NewsNation

United Cajun Navy deploys for 2nd time in 2 weeks for Milton

(NewsNation) — First Helene, then Milton — the United Cajun Navy crew has not taken a break from hurricane cleanup in two weeks.

The United Cajun Navy is a nonprofit that organizes search-and-rescue teams during natural disasters and has been servicing communities in North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida since Hurricane Helene’s landfall in late September.


The group’s latest efforts include a storm chase-turned-rescue in Florida amid Hurricane Milton’s landfall as a Category 3 storm Wednesday evening near Siesta Key.

Brian Trascher, the organization’s vice president, said the storm-chasing team is a new feature for them. The group was in the Fort Pierce, Florida, area when a tornado tumbled a semitrailer with the driver inside.

“Those guys are absolutely crazy, but they’re professionals. They’ve been doing it a long time, and they’re getting that front-line intel for us,” Trascher said. “They just so happened to see this twister coming across the highway and then noticed the semi-truck went over and immediately sprung into action.”

The driver is alive and safe.

As soon as the sun came up Thursday morning, the United Cajun Navy crews were receiving support requests.

“Our support ticket system started really lighting up with people contacting us from the St. Pete area and Lakeland with people talking about water coming up in their homes. Some of the way they describe it is up to the door, still rising,” Trascher said on NewsNation’s “Morning in America.”

The organization has delivered supplies and essential aid nationwide during the two hurricanes.

Crews are stationed in Destin, Florida, right now and will deploy “as soon as it’s safe,” he said.