How Retired People are Responding to Hurricane Helene

They help people whose worlds have been turned upside down by tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods

Photo of flood damage by author

We were lucky. Hurricane Helene had weakened to a tropical storm by the time it hit Atlanta. And although record rainfall flooded some streets and homes, many areas, like mine, remained unscathed.

But other areas weren’t so lucky. The hurricane, a category 4 when it slammed into Florida, left a trail of death and devastation in its wake as it blew through the Southeast, the South Carolina upstate, and parts of western North Carolina.

My church wasn’t impacted, but staff and volunteers didn’t waste time getting people mobilized to help. Two days after the storm, the church sent a notice detailing items needed in hard-hit areas. When I dropped off peanut butter, tuna, diapers, and ready-to-use baby formula, I noticed collection bins were already filling up.

But our church is going way beyond collecting food and diapers. The church Disaster Response Team, equipped with chainsaws, a tractor, a skid steer, and a group of retired people from various churches, is heading to Live Oak, Florida, to help.

My husband, a volunteer with the DRT, is packing his duffel bag today. “I think I’ll take my boots…