ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Southern Baptists have been engaged in bringing relief to survivors of Hurricane Helene since the storm made landfall last Sept. 26. As the six-month mark of the storm approaches, the focus has shifted to helping their neighbors and communities rebuild.
Helene claimed the lives of more than 230 people as it churned across six states and generated roughly $200 billion in damage, making it the costliest storm in U.S. history.
“What set Helene apart was the widespread impact of the storm. Southern Baptist Disaster Relief had to cover hundreds of miles of territory in the response,” said Josh Benton, Send Relief’s vice president for national ministry. “Their ability to extend themselves that far signals the strength and capacity of the SBDR network. Southern Baptists cannot thank their state disaster relief leadership and volunteers enough for the way they sacrificed to meet needs and share the Gospel in the aftermath of this crisis.”
In the weeks after landfall, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) prepared more than 1 million meals, completed more than 7,800 recovery jobs and reported 244 professions of faith through nearly 40 SBDR sites spread throughout Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia…