Last week, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm before ripping through six states leaving a path of destruction in its wake and killing more than 100 people. The record-breaking storm – which clocked 140 mph winds and a storm surge that reached more than 15 feet above ground in the Florida Big Bend region – has left millions to deal with flooded roads, flattened homes and buildings, and power outages.
North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina and Alabama have all made disaster declarations as emergency responders work to rescue missing persons and more than 1.2 million are still without power as of Wednesday, according to PowerOutage.us. Popular North Carolina mountain towns – including Asheville – which have become top tourist destinations in the fall, have been reduced to debris as residents are left to rebuild their lives.
Carrie Tucker of Charlotte, North Carolina, told Travel + Leisure in the wake of Hurricane Helene, western North Carolina is “completely cut off from life – no roads, no gas, no food.”
Tucker, who lives about one and half hours southwest of the direct impact zone, has spent the last couple days working with local helicopter pilots to coordinate aid.
“Grocery warehouses were flooded, houses were wiped away, and bodies are having to be left behind,” Tucker said of the storm damage. “These small mountain communities will need support for years to rebuild. It’s unfathomable how destroyed these places are…it’s just a nightmare what these people are living through.”
While the full picture of devastation continues to unfold, here are 7 organizations that are working to provide disaster relief directly to residents.
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross is focusing on providing shelter, food, first aid, and emotional support to those impacted by the storm and has sent more than 500 trained disaster workers to the hardest hit regions of the Southeast. Families who need help finding loved ones can submit a reunification request in the state where the person you are looking for lives. The organization has asked those wanting to help make a financial donation, schedule an appointment to donate blood, or sign up to volunteer.
All Hands and Hearts
All Hands and Hearts is a volunteer-backed organization that works with local residents to help rebuild community infrastructure.
“Whether it’s clearing debris, supporting families, or rebuilding homes, your help is urgently needed,” the organization wrote in an Instagram post asking for volunteers and donations.
World Central Kitchen
Led by Chef José Andrés and a team of volunteers, World Central Kitchen is offering free meals in locations across Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia, as well as Asheville, North Carolina.
“In many places, there’s no water, no electricity, no communication,” Sam Bloch of World Central Kitchen told ABC News.
Donations can be made on the organization’s website and all funds go directly to disaster relief efforts. Those interested in volunteering can email: volunteer@wck.org.
Hope Mill Inc
Because many of the areas of western North Carolina impacted by the storm are inaccessible mountain communities, a group of independent pilots with helicopters have been dropping off food, water, and supplies thanks to a group of volunteers staging items at Hickory Regional Airport. Funds raised by Hope Mill Inc will be used for the most needed items, which include water, non-perishable food items, diapers, medical supplies, and life-saving medicine like insulin insulin and blood pressure medications.
Mercy Chefs
Mercy Chefs, a non-profit humanitarian relief organization based in Virginia, has started operations in Newberry, Florida – delivering hot, chef-prepared meals to the hardest-hit areas – and will begin operations in Asheville, North Carolina this week.
“We are now deploying a second team to Asheville to feed communities experiencing historic flooding and in desperate need of help and resources,” the organization shared on Instagram.
Save Our Allies
Save Our Allies is a North Carolina-based 501(c)(3) that was founded to aid Americans and Allies in need around the world – but especially when devastation happens at home.
“With the death toll continuing to climb, Save Our Allies is leading relief efforts, deploying teams on the ground, and delivering essential supplies to those in need,” a statement on the organization’s website read.
Operation Blessing
Operation Blessing partners with local community churches to provide aid when disaster strikes and are currently operating in Georgia and North Carolina. A donation to Operation Blessing can help provide medicine, clean water, food, and more essential aid, including medical care, to communities that have been hit the hardest.