COCKEYSVILLE, Md. — Hurricane Helene left homes and families destroyed.
Damages are estimated in the billions of dollars.
With the road to recovery being as long as it is, first responders across the country are working to help families in need.
On Thursday, seven Baltimore County firefighters were honored for their work helping the victims of Helene.
The group was part of two specialized teams that helped with search, rescue, and recovery efforts in North Carolina.
Their work included performing nearly 60 high-risk hoist operations and delivering food and supplies to those in need.
"There's no greater job to be able to help somebody in their time of need, and everybody there was very, very, very thankful. I'm very appreciative. We even had people, local residents, that were offering things as we were offering them things if we needed water, but it's just being able to help people and have the training and preparation to go when that time comes," said Captain Brandon Watkins with the Baltimore County Fire Department.
Captain Watkins also said they were down in North Carolina for 23 days, his longest natural disaster deployment.