Compassion Amid Crisis: Delivering Relief After Hurricanes Helene and Milton
Written By Adriana DiBenedetto
Published #75 | Winter 2024 Issue
On October 21, a team of Tzu Chi Miami volunteers travel to Fort Pierce, Florida, to assess the needs of communities impacted by Hurricane Milton. Photo/Suchen Su
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“It got to about 7:15 in the morning, and we had water coming in through the crawl space of the house,” recounted Jennifer Betesh.
“My husband and I moved here in 2015 with the plan to grow our own food — have a farm — make a homestead and live a quiet, healthy, peaceful life. And that’s what we started to do… We have four acres. We transformed the property into a beautiful farm with 30 chickens, honeybees. We grew vegetables. It was heartbreaking to lose it all. The entire property is destroyed.”
Betesh and her husband had made a quiet life together in North Carolina, with a cozy farm and Airbnb that sustained them. Then, Hurricane Helene had crashed ashore in the Big Bend area of the Florida Gulf Coast on September 26, bringing with it violent winds that battered homes and uprooted trees, and floods that temporarily transformed neighborhoods and roads into rivers. From Florida’s coast, the storm continued on a deadly path through the U.S. Southeast. It stranded locals amid widespread flooding in western North Carolina, where roads became impassable, and power and cell services went down, cutting many off from their loved ones, unable even to let them know if they were safe, and landslides unpredictably cascaded onto roadways. A sizeable stretch of Interstate 40 near the North Carolina-Tennessee line was washed away, and it would likely take months for travel to be restored. Hundreds of miles from the coast and thousands of feet above sea level, towns across western North Carolina witnessed some of the storm’s worst scenes of destruction. Across six Southeastern states, at least 230 lives were tragically lost.
Tzu Chi volunteers visit Jennifer Betesh’s home to assess the damage, and provide relief. Photo/Hector Muniente
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For Betesh and her husband, the storm had caused a creek to divert from its original location and cut through their land. “The only option we had was to go up,” Betesh shared as she led volunteers through the frightening path she’d taken just weeks prior. “My husband got a wire cutter. We pulled [the fence] back, and we just went up the mountain. This is how we got out. If we couldn’t have gone uphill… I don’t know what we would have done.”
The couple told volunteers how they’d still been at a loss two weeks after the hurricane, and Betesh put out a call for aid on social media. However, she never expected the scale of the response they would receive. “I thought they were coming with tools. And I saw all of this… machinery,” she said with emotion.
People from across the country, who the couple had never met, had come to help.
“We were so grateful, and we were calling that ‘The Second Flood,’ because the second flood was the flood of help from people from all over this country who came from Pennsylvania, from Iowa, from Wisconsin, Minnesota. And we are so incredibly grateful for that. Not only for the help of cleaning but for the fact that it gave us faith to continue. Because we were really just feeling like we couldn’t do it anymore. Every little bit of help adds up to something.”
It was an unprecedented storm that required an unprecedented response, with all hands on deck. And, just as Tzu Chi arose from the conviction that love saves, we know that love is a force of infinite power.
Hurricane Helene Damage Assessment Begins
The sun shone over Florida on the morning of October 5, 2024, bringing the evidence of Hurricane Helene’s all too recent impact into sharp contrast.
As Tzu Chi’s assessment team walked among the impacted communities, they saw tree branches and insulation, waterlogged mattresses, tables, chairs, cupboards, refrigerators, and stoves – all one’s worldly belongings – carried out to the sides of the roads, and their hearts ached.
And so, with one fervent pulse, a simultaneous assessment mission formed as Tzu Chi volunteers in both Florida and North Carolina leaped to action. By October 7, Tzu Chi USA established an urgent hurricane relief fundraiser, and through a sponsor’s incredible generosity, all donations made to Tzu Chi’s hurricane relief mission were matched up to $1.5 million until November 15.
