How the team at Aurora stepped up to respond to Hurricane Helene

When Hurricane Helene made landfall in late September, the team at Nutrien’s phosphate facility in Aurora, North Carolina acted quickly and safely to support communities in the western part of the state, and Emergency Response Team (ERT) members Ted Wallace and Kevin Bonner set out to respond.

Ted is the Safety & Security Supervisor at Aurora, and for more than 30 years he has been volunteering with various emergency response teams and organizations across North Carolina, including Pinetown Rescue & Emergency Response Services, the Sidney Dive Team, the state Regional Response Team and local volunteer fire departments. Kevin is the site’s Security Administrative Assistant and a member of the Aurora Volunteer Fire Department and the Pamlico County Special Operations Task Force.

Called to action in NC

North Carolina has seven Regional Response Teams (RRTs) located across the state to respond to local incidents. Ted is part of RRT 1 in Williamston, but he was dispatched to Asheville to support RRT 6 when it became overwhelmed with emergency calls during the first 36 hours of the hurricane.

“I have responded to multiple storms over the years, but Hurricane Helene was definitely one of the worst I have ever seen,” he says.

In Asheville, Ted and the team responded to two overturned propane railcars in the flooded downtown area, participated in search and rescue efforts, and marked more than 2,500 hazmat locations in seven days to help designate different levels of safety. Ted was also called to respond to an anhydrous ammonia issue at a manufacturing facility in the area and provided his subject matter expertise to help the facility continue to operate safely.

Kevin was deployed with the Pamlico County Special Operations Task Force and immediately set out to remove debris to gain access to individuals trapped in Chimney Rock, NC. Kevin and the team provided rescue and evacuation assistance, helping nearly 150 people leave the area to find safer housing and shelter.

Despite the severity of the storm, Kevin and Ted were able to respond safely and effectively, thanks to advancements in equipment and the training they receive as part of Aurora’s ERT.

“Being part of the ERT at Aurora helps to continually improve our skills in all aspects of emergency response,” says Kevin. “Every aspect of the Nutrien Way and the Culture of Care was followed in our response to the hurricane. The ERT is made up of strong-minded and like-minded individuals, so we are all safety leaders. We collaborate on how we want to achieve the goals we need to meet, challenge each other to work hard and trust our teammates and the instructions they give.”

In the aftermath of the hurricane, the team at Aurora set up several collection locations and donated food, water, heaters and supplies to affected communities, and is currently organizing toy drives for the upcoming holiday season.

“Caring for each other and our communities is central to Nutrien’s Culture of Care,” says William Ponton, General Manager. “Thank you to Ted, Kevin and everyone at Aurora for your emergency response and recovery efforts and your continued dedication to safety at the site and in our communities.”

Safely restarting and recovering at Nutrien’s Nitrogen and Phosphate sites

Nutrien’s Augusta nitrogen site and White Springs phosphate facility were directly impacted by the hurricane. Thankfully, all employees remained safe, and Augusta and White Springs were safely restarted after being temporarily shut down.

The team at Augusta worked to ensure that everyone at the site remained safe during the storm and equipped them with resources to support with their lives and homes outside of work, while developing plans to help local communities. White Springs provided its team members with essential supplies such as generators, tarps and gas cans to assist in the recovery of their homes and properties, while donating necessities to emergency management command centers and participating in cleanup efforts and volunteer opportunities. In addition, Nutrien provided funding for disaster relief efforts, along with matching employee donations through our Grow our Community program.