How to help North Carolina in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene

At DENALI Electronics, we have friends, family, customers, employees, and fellow riders that have been hard hit by the damage left by Hurricane Helene. The area around Asheville is a motorcycle riding destination for many of us throughout the country, and we've made friends with many locals.

While we can't all be there in person to lend a hand, we can still contribute to the disaster recovery effort. Below are links to several official channels through which you can donate to disaster recovery efforts in western North Carolina.

Please give if you are able and share this page to others you know that want to help.

Here’s an initial list of organizations where individuals can make donations:

North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund
Donations made to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund will go to nonprofits working to meet the immediate needs of storm victims such as food and water, cleaning supplies and other emergency supplies. All of the donations made will go to disaster relief.

United Way of North Carolina is the fiscal agent for the Fund and will provide grants and reimbursement to nonprofits working in impacted communities.

• Donate: nc.gov/donate
• Donations can also be mailed to:

NC Disaster Relief Fund, 20312 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-0312.
Or NC Disaster Relief Fund, c/o United Way of NC, 1130 Kildaire Farm Road, Suite 100, Cary NC 27511.

American Red Cross
• Donate: https://www.redcross.org/donate/dr/hurricane-helene.html/
• Other options for donating: Call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or Text HELENE to 90999

The Salvation Army of the Carolinas
• Donate: https://give.helpsalvationarmy.org/give/166081/#!/donation/checkout
• To donate by phone: Call 1-800-SAL-ARMY

World Central Kitchen
World Central Kitchen teams are in four states serving meals and assessing food needs for communities in the southeastern US after Hurricane Helene. WCK teams are scouting in Tennessee and North Carolina to find the biggest areas of need. With many roads rendered impassable into cities like Asheville, WCK is exploring all options to reach isolated communities.
• Donate: https://donate.wck.org/give/499865/#!/donation/checkout

Operation Airdrop  Based at Concord Regional Airport
Operation Airdrop is a Texas-based 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to providing rapid relief to communities impacted by natural disasters.

Founded in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the organization mobilizes volunteer pilots and a diverse fleet of aircraft to deliver essential supplies to areas cut off from traditional aid routes.
• Donate: https://www.operation-airdrop.com/hurricane-helene

How to Apply for FEMA Assistance After Hurricane Helene

There are several ways to apply: Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA App or call 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET daily. The telephone line is open every day and help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.

To view an accessible video on how to apply, visit Three Ways to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance - YouTube.

Portions of this post are republished from ncnewsline.com and NC Governor Roy Cooper. Image credit: Hurricane Helene on Sept. 26, 2024, as seen by the GOES-16 satellite (CSU/CIRA & NOAA).