Local teams, donations sent to areas affected by Helene

MADISON – Death totals related to Hurricane Helene and its aftermath had reached at least 215, the majority of them being in North Carolina, according to a report from NBC News from Oct. 4. Hundreds more were still unaccounted for.

Helene will end up being one of the deadliest U.S. inland hurricanes of the last 100 years.

President Joe Biden visited the Carolinas Wednesday, Oct. 2, to survey all the damage. The same day, he made the announcement that up to 1,000 active- duty soldiers would aid in recovery. These soldiers were to join the 6,000 from the National Guard and 4,800 federal aid employees that were already providing relief across six states.

Flood victims will need support past these first few weeks, though. Many people have lost their houses or are without water and electricity.

People across the country have felt compelled to help those affected by the hurricane. Several organizations in the Huntsville area have sent groups to different states to assist in the recovery efforts.

Huntsville Utilities sent a team of nine workers Friday, Sept. 27, to Bristol, Tennessee, to restore power to residents.

The Tennessee Valley Public Power Association organized mutual aid efforts among more than 150 utility companies in the Tennessee Valley region. Different groups, such as the one from Huntsville Utilities, were sent to different parts of the country to help ensure that residents in affected areas have access to electricity as soon as possible.

Mike Counts, Huntsville Utilities vice president of operations, shared that the company has a rotating group of volunteers that goes to offer help following natural disasters in Alabama and the Tennessee Valley.

“It’s a good feeling to go help your neighbors. We’ll do that at least once a year, sometimes more than that to go help others out,” Counts said. “In turn, they help us out, so it’s a good mutual thing between other utilities to be able to help each other out. It is a good feeling just to be able to make a difference.”

Prepare and Respond, a local faith-based association, also sent out a disaster relief team. A group of 10 volunteers set out for Valdosta, Georgia, Thursday, Oct. 3.

The team is working to provide physical support by cutting up trees, removing debris, and tarping roofs. They aim to make the area more livable in the transition period following the storm and before people start reconstruction.

While in Valdosta, they are partnering with God’s Pit Crew, a disaster response team based out of Virginia. God’s Pit Crew works to provide supplies for victims of Helene, such as food, water, and health necessities, including diapers for babies.

Prepare and Respond hopes to send a second team to Valdosta the week of Oct. 7, and a third team around Oct. 14. The details aren’t set in stone yet for the third group, as the organization plans to assess what is needed and where as the situation develops.

“There’s some areas right now that you just can’t access,” said Ronald Jennings, an executive board member of Prepare and Rescue. “They’re still doing search and rescue, and we certainly don’t want to get in the way of that or hinder that in any way.”

For anyone who wants to be a part of the coming volunteer groups, they can visit parforthecause. org/get-involved. They’re also able to make donations at parforthecause.org/donate-topar.

Jennings urged people who want to donate and haven’t already bought physical supplies to consider offering direct financial aid to volunteer organizations.

“They can make sure they buy exactly what is needed, and because they buy in [bulk], they can make sure they get a lot more for the dollar than what people are able to bring themselves,” Jennings said.

Other local organizations have partnered with national or global humanitarian aid groups and directed Huntsville residents how to volunteer their time or donate goods if they’re interested.

Asbury Church in Madison, for example, partners with Samaritan’s Purse in times of natural disaster. The international relief association installed relief bases in Perry, Florida; Tampa, Florida; Valdosta, Georgia; Watauga County, North Carolina; Buncombe County, North Carolina (including areas around Asheville); and other areas of northwestern North Carolina and eastern Tennessee.

The Huntsville Chapter of the Salvation Army has also directed residents on how to donate to the national chapter, which is working to distribute necessities like meals and water.

For anyone interested in making donations, here are just a few websites not already mentioned:

• samaritanspurse.org

• helpsalvationarmy.org

• redcross.org/donate

• my.americares.org/give/623680