Update: CWS’ response has expanded to include communities impacted by Hurricane Milton. Learn more about our most up-to-date response efforts here.
Situation:
On September 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm and carved a devastating path from Florida’s Gulf Coast to Tennessee.
Since then, the massive surge has resulted in power outages for millions of individuals across several states, several thousands of which are still without power. Thousands of homes have sustained major structural damage or been destroyed, and so far there have been 191 confirmed fatalities. Search and rescue is still underway in many locations, and FEMA has approved support for individual households in Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina.
Extensive flooding from Helene has severely impacted western North Carolina and multiple communities in several states, hampering the delivery of critical supplies.
CWS Response:
CWS’ Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery team is monitoring the situation and, since the initial days of the storm, has been actively participating in National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and FEMA calls as well as statewide VOAD calls in FL, NC, GA and SC to stay informed on the impacts of the storm.
Before Helene made landfall, the CWS team conducted outreach to especially vulnerable and overlooked communities to help them prepare for evacuation and extended power outages. As of October 18, CWS has distributed 5,824 Emergency Cleanup Buckets, 10,310 Hygiene Kits, 7,280 Blankets, 1,800 Menstrual Hygiene Kits, 650 School Kits and 72 Welcome Backpacks to partners in Florida and North Carolina (a value of more than $697,000) to communities impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. We are shipping more supplies as impacted communities become accessible. CWS has also been working to connect impacted families in Georgia and North Carolina who are not eligible for FEMA assistance with safe temporary housing.
CWS works with affected communities long after the initial disaster response phase to identify unmet needs and gaps where our support and efforts are most impactful. We will be involved in long-term recovery efforts to help meet these needs in the months and years to come.
Your contributions ensure that we can provide critical and life-saving resources to our neighbors when it’s most needed and sustain that support long after the news has left headlines.
How to Help
To support CWS emergency response efforts, donations can be made online or sent to Church World Service (P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515).