As the Southeast started to recover from the devastation that arose on Sept. 26 from Hurricane Helene, an unexpected storm that hit Georgia and North Carolina causing immense damage and wiping towns off the map, mother nature rolled up her sleeves and delivered Hurricane Milton on Oct. 10.
Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 in Horseshoe Beach, Florida. It’s rapid intensification created a large path of destruction at levels that have not been seen since Hurricane Maria, making it the second largest hurricane to hit the mainland. It took an unexpected turn impacting ill-prepared communities such as Asheville, North Carolina.
As cost estimations continued to roll-in, it can be pegged at over $200 billion dollars with a death toll of at least 230 fatalities.
As these communities began to slowly recover, along came Hurricane Milton. Milton caused over three million people to lose power and images of Tropicana Field’s roof ravaged by the wind continued to make headlines with thirty souls tragically losing their lives with an estimated impact at over $30 billion.
Despite the damage, organizations and communities are looking to help victims of the hurricanes restart their lives. The National Guard played an integral part both during and after each storm, conducting rescue missions, providing aid and relief. The American Red Cross and private organizations have been along with FEMA to assist both federal and local municipalities. Donations are coming in, ranging from celebrities like Taylor Swift to normal working-class families wanting to make a difference.
If you are able to, please consider donating or supporting the aid effort via various organizations led by Greatergood.org, American Red Cross and Salvation Army.