James Bourdon, a firefighter with more than 20 years of experience, was part of the VAHART team deployed to southwest Virginia in September 2023. VAHART stands for Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team, a partnership between Chesterfield Fire and EMS and the National Guard.

"It was evident that there was a lot of damage that had already taken place," Bourdon said.

The team was sent in two helicopters to help with rescue and rebuilding efforts after the hurricane left thousands unhoused and entire towns destroyed.

"We could see a large amount of water, it was encrusting the banks, leaving the banks and going into some of the residential areas," Bourdon said.

Bourdon's helicopter focused on mountain areas, following different drainage systems where the flooding had caused catastrophic damage.

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