North Carolina sends crews to help with Puerto Rico earthquake recovery efforts

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDOPS) announced Wednesday that they are sending a team to help with recovery efforts in Puerto Rico. Multiple earthquakes and tremors have shaken the islands since late December.

The team, requested by the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Bureau, includes structural engineers, architects and urban search rescue team members. The team will travel to Puerto Rico to asses damage homes and buildings. The mission will last a total of 14 days.

"The logistics and operations teams at NC Emergency Management have put a great deal of work into assembling this team, organizing the mission and making it a reality," NC Emergency Management Deputy Director Steve Powers said in a written statement. "The team is headed to work in some tough conditions, but we know they are up to the task."

The 12-person team consists of six structural engineers and an architect from private firms and UNC-Charlotte, four urban search and rescue team members from Charlotte, Durham and Greensboro fire departments and a team leader from North Carolina Emergency Management.

In conjunction with the rescue efforts, California and New York have also deployed engineers to fulfill Puerto Rico's request for more than 200 engineers to assess the damaged buildings, according to the NCDOPS.