ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Hurricane Helene made landfall near Perry, Fla., late on September 26 and carved a unique, destructive path across the Southeast before dropping a deluge on South Central Appalachia.
The extent of 2024’s most destructive storm would not be known until days later as flooding in Western North Carolina and East Tennessee permanently altered the landscape, wiping away entire communities and claiming the lives of at least 250 people.
Southern Baptists quickly jumped into action, establishing one of the largest responses, in terms of geographic area, in the history of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR).
“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…