Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm on September 26 on Florida’s Gulf Coast, with strong winds, heavy rains and a destructive storm surge that flooded communities. Over the next two days, the storm continued north, with heavy rains that triggered flash floods and caused rivers to overtop their banks from Georgia to western North Carolina and Tennessee, washing out roads and bridges and flooding entire communities. The scope of Helene’s destruction became clear in the days that followed: With unpassable roads and widespread power outages, damaged communities were isolated. Six days after the storm, news outlets were reporting more than 160 people had died and more than 1 million were without power.
Americares response teams have been on the ground in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina focused on the health needs in the hardest-hit communities. The teams are coordinating deliveries of medicines and relief supplies and providing emergency funding to support the restoration of health services. In one badly damaged town in southern Georgia on Monday, Sept. 30, staff at a local clinic told the Americares team they were the first outside help to arrive since the storm.
Urgent requests are coming in from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina asking for hygiene products, water and funding to repair damaged health facilities.
“This storm is one of the worst to hit western North Carolina and Tennessee in years; it’s going to be a long recovery,” said Americares U.S. Director of Emergency Response Mariel Fonteyn. “Americares will be there to support those in need in the days and weeks ahead.”
Americares has awarded emergency funding to a repair a damaged mobile clinic in Florida and a shipment of hygiene kits and masks is on the way to another Florida clinic.
“We saw about 500 homes while out assessing the needs in Valdosta, Ga., and about 95 percent were destroyed,” said Americares Emergency Response Team Member Kennedy Caskey. “There is utter devastation. People are banding together to help each other.”
At the lone hospital serving Taylor County, Florida, health facility staff were at work Sunday just days after experiencing the storm and its damage. “We met health care providers continuing to serve their communities despite losing everything they own,” says Caskey. “With so much devastation and loss, the mental health needs are going to be immense.”
Americares has offered assistance to 360 clinic partners across the affected region.
10/01/2024