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How Trump Gave First Responders to Florence a Big Boost Before He Even Visited Them 

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Close to 20,000 responders from the military and federal government are helping victims of Hurricane Florence right now. They're performing rescues, clearing debris and delivering vital supplies.  

The National Guard, Coast Guard, local firefighters, police, and others have rescued thousands of North Carolinians since Florence struck and floodwaters began rising. 

And more rescues are expected as the governor warns dangerously high water will persist for days.

Sgt. Marcus Kearse's five-man National Guard unit has already saved more than 100 people in the New Bern area. Kearse also worked during Hurricane Matthew but says Florence is worse, and so do those he has rescued. 

"People we were rescuing said they had never seen water like this since they've been here 20, 30, 40 years," he told CBN News.
  
What's it like working in these situations? Behind tough exteriors, first responders experience a range of emotions. Kearse said it was nerve-wracking in the early hours after Florence hit. 

"It was scary at first but we went through the training and we just had to remain calm for the people. Be brave and just do what we had to get them out because if we're scared it's not going to make it easier for anybody," he said.

Kearse and other National Guard soldiers received some unexpected recognition for their North Carolina rescues from President Trump on social media. He posted multiple pictures of first responders, including the National Guard, on his various accounts.

Sgt. Jared Gowens was featured in two pictures and told CBN News it was a morale booster to see the president posting them. "It's an amazing feeling because it just lets us know that we're doing a good job in the nation's eyes," he said.

Kearse said his team often has just minutes to act. He described entering neighborhoods with rising waters and yelling to anyone needing help. 
 
"They'd hear us. They'd see us. They'd flag us down. We'd immediately stop. We'd say, 'You have about 10 minutes. Try and grab everything you can cause this water's rising. We don't want you to get stuck out here,'" he said. 

Staff Sgt. William Moulton says these soldiers are displaying a bravery they didn't know they had. "The biggest frustration we're seeing honestly is just soldiers who want to do more. We're here to remind them – you need some rest and swap it out," he said.

The Guard says it will stay as long as needed to help keep people safe from danger in this historic storm.

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About The Author

Heather
Sells

Heather Sells covers wide-ranging stories for CBN News that include religious liberty, ministry trends, immigration, and education. She’s known for telling personal stories that capture the issues of the day, from the border sheriff who rescues migrants in the desert to the parents struggling with a child that identifies as transgender. In the last year, she has reported on immigration at the Texas border, from Washington, D.C., in advance of the Dobbs abortion case, at crisis pregnancy centers in Massachusetts, and on sexual abuse reform at the annual Southern Baptist meeting in Anaheim