When Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 Hurricane on September 26, it caused widespread destruction. Storm surge as high as 15 feet brought flooding along the Florida Gulf Coast, while 140 mph winds toppled trees and destroyed homes. After devastating the Big Bend region, Hurricane Helene downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone and produced historic and catastrophic flooding over large portions of the Southeast and Southern Appalachians. As Americans begin to recover, here’s how those affected can begin getting help with Hurricane Helene damage, now. And, how anyone can help Hurricane Helene survivors.
Look for the Grey Shirts
As a veteran-led disaster relief nonprofit, Team Rubicon deploys volunteers to help people recover from disasters like Hurricane Helene.
When Team Rubicon arrives in your city, these volunteers—or Greyshirts—start looking to provide assistance by first visiting the hardest hit areas.
As we find clients needing assistance, we create work orders to capture all the clients’s unmet needs. Team Rubicon utilizes these work orders to prioritize work that Team Rubicon can do immediately and also refers the clients, via the work order, to other Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.
Log a Request for Hurricane Help with Your Emergency Management Agency
People impacted by Hurricane Helene can contact their local Emergency Management Agency and submit a request for assistance.
Team Rubicon and other VOADs work closely with city and state Emergency Management Agencies to identify unmet need and to help hurricane survivors with everything from expedient home repairs like tarping roofs and mucking flooding houses to removing storm debris and more.
Request Help for Hurricane Helene Damage Through Crisis Cleanup
In many places, people experiencing Hurricane Helene damage can file a report and request assistance with Crisis Cleanup, a collaborative database of assistance needed in a disaster area that’s shared with relief agencies like Team Rubicon.
To file a request for assistance with Crisis Cleanup, call the Helene hotline: 844-965-1386.
Disaster relief nonprofits like Team Rubicon regularly login to the Crisis Cleanup database to identify people in need of hurricane help, assess work orders, and respond to requests for assistance. Additionally, Team Rubicon is on the ground in Florida and Georgia doing its own reconnaissance work to assess damage and identify unmet need.
Avoid the Disaster After the Disaster
The hurricane may have exited, but the dangers remain. In fact, the majority of injuries and deaths don’t come during the hurricane, but after. To avoid the disaster after the disaster, never enter flooded roadways: even an inch of standing water can be deadly. Also, never use portable electric generators inside a house, garage, crawlspace, or an enclosed area and never cook inside or heat a home with a portable grill as either can expose occupants to carbon monoxide poisoning. And, those attempting to clean up from Hurricane Helene damage on their own should know that disaster sites can be littered with debris, downed power lines, partially fallen trees or limbs, standing water, contamination, gas leaks, broken glass, and damaged electrical wiring—all hazards that can injure or kill.
File a Claim for Help with Hurricane Helene Damage and Avoid Disaster Relief Scams
When ready, survivors of Hurricane Helene damage can file a claim for assistance with FEMA. Then, Team Rubicon’s advice on avoiding disaster relief scams.
How to Help Hurricane Helene Survivors
Not personally affected by Hurricane Helene, but eager to help those who were? Anyone can give their time and talents to assist with Hurricane Helene recovery.
Help Fund Hurricane Helene Disaster Relief
For anyone outside the disaster zone wondering how to help hurricane victims, one of the most effective ways to support hurricane relief is by donating to reputable organizations that specialize in disaster response. These organizations have the infrastructure and expertise to quickly mobilize resources where they are needed most.
Now nearly 15 years old, Team Rubicon is a disaster relief nonprofit that mobilizes veterans, civilians, and first responders to provide disaster relief in the days and weeks after a hurricane. It has responded to numerous hurricanes in Florida, including last year’s Hurricane Idalia in Florida’s Big Bend region and 2022’s Hurricane Ian. The organization has already deployed route clearance teams to remove Hurricane Helene damage in Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee, and deployed recon teams in Florida and Georgia to assess hurricane damage.
Volunteer to Help Hurricane Helene Survivors
Another great way to help Florida hurricane victims is by volunteering for disaster relief operations.
Team Rubicon volunteers—or Greyshirts—who want to step into the arena should watch their email and phone and register their availability as soon as the operation stands up. Not yet signed up as a disaster relief volunteer? Join Team Rubicon and become a Greyshirt to help hurricane survivors now and in the future.
