Hurricane Helene Relief

As a church, we encourage you to support the ongoing Hurricane Helene Relief efforts by partnering with Samaritans Purse. This organization exists to bring relief in the midst of tragedy by Helping in Jesus Name. Read the following update on the work that they are doing as an organization and click through to their website to learn more. Visit samaratinspuse.org.

Samaritan’s Purse is responding in five locations across four states after Hurricane Helene devastated parts of the Southeast.

Helene tore through western North Carolina, dumping extreme rainfall—more than 2 feet in some areas—and causing terrible flash flooding. Some parts of the region are in ruins. We are providing relief in the mountains of Watauga County, North Carolina—home to Samaritan’s Purse international headquarters in the town of Boone. The town and surrounding communities have been particularly hard-hit with toppled trees, flooding, road damage, and a lack of power and water. This response extends to include neighboring counties in North Carolina (Ashe, Avery) and eastern Tennessee (Johnson), and our church base is Alliance Bible Fellowship in Boone.

SAMARITAN’S PURSE VOLUNTEERS ARE HELPING IN WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA.

Southwest of Boone, rivers also raged outside their banks causing widespread destruction in theAsheville, North Carolina, area. Long stretches of interstate artery I-40 are shut down, after sections washed out. Our response there is focused on Buncombe County, which includes Asheville, Black Mountain, Montreat, and Swannanoa. Our base is the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove.

An untold number of homes have been damaged in western North Carolina.

Volunteers are cutting up trees in Buncombe County, North Carolina, which was devastated by Hurricane Helene. 

Our volunteers pray with homeowners in the Asheville area.

An untold number of homes have been damaged in western North Carolina.

Volunteers are cutting up trees in Buncombe County, North Carolina, which was devastated by Hurricane Helene. 

Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham said on Facebook, “Samaritan’s Purse responds to help with storms and crises around the world every day, but now the storm has hit in our own backyard. Hurricane Helene slammed western North Carolina and the surrounding area, as well as Georgia and Florida. Homes have been flooded and some even washed away, trees are down, tens of thousands are still without power. We would be grateful for your prayers for all those affected by this storm.”

Samaritan’s Purse is also responding to some of the many medical needs in western North Carolina. We have deployed a 20-bed Emergency Field Hospital—designed as an emergency room triage unit—at Cannon Memorial Hospital in the town of Linville (Avery County). The facility, requested by the Appalachian Regional Health System/UNC Health System, is staffed by our Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) medical personnel. Search-and-rescue teams are scouring Avery County and expect an influx of injured people. We are also providing oxygen at different locations to support those who have power at home.

WE AIRLIFTED FOOD AND WATER TO A COLLEGE IN A NORTH CAROLINA COMMUNITY ISOLATED BY FLOODING.

Many communities in the High Country of North Carolina and far eastern Tennessee are cut off by damaged roads, downed trees, and flooding. Samaritan’s Purse is coordinating air relief to some of these locations—delivering basic necessities to those in dire straits using our own helicopter as well as the aircraft of other organizations. We are working through various local contacts, including our Operation Christmas Child partner churches, to identify those who are suffering and then to respond as requested. We praise God we have been able to deliver much food, water, and other relief to those isolated by the storm.

A U.S. DISASTER RELIEF TRUCK ARRIVES AT PARTNER CHURCH IN NORTH CAROLINA.

Samaritan’s Purse also has two U.S. Disaster Relief bases in Florida and one in Georgia. We have one response site in Perry, Florida, where the storm made landfall with 140-mph winds along the Big Bend. Helene hit there late on Sept. 26 at Category 4 strength, making it the strongest storm to hit the area in recorded history. Our Perry base is at Calvary Baptist Church. We are also responding in greater Tampa, Florida, where thousands of homes have been flooded. At this site, we are being supported by our Canadian affiliate office. Our base is Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg in Pinellas Park.

South Georgia also got slammed, and we have set up a base in Valdosta at our partner congregation, Morningside Baptist Church.

WE ARE SERVING THE BUNCOMBE COUNTY AREA FROM THE BILLY GRAHAM TRAINING CENTER AT THE COVE.

Samaritan’s Purse U.S. Disaster Relief staff members are on the ground in all five locations. We are partnering with local churches to field teams who are helping hurting homeowners in Jesus’ Name. Volunteers are assisting to mud out homes, cut downed trees, tarp roofs, and remove debris to help families get through this historic crisis.

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