North Carolina Bitcoiners set up Hurricane search and rescue operation

North Carolina’s local Bitcoin communityis prepping a convoy of emergency room physicians, volunteers, and retired military personnel to provide critical assistance in the state’s mountain region following Hurricane Helene. The operation will start on Oct. 4 from the Greensboro region, and the 12-man team will be equipped with six full-sized trucks, multiple utility task vehicles, four trailers, one horse and one mule, according to North Carolina Blockchain Association’s Head of Industry Affairs Dan Spuller in an Oct. 2 post on X. Chainsaws and medical supplies will also be used to assist with clearing paths and searching for missing individuals. The convoy has been set up by the North Carolina Blockchain Initiative, Bitcoin Mining Museum and Bitcoin mining and ASIC repair company HM Tech.

The operation will cover the western side of North Carolina, where the Appalachian mountains are, and will include the highly affected Ashe County. The Bitcoiners will also focus on the “overlooked” communities in the region that have received little to no state or federal support and remain cut off from life-saving supplies. Spuller added:

“The challenges in Western North Carolina are immense, but the way the Bitcoin community has come together to deliver aid is inspiring.”

Reports indicate that residents in the area have been isolated and without electricity. Related: Bitcoin millionaires surge 111% in a year amid crypto rally The Bitcoiners are accepting donations in Bitcoin and fiat to support the convoy’s mission.

Unfortunately, Hurricane Helene has taken at least 189 lives and damaged property in seven US states — Florida, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia — the New York Post reported. Hurricane Helene has been rated a category 4 (out of 5) hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with winds reaching up to 140 miles per hour, leading to road closures and severe flooding in some areas. The death toll is expected to rise, with hundreds of people still missing.