In the fall of 2024, Hurricanes Helene and Milton unleashed devastation across many southeastern communities in just two short weeks. Yet, in the wake of such destruction, a powerful wave of compassion and support rose up, fueled by generous giving and led by Southern Baptist churches alongside a network of over 40,000 trained disaster relief volunteers from every corner of the country.These churches and volunteers came together, providing supplies and practical aid as well as lasting hope, strength, and a reminder of God’s presence. Powered by gifts to Send Relief, believers united to help communities in Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee recover and begin the journey toward healing, leaving an inspiring impact that transformed lives.
200+ Professions of Faith
1,000,000+ Meals Provided
5,565+ families assisted with recovery work
2,000+ Churches Involved in Responding
40+ Hurricane Response Sites
1,500+ Trained Disaster Relief Volunteers
Before the Storm
As Hurricane Helene gathered strength in the Gulf of Mexico, Send Relief and Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) swiftly mobilized, determined to bring aid and hope to those in the storm’s path. Volunteers in seven states prepared by organizing supplies, such as mobile kitchens, water, generators, and cleanup equipment, ensuring they were ready to deliver aid as soon as conditions allowed.
Send Relief readied its quick-response warehouse and loaded trucks to deploy to the hardest-hit areas. Ahead of the storm, Send Relief and SBDR leaders connected with national partners like The Salvation Army, FEMA, and the American Red Cross to ensure a unified effort to support affected communities.
September 26, 2024
Hurricane Helene made landfall on September 26, tearing a devastating path northward through southern Georgia and into the mountainous regions of South Carolina, North Carolina, East Tennessee, and southwest Virginia. Record-breaking rainfall and fierce winds ravaged the landscapes of western North Carolina and upper East Tennessee, causing catastrophic flooding and landslides that wiped out roads and isolated entire mountain communities.
September 27, 2024
The following day, Send Relief worked with SBDR and The Salvation Army to quickly open four relief sites across South Georgia and the Florida Panhandle. Due to widespread power outages, the volunteers prioritized setting up mobile kitchens and feeding sites, simultaneously preparing for flood recovery and debris removal efforts.
“I am so thankful for Florida Baptist Disaster Relief, our wonderful volunteers, and Florida Baptist churches. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, we are already working to minister to the needs of affected communities, showing Jesus’ love to hurting people in this time of crisis.”
—Stephen Rummage, Florida Baptist Convention executive director-treasurer
September 29, 2024
As it became clear that communities in the western Carolinas were the hardest hit, Send Relief’s response to historic Hurricane Helene expanded to include South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
SBDR volunteers began preparing meals at First Baptist Church Boone and Biltmore Church in Arden, North Carolina, to serve communities deprived of power, shelter, and other basic needs. Local disaster relief leaders reported total destruction in some areas, emphasizing the urgent need for food and supplies as many people were still unaccounted for due to washed-out roads.
By partnering with organizations like the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army, local churches started developing a plan to distribute food to some of the hardest-hit communities.
September 30, 2024
Send Relief shipped a semi-truck load of supplies from its Ashland, Kentucky, warehouse to support disaster relief sites throughout the Southeast. Four days after Hurricane Helene made landfall, SBDR teams from fourteen different state conventions had established nearly two dozen feeding sites across six states.
Florida’s SBDR established feeding and recovery sites at First Baptist Church of Perry and First Baptist Church of Live Oak, where volunteers from various states joined efforts to assist the local community. Meanwhile, in Georgia, hurricane response efforts in Valdosta included hot meal preparation at the Send Relief Ministry Center, which also served as a refuge for residents needing showers, laundry facilities, and rest.
“It’s a great picture of the Cooperative Program and the cooperative work that we get to do together to bring help, healing, and hope that people need when they are impacted with such devastation in their lives.”
—David Coggins, Florida Baptist SBDR director
October 3, 2024
In Asheville, as communities faced the overwhelming devastation of Hurricane Helene, Southern Baptists rallied to provide essential aid through North Carolina’s Baptists on Mission and Send Relief. Biltmore Church’s Arden campus became a vital command center where SBDR volunteers tirelessly operated a mobile kitchen, distributing thousands of meals to flood survivors through a drive-thru. The church also collected and passed out bottled water, ice, and other critical supplies, meeting immediate needs as they arose.
“I have seen the light in this community that I really haven’t seen in a long time, watching neighbors help neighbors. People meeting needs in the moment with what they have, doing the best they can just to help people right beside them.”
—Stacey Harris, Pastor of Trinity of Fairview Baptist Church in Fletcher
October 4, 2024
A week after Hurricane Helene made landfall, Southern Baptists had set up 28 response sites across the Southeast, worked 32,580 hours, served more than 250,000 meals, and completed 300 recovery jobs—one of which was at George Pett’s house.
George and his wife, who has been battling Parkinson’s for 25 years, were unable to evacuate during the storm. Despite a large tree falling on their house, their home and car were miraculously spared, and they remain deeply grateful for God’s protection. Volunteers from Arkansas Disaster Relief stepped in to help clear the damage, providing much-needed support.
“I can’t say enough about this crew of people who have come by to help us, both spiritually and emotionally. They’ve been so encouraging. I thank God for that.”
—George Pett, Valdosta resident
October 9, 2024
With Hurricane Helene response efforts underway, Send Relief and SBDR teams prepared for Hurricane Milton’s impending landfall in central Florida. A tractor-trailer loaded with essential supplies, including generators and over 20,000 meals, staged at Send Relief’s headquarters in Alpharetta and was set to move into affected areas post-storm.
In Florida, volunteers developed plans to set up five new mobile kitchens, ready to serve up to 30,000 people per day. Across the Southeast, volunteers from 27 states remained active in assisting survivors of Hurricane Helene at 25 response sites.
On the evening of October 9, Hurricane Milton hit near Siesta Key, Florida, as a category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 120 mph and gusts reaching 90–105 mph in areas from Venice to Tampa. The storm caused extensive damage across southern and central Florida, spawning around three dozen tornadoes, resulting in significant flooding, and leaving three million residents without power.
October 13, 2024
As Florida Baptists identified locations of greatest need, Send Relief deployed resources, including rolled roofing, bottled water, and 20,000 meals, and opened five new response sites throughout Florida.
October 14, 2024
As storm response for both hurricanes continued, Pastor Zak Moussa and Mission Hill Church in Tampa, Florida, launched a drive-thru feeding site to serve their community, leading one woman in search of eternal hope found in Christ.
“We see beyond the physical—the spiritual need. This young lady rolled down her [car] window and just started talking. I shared the gospel with her. She broke into tears and right there accepted Jesus with me.”
—Zak Moussa, pastor of Mission Hill Church
Ongoing Relief Efforts
From Clearwater, Florida, to Arden, North Carolina, Send Relief, in conjunction with SBDR and The Salvation Army, has continued relief efforts at forty works sites across multiple states, assisting communities devastated by hurricanes Helene and Milton. More than 1,500 disaster relief volunteers joined the mission, providing desperately needed support to affected regions.
Thanks to gifts to Send Relief, many relief sites have stayed open, allowing teams to serve over one million meals, assist more than 5,565 families with clean-up projects, and engage in more than 2,000 gospel conversations. Thanks to the generous support of many, thousands felt the love and care of Christ in their hardest times, finding hope after the storms.
Published November 15, 2024