South Branch

The South is prone to all kinds of devastating disasters but especially hurricanes. It’s also home to some of the country’s most at-risk communities.

Hurricanes affect vast areas and bring about varied effects, from high winds and high waters to downed trees and beyond. Because of the complex, compounding nature of these storms, they require a variety of resources and support, making them some of our most comprehensive missions.

Time and time again, our team has assisted in this hard-hit region, spearheading countless organization-defining operations. Like Hurricane Harvey, the birthplace of our Rebuild program. And Hurricane Ian, the site of our largest-ever response effort, as of summer 2023.

But for every front-page emergency, many never hit the headlines. These low-attention disasters fly under the radar of other organizations and the general public, but they kick our efforts into high gear. In the areas without camera crews or massive relief efforts, there are Greyshirts, providing continued aid to underserved, high-risk southern communities like Selma, AL—from immediate relief to long-term rebuild to preparedness efforts and back again for relief when the next storm hits.

Our concentrated efforts to serve the people in this hazard-prone region have spawned innovations such as our route clearance teams that clear the way for emergency responders in the initial hours after a disaster strikes.