Dozens of New Jersey Nurses Flying to Texas to Help Harvey's Victims

Help is on the way.

Dozens of nurses from New Jersey will leave from Teterboro Airport Thursday to assist Harvey’s victims in Texas and bring much-needed back up to emergency responders already helping.

When the call for volunteers went out on social media, one nurse, who watched the storm’s devastation from TV, quickly answered.

“I have to go,” said Alexia Nolette, a 23-year-old nurse at Atlantic Health System Overlook Medical Center in Summit. “I e-emailed, and I called. In less than a day, I was ready to go down.”

Nolette is just one of 60 nurses from the Garden State who will head to Texas. She’s only been a nurse for 10 months, but when disaster hit she didn’t hesitate to lend a helping hand.

“We’ll be relieving the staff that’s been on duty for a week straight and letting them sleep,” she said. “Tragedy struck. If you can do something, why wouldn’t you?”

Nolette’s fellow nurses at Overlook Medical Center are writing messages of support. Notes such as “good luck in Texas” and “Overlook is so proud of you” have been popping up around the hospital.

The relief effort will last for at least a week.

Meanwhile, there are still people in the tri-state affected by Harvey, a vicious storm that has claimed the lives at least 28 people. 

Brooke and Justin Bowen came to New York from Houston before the hurricane hit to help their daughter move into NYU. Now, they can’t get back because their flight home has been cancelled five times.

The couple might not be able to make it home until Tuesday – an agonizing wait as their friends and family, including their 11-year-old daughter still in Texas, pick up the pieces from Harvey’s aftermath.

“I just want to get back,” Justin said. “It will be nice to be able to help.”