National Guard and civilian aircraft now crisscross the skies of North Carolina, bringing supplies to places where roads and bridges were destroyed by Helene and people are trapped.

Lake City helicopter pilot Ian Whitlock left with supplies for Hurricane Helene victims in North Carolina. He will be involved in Operation Airdrop operations.

A grassroots effort led by relief organization Operation Airdrop has put together a group of private helicopters to aid victims affected by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. Pilot Matt McSwain said volunteers from Texas to Maine are lining up to help deliver supplies and survey damaged areas.

In addition to individual efforts, a number of volunteer groups are supplementing official channels of disaster relief, a long tradition that includes the so-called Cajun Navy, an ad hoc flotilla of civilians who helped rescue people stranded in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.