Never lose courage. Never lose faith. Nothing in this world is impossible when you are determined.
Tzu Chi assessment volunteers traveled first to Tampa, Florida, to meet with the local American Red Cross. There, they learned about the American Red Cross’s Hurricane Helene relief program and gathered essential details about the communities impacted. Confirming the situation in Pinellas County, Tzu Chi volunteers and Red Cross members immediately set out again to visit two hard-hit areas for assessment: Madeira Beach and Riviera Bay.
Many families in the area had already relocated, and the streets were hushed. When the volunteer team spoke with hurricane survivors who still hauled furniture and daily necessities out of their homes, they learned that many stayed with friends and relatives. However, this crisis was not yet over.
Officials soon issued evacuation orders for millions of people in the Tampa area ahead of another storm’s arrival. Apprehension mounted as debris from Hurricane Helene could cause even further damage and injury in the tumult of another hurricane, and cleanup efforts hastened anew. As Floridians braced for Hurricane Milton, they did so without knowing what could become of their communities when a second hurricane made landfall in as many weeks. With scarcely time to prepare, Milton struck Florida on the evening of October 9, leaving survivors little reprieve as they strived to recover, still mourning all they’d lost.
Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm, wreaking havoc as it generated roughly four dozen tornadoes in Florida.
Assessing the Aftermath in North Carolina
Fallen trees, collapsed homes, and abandoned cars propelled off debris-lined roads formed a deeply heartbreaking scene. “This is one of the most heavily damaged areas,” said Hank Chi, Executive Director of Tzu Chi USA’s Greater Washington D.C. Region. “North Carolina accounts for about half of the death toll… It’s devastating.”
As the murky water filled homes, locals rushed to place belongings, like electronics and irreplaceable family photos, up higher, but the water only continued to rise. In some places, the water level nearly hit the ceiling. However, conventional home insurance often won’t cover damage that resulted from flooding.
“Hurricane Helene brought tremendous rain, wind, and resulted in significant flash floodings. It also significantly impacted the infrastructure, so power was out for a significant period of time,” Rebecca Pittman, the Regional Disaster Officer at the American Red Cross’s North Carolina Region, shared the situation with the assembled volunteers on October 14. “We had no cell communication. All internet connectivity was down as well as the roads and bridges, and so it was very hard to get in and around the communities that were most heavily impacted.”
The pink tags affixed to exterior walls, signifying a building was unsafe to live in, appeared brighter on an overcast day. “This tree is actually not from this area, but it just got washed down to here,” a local volunteer said as he led the Tzu Chi assessment team through North Carolina’s Black Mountain community. This trip would help volunteers understand the needs of survivors, allowing them to speak directly with those impacted to ask how best they can assist, while offering the support of someone there who truly cares.
During their assessment, Tzu Chi volunteers met with locals like Richard Poole and his wife, Cathy. “We’ve been here for 43 years and never, ever had anything like this happen,” Poole told them. Inside his and Cathy’s home, the walls were ripped away to the studs. The couple’s well-loved yard, the pride of their community, was in ruins. “I’m 67, my wife’s 71… We never realized we’d be starting from scratch at this age. But you know, we’ll make it. We’re strong,” he said with emotions that were reflected in the faces of volunteers. “Like, she’s got some medical problems, I’ve got medical problems. We’ve been relying on each other all these years. It’s just really heartwarming to have this much help from the whole community. But… just never thought we’d be in this position.”
One of the things that Tzu Chi really brings is not just financial resources but also help and hope to our communities, and so this really helps people to feel safe again in their home after they’ve had a disaster.
Witnessing the Bright Side of Humanity
As Tzu Chi’s volunteer team from the Greater Washington D.C. region searched for a venue to provide Hurricane Helene relief in North Carolina, they met and spoke with many community members – and discovered their strength.
At each location visited on October 15, volunteers spoke with the people there to hear more about how they’ve been helping, and what still must be done. At each site, a concern often emphasized was mental and spiritual health, both for survivors and aid workers.
