded, and even still to this day, when you fly over, you still see devastation,” Goss said.

The connections are even more personal for Goss.

“My grandma lived in a very rural area in Ashe County, and it took us three days just to cut her out of her house,” Goss said.

It was four weeks of non-stop trips and working in a tight space.

“One patient was on a stretcher and the other was on one of these seats, and the provider just cared for them simultaneously,” Goss said. 

They also adapted to new technology.

“That was the first time our team had exposure to Starlink, and it’s just a great tool … that was not affected by any of the operations on the ground,” Aircare Director Mack Tolbert said. 

After survivors were pulled from the rubble, their mission changed.

“They were nonstop cutting trees. They needed chainsaws. They needed gasoline, stuff that wasn’t on the top of the list,” Tolbert said.

There was a reason the aircare unit could push through.

“Seeing the community come together. That’s what it’s all about,” Goss said. 

The aircare team said there are still years of rebuilding left in western North Carolina, and they continue to stay in touch with the people they helped.