Tennessee. Wisconsin. Texas. North Carolina. New Jersey. The list goes on and on.
Fire fighters and emergency responders have been tested like never before this year with a higher-than-usual number of flash flooding incidents. In fact, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued almost 4,000 flash flood warnings by the end of July – more than any year since comparable records began in 1986.
And, now, the National Hurricane Center says the Atlantic hurricane season is expected to peak Sept. 10, with optimal conditions for hurricanes forming through November.
Severe weather is hitting harder and more often, putting fire fighters on the frontlines of flood rescues and hurricane response. From coast to coast, IAFF members are adapting through training, preparation, and mutual aid, proving that readiness saves lives when storms strike.
“This year has put our members to the test. But, every time, they have risen to the occasion,” IAFF General President Edward Kelly said. “Our members have fought for the resources and the training they needed to respond to flooding, hurricanes, and other disasters. And they have used those resources to save hundreds of lives.”
This year has put our members to the test. But, every time, they have risen to the occasion. Our members have fought for the resources and the training they needed to respond to flooding, hurricanes, and other disasters. And they have used those resources to save hundreds of lives.
IAFF General President edward kelly
Weather experts aren’t surprised by the higher number of flash flooding incidents this summer. They say that excess humidity has resulted in high levels of moisture in many areas of the country, fueling slow-moving storms with higher amounts of rain.
One such storm hit Wisconsin in early August. Milwaukee recorded 14.5 inches of rain, according to the local airport reading.
“We haven’t seen rainfall like this in probably 20 years. But as soon as the waters started to rise, our brothers and sisters were ready to respond,” 5th District Vice President Mahlon Mitchell said. “All hands were working, ultimately needing to call on mutual aid agreements to handle the volume.”
For nearly 48 hours, storms lingered over the city, flooding businesses, homes, and streets. Emergency calls spiked.
Milwaukee Local 215 President Eric Daun said his members – with the help of the surrounding departments – responded to more than 600 calls, including two large fires, submerged cars, and swift water rescues.
Local resources are critical
What happened in Milwaukee was just one example of a broader trend: severe weather is stretching local departments to their limits. IAFF leaders say the first line of defense starts at home, with resources, training, and coordination at the local level.
“Severe weather events are inherently a local response issue initially,” said Scott Mullins, president of the Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics Association of North Carolina (PFFPNC). “We know we are going to have to respond to these disasters, so we did the work we needed to do as union leaders up front. We advocated for the training and resources our members needed to respond to events like we had last year with Hurricane Helene.”
That storm combined Gulf moisture with mountains air pressure, leading to intense and prolonged rainfall on already saturated grounds. This heavy rain overwhelmed the area’s drainage systems and caused rivers and streams to overflow.
It was a recipe for disaster, but North Carolina fire fighters were ready.
“Our swift water rescue teams have to be diligent about training as we are often called to respond,” said Ben Bobzien, PFFPNC secretary-treasurer and a swift water rescue team member. “Our members train at the indoor facility in Fayetteville and on natural rivers and spend several hours a month training.”
State emergency managers provide updates to task force teams and fire departments,allowing fire fighters to preposition resources in problem areas. And if the emergency is too severe, mutual aid agreements, regional compacts, and federal aid will be tapped into to bring in more resources.
“When Hurricane Florence hit in 2018, it was immediately clear that we were going to need more resources than we had on hand,” Bobzien said. “The flooding was so bad that the city of Wilmington was cut off from the rest of the state. Our teams, combined with federal and state resources, rescued hundreds of people who were trapped in their homes and vehicles.”
Prepositioning resources
North Carolina’s experience underscores how critical preparation is before storms arrive. That same lesson has guided other Locals, where prepositioning equipment and securing accredited rescue teams have become essential to saving lives in fast-moving disasters.
“The key to our successful response was knowing where the flood-prone areas are and prepositioning our resources in those locations,” said Chattanooga, TN Local 820 President Jack Thompson. “That meant we were able to help them right away.”
