(JTA) – Jewish families in Wilmington, North Carolina were able to eat a kosher meal before the start of Yom Kippur after the Chabad synagogue in nearby Charlotte was able to arrange the arrival of a helicopter carrying 150 pounds of kosher food. After days with no contact due to Hurricane Florence, Rabbi Yossi Groner of Ohr HaTorah was able to speak by telephone to Rabbi Moshe Leiblich of the Chabad of Wilmington on Monday, Sept. 17. Leiblich requested that he find a way to send kosher food. A truck full of kosher food sent from Raleigh after the hurricane first hit had been turned away by authorities because of dangerous road conditions. Groner’s son, Ben Tzion, contacted a friend who is a helicopter mechanic and was able to secure a helicopter for Tuesday morning. It arrived at the airport in Wilmington at 1:30 p.m. carrying kosher chicken and dairy products as well as ready-to-eat meals, which were delivered to families preparing for Yom Kippur, the newspaper reported. Some 800 to 1,000 Jewish families live in Wilmington.