Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin mobilized 1,000 active-duty troops on Wednesday to help with recovery and relief efforts in communities affected by Hurricane Helene, one of the most devastating storms in recent history.

Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon's top spokesman, said in a statement that the troops were requested by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The 1,000 soldiers, one from the XVIII. Airborne Corps infantry battalion task force, come from the 82nd Airborne Division and other units from Fort Liberty, North Carolina.

“These Soldiers are assembling and moving to affected areas within the next 24 hours and will join other Department of Defense Soldiers already supporting FEMA's response to Hurricane Helene,” Ryder said in the statement.

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The activation of active-duty troops comes as the death toll from Hurricane Helene continues to rise. CNN reported Wednesday that at least 180 people had died in the storm's aftermath, making it the second deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland since Katrina in 2005.

These active forces will bring water, fuel and mechanicals to support FEMA operations.

“Their mission includes delivering relief supplies and goods to affected and isolated communities, assisting with supply point logistics at the goods storage locations, and clearing debris from affected routes,” Ryder said in the statement.

Since Helene made landfall in Florida on Friday as a Category 4 hurricane, more than 6,500 National Guard troops have been deployed in response to the initial damage as well as the devastating aftermath and flooding in the Southeast.

Ryder said during a news conference Tuesday that nearly 3,500 Guardsmen are activated in Florida, about 1,400 Guardsmen are mobilized in Georgia and about 500 Guardsmen are supporting the effort in South Carolina.

In addition, Tennessee has 130 Guardsmen and seven supporting helicopters, and Virginia has deployed nearly 60 Guardsmen along with a helicopter and numerous high-water vehicles, he said.

Additionally, 80 Guardsmen and 13 helicopters from Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Ohio, New York, South Carolina and Florida are supporting more than 800 Guardsmen from North Carolina in communities across the Tar Heel State.

Helene has also caused headaches for numerous military bases throughout the Southeast.

Military.com reported this week that Fort Eisenhower, Georgia, was without water and power, forcing some troops and their families to evacuate.

Likewise, Moody Air Force Base in Georgia closed Wednesday to nonessential personnel and issued a limited evacuation order that allowed some troops and their families to “temporarily relocate due to unlivable living conditions,” the base wrote on Facebook.

“As normal power and communications capabilities are gradually restored, we know there is more work ahead,” Moody Air Force Base said in a Facebook post. “Our experts are working day and night to restore normal operations as quickly as possible.”

On Friday, following the main impact of Helene, Military.com also reported that some bases such as MacDill Air Force Base in Florida also faced power outages and debris.

Many of the basic services at MacDill slowly began to reopen.

“As we return to normal operations, please know that we remain focused on recovery efforts and a return to pre-hurricane normality,” Col. Edward Szczepanik, the commander of the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, said in a Facebook video on Tuesday.

Related: The military base in Georgia has problems with electricity and drinking water after Hurricane Helene

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