One year after Fred's deadly floods, swift water rescue teams prepare for Hurricane Ian

As Hurricane Ian brings potential for flooding in North Carolina over the weekend, the Durham Fire Department’s Swift Water Rescue Team is making last-minute preparations in case they get calls for help in the aftermath.

Especially as our climate continues to warm up, tropical systems are able to produce more and more rain, with flood waters and flash flood emergencies becoming more of an issue.

It was about this time last year when Durham’s Swift Water Rescue Team was deployed to the North Carolina mountains in response to Tropical Storm Fred, whose flooding caused immense damage and even loss of life.

On Wednesday afternoon, one year later, they are making last-minute checks should their services be needed once again.

“We have to make sure they are ready,” says Jeff Roberts, Division Chief for the Durham Fire Department. “We try to put people into stressful situations in training.”

He says early preparation is always key.

“You have to know how to read the water,” he says.

Durham’s Swift Water Rescue Team is one of 31 teams in the state,

While Hurricane Ian slams into Florida, these teams are testing, making sure their gear is top notch.

“We can search house-to-house if people get stranded in vehicles,” he says. “We always tell people ‘Turn around don’t drown.’ People don’t listen.”

The crews have to be prepared to wade and trudge through ever-changing conditions.

“The water moves whatever it hits. It’s an incredible amount of force,” says Matthew Swain of the Swift Water Rescue team

Hurricane Florence presented the Swift Water Rescue Team’s biggest response: More than 70 crews were out, evacuating more than 3,000 people and making over 5,200 rescues. During the Hurricane Matthew, teams across the state rescued more than 1,800 residents from flooded vehicles and homes.

Now, they say, it’s time to hope for the best – and be ready to contend with Mother Nature at a moment’s notice.