PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Helene has impacted travelers here in the Ocean State, facing delays and cancellations as they try to fly out from T.F. Green on Friday morning. “Oh man, this is my first time flying since I was six, I’m a little nervous. And I just keep seeing it getting delayed, it got delayed once, it’s bright and early but I don’t know, I don’t really want it to get canceled. Taking a trip down to Clemson, I don’t know, I’m scared,” Patrick Linehan told ABC6. Linehan’s flight to South Carolina has faced major delays as Helene moves up the East Coast. According to FlightAware, a majority of cancellations have come from Charlotte and Tampa. While he may not be able to fly down, dozens of disaster responders from across New England are already on their way to provide aid. Four volunteers from the Rhode Island Red Cross, and 14 have made their way from the Massachusetts Red Cross to Florida. Helene made landfall as the largest storm to ever hit the big bend on record. Former FEMA administrator Brock Long explained how the response will develop over the next few days. “You know, right now FEMA has been well ahead of the storm, as administrator Chriswell said earlier. They’ve been pre-deploying teams and equipment, personnel forward in advance of the storm,” he said. “And obviously, the mission right now is search and rescue, but that mission will eventually transition over to stabilizing critical infrastructure and life sustainment,” he added. Emergency response is expected to continue for the coming weeks as this develops. Categories: News