When the sheets of brown water surged over the hills, many residents had little to no warning. In a matter of moments, people saw their homes, vehicles, businesses, family land, and ways of life swept away.
Because of climate change, 1,000-year events are happening much more frequently.
On September 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall on the west coast of Florida as a Category 4 hurricane. But days later, hundreds of miles inland in the region of Appalachia, the devastation is only beginning to be unpacked. The death toll of the storm, particularly in North and South Carolina and Georgia, has reached 180—and is only expected to rise.
Helene dropped unprecedented amounts of rain in a short amount of time, more than 18 inches over three days in areas of North Carolina. Less than half of the three-day rainfall in Asheville, NC, was considered by researchers to be a once-in-1,000-year occurrence. As Janey Camp, a University of Memphis civil engineer, characterized it to Scientific American, “The only place that can endure that sort of rainfall without serious consequences is the ocean.”
Asheville is not the ocean. And because of climate change, 1,000-year events are happening much more frequently.
Long exploited for its resources and often overlooked, mischaracterized, or misunderstood by much of the rest of the country, Appalachia has a history of mutual aid, of neighbors taking care of neighbors, and a strong network of nonprofits. Who are some of the groups on the ground helping? And where can those outside of the region make the most difference with their donations?
NPQ has compiled a list of helping organizations to support.
Community Groups
Appalachia has a history of mutual aid, of neighbors taking care of neighbors.BeLoved Asheville is a nonprofit with an all-volunteer staff focused on the North Carolina community. They have a monetary donation page, and they are also accepting donations of water, food, cleaning supplies, first aid kits, diapers, and other essential items at their Asheville location.
Other North Carolina-based nonprofits include the North Carolina Community Foundation and Homeword Bound Homelessness Relief Buncombe County.
Tennessee-based Appalachian Service Project is mobilizing volunteers to assist with the flood recovery. And in nearby Kentucky, the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky has set up a Helene Response Fund.
Food
Manna Food Bank, a member of Feeding America, has been based in Asheville since 1983, serving 16 counties across the state.
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Many area restaurants from Waffle House to McDonalds—those with power and water in an area overwhelmingly cut off from services due to widespread infrastructure failure—have shifted to serving free food to those in need. Nonprofits Operation BBQ Relief and World Central Kitchen, while not local to Appalachia, have mobilized units and are bringing thousands of gallons of water and hot meals to impacted communities.
Aid to Students
Appalachian State University has also reopened at least one dining hall and…is serving free food.
Students at colleges like Warren Wilson found themselves trapped on campuses, but the universities are sheltering them. Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, has launched the Appalachian State Disaster Relief Fund to aid students, faculty, and staff in need.
App State has also reopened at least one dining hall and, as of September 28, is serving free food. You do not have to be a student to be fed.
Pet and Farm Animal Rescue
Forsyth Humane Society of North Carolina has been partnering with BISSELL Pet Foundation to take in displaced pets, and is in immediate need of foster homes. To volunteer, email [email protected] with the subject line “Hurricane Helene Foster” or visit their website.
North Carolina’s Watauga Humane Society is also looking for foster families, as the animal shelter has no water. They are also accepting monetary donations or donations of cat and dog food.
Multiple groups are raising money and holding drives for feed, blankets, and hay for the many displaced farm animals and livestock. Western Regional Livestock Center is housing some of them, and is taking donations on site.
The University of Tennessee Extension is offering needed information on livestock care and repairing property, as well as mental health resources.
Mutual Aid
Grassroots network Mutual Aid Disaster Relief has set up a donation page here.
Information about many of the above organizations was shared via an ongoing Google Doc: “Emergency Relief for Hurricane Helene.” The document also provides needed resources for storm victims on the ground, including the FEMA assistance process and missing people support.