What’s Happening?
On Thursday, September 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region as a powerful Category 4 storm. With maximum sustained winds of 140 mph and storm surges of up to 20 feet, the hurricane has caused widespread flooding and damage across Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, with urban flooding occurring in much of the Southeast as the storm continues to drop torrential rain on the area. As of Friday, more than 2 million people were without power in Florida and Georgia alone.
What are food banks and Feeding America doing?
Food banks and Feeding America have been preparing for the storm throughout the week. As the situation evolves post-landfall, food banks in Florida, Georgia and throughout the Southeast are determining the needs of their communities and will begin to deploy resources. Feeding America is working with national donor partners to secure food and fund donations, and is also coordinating with state food bank associations as well as national partners to determine deployment of resources to impacted communities. Within the next few days, food banks will begin emergency food and water distributions in affected areas.
Do you need help after Hurricane Helene?
Food banks are committed to supporting their communities before, during and long after a disaster occurs. If you need food assistance in the wake of Hurricane Helene, food banks are there. Use our food bank locator to find the resources nearest you.
How can I support the response to Hurricane Helene?
- Donate to Feeding America's Disaster Response Fund. Ensure local food banks can respond in the wake of the storm by supporting Feeding America’s response fund.
- Donate to food banks in the impacted area. Donating funds is the most efficient way to support affected food banks as they respond to the need after a disaster. From purchasing extra food to putting gas in trucks, a monetary donation goes a long way at the local level. Find local food banks and donate.
- Follow affected food banks on social media. Local food banks will know what they need most to respond to in their community. Whether that’s food, funds, or volunteers – watch their social channels to learn the best way to make a local impact.
- Learn more about Feeding America’s disaster response efforts. Feeding America and local food banks are on the ground before, during, and after a disaster, ensuring those impacted have food and hope during the toughest of times. Learn more about our national response.