Since Helene’s arrival last week in Florida, the NECHAMA team has been working around the clock to assess the damage and determine our deployment details. Helene made landfall in the Big Bend of Florida, with winds over 140mph and storm surges over 20 feet tall. It weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall, but it brought flood rains and high winds inland from the Gulf Coast. Helene has caused wreckage in 5 states: Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. The destruction from Helene has been extensive, with hundreds of roads remaining closed, approximately two million people without power, thousands of homes and business destroyed, and over 130 deaths – which is expected to rise as hundreds of people have not been accounted for. Helene is undoubtedly one of the worst disasters to hit the United States in 50 years and will make the list of the top ten most expensive U.S. hurricanes of all time, likely near the top of this list.
NECHAMA’s work began immediately after the storm hit:
We have mobilized over 100 virtual volunteers to complete intake calls for Crisis Cleanup (more about this below), we have assisted with delivering meals in Florida, completed damage assessments in Florida, and we are planning a months-long deployment in North Carolina. We have extended offers to bring on additional staff and are in constant communication with NGO’s, government agencies, and local law enforcement. Currently, conditions in North Carolina are too treacherous for volunteer groups, but we expect to be on-site soon. For more about this, watch this video update from our Director of Operations: Max Manasevit.
We have seen an outpouring of support through donations, social media interactions, and registrations for our volunteer efforts. There are many ways you can contribute and improve the lives of those upended by Hurricane Helene:
- Register as a virtual volunteer: Register to do intake for Crisis Cleanup, the central resource for collecting data about damage sustained by residents. Crisis Cleanup utilizes a private and simple system, with many training videos and guides available. We will host our second supplementary training call on Sunday evening, October 6 and we urge you to sign up. All those who register will be contacted by a member of the NECHAMA staff.
- Commit to an on-site deployment: Although our exact date of deploying is unknown, we will have more confirmed details soon. Register your interest here and you will receive a follow up as soon as we can share them.
- Donate: As stated above, this disaster will be an extremely expensive one to repair, given how extensive the damage was to homes and businesses. The victims of Helene need your contributions to rebuild their lives. Donate today and make a difference for those in desperate need.
As we continue to assess the damage and prepare for our on-site deployment, we also welcome in Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. We want to take this moment to wish all of our supporters, volunteers, and those close to our heart a genuine Shana Tova (Sweet New Year). We hope you are all safe and we look forward to a new year of health, security, and good will for all those affected by Hurricane Helene.
With immense gratitude for your support,
Stephan Kline and the NECHAMA Staff