An August storm formed over the city, dumping excessive amounts of rain. Subsequently, the Tennessee River, which runs through the middle of the city, overflowed and overwhelmed the city’s drainage system.
Local 820 fire fighters responded to more than 400 flood-related calls, at least 35 of them were rescues.
Until recently, flash flooding in Tennessee was mostly handled by volunteer swift water rescue teams. But with the increased number of flash floods and severe weather events, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) made accrediting specialized teams a priority.
Chattanooga’s swift water rescue team received its accreditation in May 2025, which allows it to respond to local and state incidents.
“Accrediting swift water rescue teams is important because you know if a team is accredited that it has demonstrated its ability to keep up with monthly training, maintain resources, and respond effectively,” said Wes Goss, a member of the swift water rescue team and Chattanooga Local 820. “I am very proud of how hard our team has worked and the successful deployments we have had in such a short amount of time.”
Accrediting swift water rescue teams is important because you know if a team is accredited that it has demonstrated its ability to keep up with monthly training, maintain resources, and respond effectively. I am very proud of how hard our team has worked and the successful deployments we have had in such a short amount of time.
Wes Goss, a member of the swift water rescue team and Chattanooga Local 820
Be ready to adapt
Texas Hill Country is known as a flood-prone area. So, when a storm is forecasted, resources are prepositioned to handle swift water rescues and other calls for help. But one storm this summer brought up to 15 inches of rain – double what forecasters expected.
The Guadalupe River and the ground could not absorb and redistribute the excess water fast enough, resulting in tragic flooding that killed more than 130 people. Many were children at a camp.
The severity of the situation triggered responses from multiple states, including task force teams from Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Florida. The teams were deployed to the region to search for and rescue survivors.
“Our members responded well in the face of this tragedy, which has triggered a discussion among state leaders and the emergency service community about the efficiency of the current warning system and evacuation protocols,” said Michael Glynn, 11th District Vice President. “I expect discussions will go on for some time before potential recommendations are made.”
Command structure effective for large disasters
IAFF members know there are lessons to be learned in the aftermath of every big storm – from this summer’s flooding to Hurricane Katrina 20 years ago.
After Katrina, major shifts in emergency response were made in New Orleans and surrounding areas like Baton Rouge.
“The way we communicate and coordinate our response with other agencies is one of the big [changes],” New Orleans Local 632 President Aaron Mischler said. “Up until Katrina, we had to go through dispatch to be patched through to other agencies, which slowed response and created unnecessary complications. We now have the ability to communicate with other agencies in real time without going through dispatch.”
Mischler said it is also important to have a clear chain of command when multiple agencies are involved. Therefore, the command center structure, which allows for better communication among agencies and also makes coordinating response easier, works especially well.
“Hurricane Katrina was a turning point for us as well,” Baton Rouge, LA Local 557 President Jacob Morgan said. “We are far enough inland that we don’t get the brunt of most storms. But our members are part of the state task force teams, so we respond a lot.”
In fact, whenever there is a named storm in the Gulf, Local 557 members will preposition resources 12 hours in advance of the storm making landfall.
“It doesn’t take a lot for it to flood here. Even 2-4 inches in a short period of time can lead to flash flooding. When it floods, we’ve had boats out in six feet of floodwaters,” Morgan said.
“Our guys are part of the state’s USAR teams, so they respond a lot, especially to any threat of a hurricane.”
In 2016, a storm produced 24 inches of rain over the course of three days, flooding more than 100,000 homes. Baton Rouge members needed all the assistance they could get and were thankful for the coordinated response.
They also said the command structure works well to coordinate disaster relief for their fellow union members.
“We need a central location to distribute anything the members need,” said 14th District Vice President Danny Todd. “Whether it is distributing basic supplies, providing peer support, or processing disaster relief funds, there is a lot involved. It helps to have a place where we can store supplies and coordinate with our response teams.”
