Hurricane Helene: A Long Road to Recovery
It’s going to take weeks, even months, to clean up from the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.
Devastating floodwaters have ravaged communities, damaging countless homes and businesses. Our partner in Jefferson County, TN shared the tremendous impact this hurricane has had on their community:
"This area is a mountain community with valleys and hollows. Never would we have thought that we would have to prepare for a hurricane and its effects. The rivers and tributaries in this area do get higher and even flood during heavy rains, but this was totally unexpected and hard for officials and homeowners to prepare for."
Our community partners in Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky have requested emergency supplies of food and basic hygiene items.
Emergency Supplies Being Delivered
- 3,000 food boxes
- 3,000 hygiene kits
- Pallets of bottled water
- 5,000 diapers
These supplies are on their way to Hall and White counties in Georgia, and Jefferson County, Tennessee.
But the demand is increasing, and we are getting requests for even more.
Ongoing Communication with Southern Appalachian Partners
We are in constant communication with our partners across the southern Appalachian region to assess how we can help. They need so much.
In Boone, NC, Kendra Sink from Back2SchoolFest shared:
"It’s nothing like we’ve ever seen before. Schools are canceled for the week, and we’re just trying to get more shelters set up in the isolated and hardest-hit areas. Our social workers are meeting today and tomorrow to determine the needs. Roads to get there are completely gone, and we still have people being airlifted to safety. Unfortunately, many of our roads have washed away completely."
How We Are Responding
Americans Helping Americans is sending immediate funding to help communities purchase food and water while our relief deliveries arrive. We are also providing funding for the clean-up efforts that will be necessary in the coming days and weeks.
Our Immediate Goal: $50,000 in Support
We aim to raise $50,000 to support our neighbors in need right now.