“In those first few days when people couldn’t get out anywhere, it was really about people helping people. One of the first days, I helped the city set up their first water distribution site. Second day, got 260 gallons of gas brought up to go to frontline workers,” said Jessica Tomasin, Studio Manager at Echo Mountain Recording Studio. “One of the things that I think is going to be most important for us as a community is to deal with our mental health. I was supposed to get married two weeks ago, which didn’t happen, right? And so it’s like… Everybody kept telling me, like… ‘You’ve got to take time to process that.’ And I was like, ‘I don’t have time to process that. There’s people who are still missing.’ You have to do that balance of taking care of yourself while also taking care of other people.”
Simultaneous Assessment in Florida
On October 15, a team of volunteers from the Tzu Chi USA Orlando office was also busy at work. On-site investigations had led the team to a couple’s home that had taken in more than three feet of water during the disaster. The couple had been moving water-damaged furniture out of their house when the Tzu Chi volunteers arrived, and they explained that on the day of the hurricane, the water level on the streets was waist-deep. They were disheartened and at a loss, saying that school for the children would start again soon and they wanted to move before then.
Volunteers also visited a survivor named William, who was seated outside of a house where retired clergy members resided. He inquired about the Tzu Chi team’s mission and expressed his hope that humankind could advocate for greater love, and make the world brighter for all.
A Team Returns to Florida Following Hurricane Milton
On October 21, a team of Tzu Chi Miami volunteers traveled to Fort Pierce and Wellington, Florida, to assess the needs of communities impacted by Hurricane Milton.
In Fort Pierce, they met with Faye Evans from the American Red Cross, whose aid has been invaluable during this assessment process. The team proceeded to the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village, another area of great concern. In the 330-acre community for people who are aged 55 and over, hurricane insurance is often beyond what most people can afford.
The journey continued at Lakewood Park Church, which still served the community despite damage to its roof. When the Tzu Chi team arrived, there were supplies for the neighborhood inside and outside the church, with community volunteers organizing the items.
The Tzu Chi volunteers then traveled to Wellington to meet affected families, and learned of a family that comprised 17 members. They lived in two mobile homes, both completely destroyed. At least three of the family members were hospitalized with serious injuries, and other family members relocated to several different locations.
However, this was just the beginning, as Tzu Chi’s hurricane relief would soon enter its next phase.
Blankets Arrive
Nineteen days after Hurricane Helene’s landfall, some roads were still inaccessible as volunteers made their way to some of North Carolina’s more remote communities. Even so, Tzu Chi volunteers are committed to bringing warmth and comfort to survivors. And, with support from Tzu Chi USA’s New Jersey Chapter, volunteers had received a shipment of eco-blankets as of October 16 for forthcoming relief distributions.
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Tzu Chi volunteers had the honor of partnering with several veterans and community members amid these efforts, and their kindness and dedication amplified the relief mission’s progress. While in Spruce Pine, a town in Mitchell County that felt the storm’s impact deeply, volunteers provided blankets to locals and connected with representatives from Spruce Pine First Baptist Church to coordinate support in North Carolina.
We lost power. We’ve been without power for 18 days, and no water. We lost all of our food, and it’s just been really cold. In situations like this, in hurricanes and stuff, big blankets come in really needy for people when they’ve lost everything.
The volunteers then went to another community resource center in the town of Bakersville to deliver more blankets, with continued distributions planned for the next day in Asheville.
In many ways, I think a blanket is symbolic of love, and as our temperatures last night got below freezing, they’ll be below-freezing tonight… Knowing somebody cares, it’s like a warm hug. So the blankets are wonderful. Thank you.
