Updated October 21, 2024

Thursday, October 24 will mark one month since Hurricane Helene devastated parts of Western North Carolina. Today the Red Cross is still operating around 12 shelters for over 400 people in 9 counties, while also delivering hot meals and emergency supplies to some of the hardest hit areas.

Since our efforts in North Carolina began, the Red Cross has been coordinating relief services with local officials and community partners across the state. Together, we opened over 80 shelters throughout North Carolina and provided nearly 20,000 overnight stays for people seeking refuge from the storm. Also, here in North Carolina with the help of our partners, we have served more than 350,000 meals, water and snacks to those in need.

Over 800 disaster-trained volunteers (around 150 from North Carolina) have been working tirelessly to deliver on our mission to help alleviate human suffering.

More than 200 Red Cross reunification staff across the Southeast are working to reconnect with loved ones despite connectivity challenges. We've received some 11,000 requests for help and that number continues to grow. Red Crossers also provide spiritual care, mental health services, emotional support, basic health services and help to replace items such as eyeglasses and prescription medications.

With more primary and secondary roads opening up in the area, Red Cross emergency response vehicles are on the roads providing hot meals, water and emergency supplies as families begin to clean up their homes.

Affected communities are facing different struggles, and the timeline for recovery and what support they need will be different. While the current focus is on addressing the immediate needs of those affected, the Red Cross also plays a critical role in helping families and communities recover in the weeks and months after a disaster.

In the hardest hit communities, Red Crossers and community partners are at fixed distribution sites providing emergency relief items, meals and additional resources. Items include clean-up kits, and comfort care kits along with some of the most requested items such as tarps, sleeping bags and blankets for warmth; camp stoves, fuel, and food supplies for cooking; water filtration kits, and bulk water; donated generators for power-dependent individuals (when available), carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, and more. To date, the Red Cross has delivered over 64,000 supplies throughout Yancey County, Mitchell County, McDowell County, and Henderson County.

Click here to see photos from the American Red Cross response to Hurricane Helene.

HOW TO FIND HELP Many areas remain inaccessible. If you need assistance, please consider coming to a shelter. We know connectivity is difficult, but if you can, first download the Red Cross Emergency app to find service locations or visit redcross.org/helene. You can also find shelters by following your local Red Cross and local emergency officials on social media, or by monitoring local news. If you’re unable to access the information you need, call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767).

If you're searching for a loved one affected by the storm, please complete the form
at redcross.org/helene for the state where they live. Provide as much detail as you can. We realize this is an incredibly emotional time and Red Cross reunification teams are working as quickly as possible to help families reconnect.

The Red Cross has disaster mental health workers available at many locations. If you or a loved one needs help, reach out through the Disaster Distress Helpline for free 24/7 multilingual support by calling or texting 1-800-985-5990.

HOW YOU CAN HELP People affected by Hurricane Helene need urgent help now, and we can’t do this alone. You can help by making a financial donation by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or texting the word HELENE to 90999. Financial donations for Hurricane Helene enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster.

If you would like to volunteer with the Red Cross, visit redcross.org/volunteer to learn more about volunteer opportunities.

Helene has led to the cancellation of blood drives across Western North Carolina, causing nearly 2,000 blood donations to go uncollected. Those outside the affected areas are encouraged to schedule a blood donation appointment now by visiting RedCrossBlood.org or using the Blood Donor App to help restock the shelves