Since making landfall in Florida late last week and moving across the Southeastern U.S. over the weekend, Hurricane Helene’s path of havoc is widespread. Catastrophic flooding, significant damage across states to homes and commercial buildings, roads, and power and communications infrastructure are among the many crises LeadingAge members located in Florida, North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia are facing. Car and truck transportation in many areas is limited.

For days, members and LeadingAge state partner teams have been sharing information on the status of residents, staff and overall needs. Ted Goins, President, Lutheran Services Carolinas (LSC), in a Saturday September 28 LinkedIn post shared news of North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper with LSC’s disaster response director collaborating to get response teams to an Asheville member. Communications–getting details on needs and status–is “our biggest challenge,” reported one North Carolina LeadingAge staffer on Saturday:  “Cell coverage and internet service is spotty at best and nonexistent in some areas.”

Loss of power is posing difficulties in South Carolina, where on Friday our state partner staff focused on getting generators and refrigerated trucks to communities. ValueFirst and US Foods have helped to wrangle food drops. We’re “triaging and managing,” they said, adding, “our biggest worry is how long this [reliance on generators] will last.” At the same time, “hero stories” are emerging, too: unable to reach a member community by car, an employee “just parked their car and walked to work to help. …amazing the care that they are providing.”

In Florida, several communities have been hard hit by flooding. “Dozens of independent living and assisted living homes have been destroyed, forcing residents to leave their homes,” said a LeadingAge Southeast staff member, but they are safe now and recovery is under way.

“Supporting one another in times of need is a LeadingAge value, a guiding principle. We step up and serve to the best of our ability: we did it with hurricanes Sandy, Michael, Irma, Maria, and most recently Ian; we’ve responded to the devastation wrought by wild fires and other disasters. Helene is no different,” said LeadingAge president and CEO Katie Smith Sloan. “We’re here for those in need. Our members have over the years donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to aid staff, residents and member organizations who’ve been harmed by natural disasters. Although the impact of these uncontrollable events can be far-reaching and long-lasting, we are here to help see it through.”

Please consider a donation to the LeadingAge Disaster Relief Fund, as 100% of all donations will go directly to members and their staff.