They are doing their best.
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend area before moving through Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Tennessee, resulting in over 60 fatalities and millions left without electricity. In the aftermath, Christian organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse and The Salvation Army quickly mobilized to provide essential disaster relief throughout the southeastern United States.
Initially hitting as a Category 4 storm, Helene unleashed powerful winds, heavy rainfall, and severe flooding, causing widespread destruction, especially in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm has claimed at least 63 lives across five states as of early Sunday. South Carolina reported at least 20 fatalities, including two firefighters in Saluda County. In Georgia, the death toll stands at 17, with two lives lost due to a tornado in Alamo. Florida has recorded 11 deaths, primarily from drownings in Pinellas County, while one individual died in Virginia due to a tree fall and building collapse linked to the storm.
Franklin Graham, who heads both the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, emphasized the scale of the disaster on social media, urging prayers for those affected. His organizations are providing both material aid and spiritual guidance to impacted communities. The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team has dispatched chaplains to the worst-hit areas, including Tampa, Perry in Florida, Valdosta in Georgia, and the High Country of North Carolina. These chaplains are offering support in shelters and hospitals overwhelmed by the disaster, such as Watauga County Hospital in Boone.
Samaritan’s Purse has set up operations in five critical locations across the Southeast, focusing on Perry, Florida, where the hurricane first struck with winds reaching 140 mph. Additional bases have been established in Valdosta and the High Country of North Carolina. Graham noted the personal connection to the storm’s impact, stating that the organization is also assisting areas in Asheville, North Carolina, where rivers overflowed, causing significant destruction. Volunteers from across the nation are being mobilized to aid in recovery efforts, engaging in activities such as mudding out homes and cutting down trees.
Convoy of Hope is another organization actively contributing to relief efforts, especially in Perry, which has experienced multiple hurricanes over the past year. They have initiated a drive-thru distribution of groceries, water, and hygiene kits. Local residents expressed gratitude for the assistance, with one pastor emphasizing the importance of support during this crisis. The Salvation Army has also been engaged, deploying 10 mobile feeding units before the storm and putting an additional 35 units on standby. These units are providing up to 1,500 meals daily to those affected, highlighting the organization’s commitment to standing with communities in need during difficult times. Moody’s Analytics estimates the property damage from Helene to be between $15 billion and $26 billion, with over 3 million individuals still experiencing power outages.