Several Christian organizations are providing disaster relief across the southeastern United States after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Tennessee last weekend. According to the National Hurricane Center, Helene, which initially made landfall as a Category 4 storm, left at least 63 people dead in five states as of early Sunday, while millions are left without power. State officials in South Carolina have reported that at least 20 people have died, including two firefighters from Saluda County. Meanwhile, at least 17 people died in Georgia, with two deaths caused by a tornado in Alamo. Over in Florida, the death toll has risen to 11, including several drownings in Pinellas County.
In Virginia, one person was killed in Craig County due to a storm-related tree fall and building collapse.
"This storm is huge. Pray for the safety of all of those in [its] path," Franklin Graham, who leads both the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse, wrote on social media.
Hurricane Helene is set to make landfall later today. Deadly storm surge of up to 20 feet is a possibility in Florida’s Big Bend coast. This storm is huge and is projected to impact areas far inland bringing extreme winds, catastrophic rainfall, flooding, and possible tornados… pic.twitter.com/txYQ9efqz7
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) September 26, 2024
His organizations are providing both physical and spiritual support to the affected communities, The Christian Post reported.
In a statement by The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, the group has deployed chaplains to the hardest-hit areas, including Tampa and Perry in Florida, Valdosta in Georgia, and the High Country in North Carolina.
These chaplains are offering a ministry of shelters, including the one in Fletcher, North Carolina, and supporting hospitals overwhelmed by the disaster, like the Watauga County Hospital in Boone.
Josh Holland, international director of BG-RRT, described the scenes across the states as "almost unfathomable."
"We often brace for storms and watched as Hurricane Helene came ashore. Even still, the impact of this disaster caught many by surprise. The scenes we're witnessing across multiple states are almost unfathomable," Holland said.
Similarly, Samaritan's Purse has launched relief efforts in five key locations across the Southeast, such as around their base in Perry, Florida, while additional bases have been set up in Valdosta, Georgia, and in the High Country of North Carolina, including Boone, where Samaritan's Purse is headquartered.
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"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," Graham explained.
Another Christian group participating in the relief effort is Convoy of Hope, which is on the ground in Perry, Florida. The group has initiated a drive-thru distribution of groceries, water, and hygiene kits.
The group quoted a resident of Perry as saying, "It was like an earthquake."
"We're so grateful for you being here," Pastor Dave of Perry's First Assembly of God Church said. "I told my friends, 'Help is here.' You people are incredible."
The Salvation Army has also been at work, deploying 10 mobile feeding units immediately as the storm approached and placing an additional 35 on standby. In a statement sent to The Christian Post, these units are serving up to 1,500 meals daily to those affected.
"In times of crisis, we stand united with communities facing hardship," Kenneth G. Hodder, national commander of The Salvation Army, said.
Additional efforts by The Salvation Army included meal provision in several emergency shelters across Georgia and support for local disaster workforce meals.
According to estimates by Moody Analytics, Helene caused between $15 to $26 million in property damage across states, with over 3 million people still without power.
Photo Credit: ©Melissa Sue Gerrits/Stringer
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.