Ways To Help Victims of Hurricane Helene

The Southeastern United States is dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, a record-breaking storm that caused widespread destruction.  

Helene made landfall near Perry, Florida, late on Thursday (September 26), becoming the first known Category 4 storm to hit Florida’s Big Bend region since records began in 1851. The storm then moved across Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee, causing extensive damage and loss of life.  

As of Monday (September 30) nearly 100 people have died across six states from it and more than 2 Million homes are without power. In North Carolina, extreme floods washed away homes and bridges. At one point, authorities closed 400 roads deeming them unsafe for travel. At least 30 people died and dozens are missing, state authorities said. In Asheville, there has been no cell service or water supply for several days and the area is suffering from a total cell phone “blackout.” PennLive reports that in Tennessee, around 100,000 residents were urged to seek higher ground as the Nolichucky Dam in Greene County was on the brink of failure. It will take weeks, months and potentially years to clean up from Hurricane Helene in East Tennessee. 

Here are some organizations you can donate to if you want to help those who were impacted by Hurricane Helene. 

American Red Cross: The Red Cross offers food, shelter, supplies, and emotional support to victims of crisis. It already has hundreds of workers and volunteers in Florida and has opened dozens of shelters for evacuees. You can contribute to the national group's Helene relief efforts. 

The Salvation Army: The Salvation Army provides food, drinks, shelter, emotional and spiritual care and other emergency services to survivors and rescue workers. You can donate to Helene efforts online. 

United Way: Local United Way organizations are accepting donations to help relief efforts for both short-term and to continue helping residents later. You can find your local chapter on the organization's website. 

GoFundMe: Hurricane Relief Fund "was created to provide direct relief to people in need after a hurricane," the fundraising platform said. 

And a list of organizations can be found on NVOAD.org. Those same organizations accept volunteers, too.

If you're looking for more local ways to help in North Carolina, this article has great resources. If you're looking for more local ways to help in Florida, this article has some options listed.