KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — An East Tennessee nonprofit that routinely flies into disaster areas, hauling devices that purify water, said it would make its next stop in Asheville.
The North Carolina city was wracked by a hurricane that killed dozens and swept communities underwater, tearing apart roads and sending floods into neighborhoods. It also sparked concerns about how people would find clean water. The storm knocked out water systems across the region.
Air Mobile Ministries said it would bring 10 water purification devices to the region after it secured as Cessna 172 for "aerial survey and strategic deployments" of the water purifiers. The nonprofit said the devices cost around $2,000 to make and deploy.
On Monday, the nonprofit also said a friend of its founder offered a Piper Saratoga and a pilot to help deliver the purifiers. It landed in Asheville Monday afternoon, after taking off from McGhee Tyson Airport.
It plans to bring the devices to mountainous communities of North Carolina that may not have reliable water sources. Joe Hurston, its founder, said the trip was just one of many trips that Air Mobile Ministries plans to take in the coming days and weeks.
In the past, the nonprofit has flown to areas across the world to deliver water purification devices such as Ukraine, Gaza and Turkey.
