Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday night as a category 4 hurricane near Perry, Florida, in the state’s Big Bend region. As of Saturday afternoon, CNN reports that there are at least 50 deaths as a direct result of this storm.
Several small communities like Cedar Key and Keaton Beach saw widespread damage but so too did larger cities like Tampa and Tallahassee. But Helene didn’t stop there. It then moved north into Georgia and despite it being an inland, large metro area, Atlanta took a direct hit which caused widespread, dangerous flooding.
Bob Van Dillen of FOX Weather was reporting live from Atlanta when a woman drove her car into the flooded waters and she became distressed. Van Dillen abandoned the live shot to go rescue the scared woman.
Helene continued on her path of mass destruction through the Carolinas and eastern Tennessee. Water rescues were needed throughout all five states the storm hit. But western North Carolina and the city of Asheville in particular have taken maybe the biggest hit. Widespread flooding throughout the area has wiped out roads and power.
Saturday morning, the North Carolina Department of Transportation posted on X that over 400 roads in North Carolina are closed and “all of western North Carolina should be considered closed.”
One thing is clear, so many of our neighbors, across all five states, will need our help for a long time to come. Below we have provided a list of trusted, vetted organizations who already have teams on the ground doing the work should you be in a place to donate. Some are also looking for volunteers.
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross already has over 500 trained disaster workers on the ground and assisting the most urgent needs across the region with more on the way as it becomes safe to move into more areas that have been impacted.
Per their Instagram: “Teams will travel through affected communities to assess damage, provide meals and distribute relief supplies. Right now, our priority is meeting the urgent needs of those affected by providing safe shelter, food, emotional support and health services.” Monetary donations directly help with these efforts but they also need more volunteers. The Red Cross is also asking for blood donations.
They also have instructions for those who cannot get in touch with loved ones who were in the storm’s path:
“Please call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) and provide as much detail as possible to assist us in potentially locating your missing loved one. Note that there will be longer wait times due to increased call volume. Wellness checks are performed by your local emergency officials. Please contact their non-emergency number for assistance.”
Make a donation here.
Find information on volunteering here.
Mercy Chefs
“Mercy Chefs is activating all of our resources for what is set to be our largest response of the year,” Gary LeBlanc, founder and CEO of Mercy Chefs told Southern Living.
“The devastation is unimaginable, and our hearts go out to every single person impacted by this massive storm, from Florida to North Carolina. With an aim to bring a sense of comfort in what is certainly a dark time for so many, we will serve the hardest-hit areas and remain on the ground for as long as we’re needed. Hurricane Helene left significant damage in its wake, but we’re ready to dive in and do what we do best—offer hope in the form of a meal.”
Currently, Mercy Chefs is set up at Destiny Community Church in Newberry, Florida. They are serving warm meals for both lunch and dinner from this location. They will need more volunteers to tackle the magnitude of need throughout the region.
Interested in volunteering? Here is the information.
Donate to their efforts here.
Operation BBQ Relief
Stan Hays and his crew of pitmasters arrived in the storm zone via an 18 vehicle deep convoy that they drove from their staging area in Birmingham, Alabama to Tallahassee, Florida where they have set up several cook sites. Their “pitmasters and volunteers are working around the clock, smoking tens of thousands of pounds of food,” per their Instagram.
The folks at OBR know that they will be needed in other areas in other states and are currently assessing those needs and their resources. They could really use your help in order to be able to reach all who are in need in the aftermath of this horrendous storm.
If you are in the Tallahassee area and have significant feeding needs, email: operations@obr.org.
Donate to their efforts here
Salvation Army
Just like they are in the aftermath of every natural disaster, the Salvation Army already has teams mobilized on the ground to provide vital resources, emergency aid, and they will remain to provide long term care for those who need it. When you donate to the Salvation Army, 100% of your donation will go towards these efforts in the Big Bend area of Florida, and as they mobilize more teams across the South, it will help fund those missions as well.
Donate to their efforts here.
Team Rubicon
The veteran-lead teams of Grey Shirts from Team Rubicon are another nonprofit organization you regularly see in the aftermath of the worst disasters. They are already on the ground in both Florida and Georgia, gearing up for a full-scale operation as early as Sunday to help communities clean up and ultimately recover from the damage this storm has caused. “From clearing debris to rebuilding homes, we’re committed to being there for the long haul,” their Instagram states.
Donate to their efforts here.
World Central Kitchen
Teams from WCK arrived in Tallahassee yesterday with essential supplies. They have a fleet of helicopters that make it possible for them to survey the situation from St. Petersburg, FL up to Georgia to find communities most in need of support. They also have stations set up to hand out free meals in three locations currently: Perry, Mayo, and Crystal River, Florida.
Donate to their efforts here.
This is a developing story.