Samaritan’s Purse Canada in Florida After Devastating Hurricanes Milton and Helene.
One of our Disaster Relief Units from Ontario arrived in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Friday. Samaritan’s Purse continues to work across the Southeastern United States.
A Samaritan’s Purse Canada relief team arrived in St. Petersburg in Florida earlier today, less than two days after Hurricane Milton tore through the state. Before Milton, city residents were already facing the devastation of Hurricane Helene just two weeks earlier.
Storm surge, violent winds, and torrential rain damaged tens of thousands of homes and left millions of people without power.
Our team was already working in St. Petersburg before Hurricane Milton struck and caused mass evacuations. We are now continuing to help hurting families by cleaning flooded homes, tarping damaged roofs, removing debris, and sharing the hope that only Jesus can bring in crisis.
Your prayers and support are critical. “People here have been through so much loss in these past weeks,” said Andy Northup, leading the Canadian team. The destruction is massive. Families will need help for a long time to recover. We are glad to be here in Jesus’ Name and remind residents that God has not forgotten them.”
Note: This story was published Oct. 11.
As the hurricane hits the Gulf Coast of Florida, Samaritan’s Purse is prepared to respond in Jesus’ Name.
Milton unleashed torrential rain and ferocious winds across Florida after making landfall Wednesday evening, Oct. 9, near Siesta Key, south of Sarasota. The deadly and powerful storm, which entered the state as a Category 3 hurricane and left as a Category 1 on Thursday morning, spawned tornadoes and caused severe flooding. The Tampa area, spared a direct hit from the eyewall of the storm, nonetheless received 9 inches of rain over a 3-hour period on Wednesday. Millions are without power. St. Lucie County has reports of damage from tornadoes.
Samaritan’s Purse has assessors on the ground today.
Hurricane Relief Will Soon Resume in Florida
To ensure the safety of our volunteers and staff, Samaritan’s Purse has suspended all operations at our Helene relief locations in Perry and Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida. Work is scheduled to resume later this week.
Shortly after Helene swamped the Big Bend region of Florida in late September, Samaritan’s Purse deployed two Disaster Relief Units to the Sunshine State. Volunteer teams have since been serving devastated homeowners by clearing strewn debris, cutting fallen trees, and tarping damaged roofs—all the while sharing the love of Jesus Christ.
Please, join us in praying for those in the path of Hurricane Milton. May God provide peace and safety for those enduring this latest storm.
Note: This story was published Oct. 9 and has been revised as of Oct. 10.
Samaritan’s Purse is responding in six locations across four states after Hurricane Helene devastated parts of the Southeast.
Helene tore a deadly path through the mountains of western North Carolina, dumping extreme rainfall and causing catastrophic flash flooding. Several locations received 20 inches of rain or more over a four-day period. Some towns are in ruins. There are toppled trees everywhere; roads, bridges, and driveways are washed out; homes and businesses have been destroyed by flooding and landslides. Many homes remain without power or running water.
We are providing relief throughout Watauga County, North Carolina—home to Samaritan’s Purse international headquarters in the town of Boone. The response also extends to include neighboring counties in North Carolina and eastern Tennessee.
So many of our neighbors are hurting. We’re thankful that we can respond and help in Jesus’ Name.
Southwest of Boone, rivers raged outside their banks causing widespread destruction in and around Asheville, North Carolina. Our relief response there extends around Buncombe County, which includes Asheville, Black Mountain, Montreat, and Swannanoa. On Oct. 7, we will open a third base in the hard-hit town of Burnsville, to include Mitchell and Yancey Counties, also in western North Carolina
At our sites across North Carolina, we are doing tree work, mudding out homes, removing debris, and tarping roofs. Heavy equipment is being used to clear private driveways and private roads. In some areas, we are also offering water and potable water to the community.
“Our hearts break for all those who have been devastated by Hurricane Helene. People have lost their homes, roads are washed out, millions are without power, and some have even lost loved ones—so many of our neighbors are hurting. We’re thankful that we can respond and help in Jesus’ Name. Please pray for these families and for our teams that are working in some of the hardest-hit areas across the Southeast.” —Franklin Graham
Numerous communities in the rugged mountains of North Carolina and far eastern Tennessee are cut off by Helene’s devastation. Samaritan’s Purse is coordinating airlifts to some of these locations—delivering basic necessities to those in dire straits using our own helicopter as well as the aircraft of other organizations. We praise God that, through dozens of flights so far, we have been able to deliver food, water, medical kits, and other relief to those isolated by the storm.
We also are responding to the destruction caused by Helene in Florida and Georgia. We have U.S. Disaster Relief bases in Perry, Florida, where the hurricane made landfall with Category 4 strength, and in Tampa where thousands of houses are flooded. South Georgia was also slammed. We have set up a base in Valdosta. Our locations in Florida will close Sunday, Oct. 6, in advance of Tropical Storm Milton. They are scheduled to reopen on Oct. 11.
Volunteers are urgently needed in all of our locations. Please continue to pray for all those affected by the storm and for our teams as they serve as the hands and feet of Jesus.
More than 225 storm-related deaths have been reported so far. Katrina is the only hurricane with a higher mainland U.S. death toll over the past 50 years. Please pray for families who have lost loved ones.