Ulster County Deputy Director of Emergency Services Michael Madison has been deployed to Asheville, North Carolina, to assist with recovery efforts following the devastation of Hurricane Helene. He joined a 30-member New York State Incident Management Team (IMT) on Monday, September 30, under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.
The team is providing crucial command and control infrastructure to support Asheville’s management of complex incident-related issues, encompassing operational, logistical, informational, planning, fiscal, and safety aspects.
Madison is serving as Situation Unit Leader, with responsibilities for collecting, processing, and organizing all the incident information. Madison said he has seen a lot of household debris, trees, and wires down within the city and the remnants of flooding. He is expected to be working with IMT in Asheville for 14 days.
“I want to thank Deputy Director Madison, and all the first responders from across New York State who are on the ground helping communities in North Carolina that have been devastated by Hurricane Helene,” said Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger. “My heart goes out to all the communities suffering from this tragedy, and I am glad we are in a position to field support to North Carolina’s emergency responders to help coordinate relief and recovery.”
This is not Madison’s first deployment with the IMT. He previously served in July 2024 following a tornado in Rome, New York. His expertise was instrumental in coordinating damage assessment, recovery planning, and community support in that instance.
The IMT, a multi-agency team, stands ready to deploy to any jurisdiction requesting assistance, regardless of the incident’s size or complexity. The team, comprised of trained professionals from various disciplines, is available through the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.
Image: DayTrip bar in West Asheville, NC, showing significant flooding from the French Broad River. (Credit: Stephanie Rogers/Blue Ridge Radio)