Working hand in hand with the community, Tzu Chi volunteers distributed 84 eco-blankets at a drive-in food distribution organized by MANNA FoodBank at the WNC Farmers Market in Asheville on October 17. More supplies at the farmers market included essentials like personal hygiene products, diapers, fruits, and other shelf-stable pantry staples. Twenty days after the storm, some people still didn’t have power for refrigeration, and canned goods were crucial, as was baby formula and more for families in this time of crisis.
Even so, the volunteers were deeply moved to see the smiles of disaster survivors upon arrival, and it left a lasting emotional impact.
Six Weeks After the Storm
Since Hurricane Helene brought destruction across the U.S. Southeast, Tzu Chi volunteers had been active in preparing for and providing relief — their efforts on November 9 aiming to serve 220 survivors in the hard-hit city of Asheville, North Carolina. Six weeks after the storm, Asheville locals still didn’t have clean drinking water, and 1,500 buildings had been devastated.
The team of 40 Tzu Chi volunteers had come in from Washington, Raleigh, and Charlotte, hoping to warm the hearts of survivors who’d been through so much, and bring smiles back into their lives.
I moved two months ago to Asheville from Miami with my wife and kids. The hurricane caused a flood, and we had to evacuate quickly and mandatorily. They helped us with an $800 cash card to use for anything you need. Whether it’s for rent or food, daily necessities, kids, the school, those kinds of things.
Tzu Chi’s disaster aid distribution offered cash cards loaded with funds donated by people across the globe who wished to help, along with warm eco-blankets from DA.AI Technology, and bamboo banks — an everlasting symbol of perseverance harkening back to the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation’s origin decades ago, and a reminder that we’re all connected by our compassion for one another. A total of $50,400 in funds was distributed to 220 survivors on this day.
My apartment building was flooded out… Lost everything that I have. My car was flooded. I lost all my belongings. I need everything, and things that you don’t even think about are gone… I felt so welcome. I felt like they cared about what my situation was. I received a debit card, and so, I can certainly start replenishing a household, because I need to start from scratch.
When distributions continued in Asheville on November 10, youths joined the volunteer team, bringing a hopeful lens to the day’s event. One Tzu Chi volunteer, Siang Ying Goh, was joined by her three children, who share a passion for helping others and letting their voices be heard.
“It’s really important to take pictures because it can help people around the world further understand what’s happening,” said Goh’s son T.J. Lau, who not only helped distribute eco-blankets but photographed the event, hoping it would allow more people to become informed and join in the effort.
Hurricane Milton Relief in Florida
On November 16, a hurricane relief distribution was held at Lakewood Park Church in Fort Pierce, Florida, providing a total of $58,400 in funds to 73 families comprising 205 survivors. There, volunteers learned the moving stories of survivors and fellow volunteers alike — such as that of a local named Jeanna McKamey.
Volunteers’ first encounter with McKamey occurred as early as their disaster survey within the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village on October 21. Seeking out survivors, they ultimately met McKamey, who had been clearing away debris from her yard. After learning about Tzu Chi’s mission, she was moved to help.
Upon hearing about some of the challenges encountered by volunteers in obtaining a list of survivors’ needs and names, she offered to help. “On October 21, five Tzu Chi volunteers came to my home to ask about my situation,” she shared. “They were very respectful, and expressed great sincerity and care. This gave me hope when my home was damaged by the hurricane, because that’s what we need most at this moment. That’s why I offered to help Tzu Chi, to take on the job of collecting information on the survivors, which is not really easy because many of them have already been evacuated. I had to visit them door to door. I sincerely thank Tzu Chi, it is your belief in helping others that brings compassion, love, and hope to those of us who are less fortunate. I can feel the deep bond between us. As Tzu Chi said, we are family.”
When I received the cash card, I got goosebumps all over. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to the Tzu Chi organization… Seeing how much you care about people in need like me makes me cry tears of joy.
“This is my first time participating in Tzu Chi’s volunteer activities, and I am very grateful for this opportunity,” said Stephanie Chang. “During the opening ceremony, when we sang with the survivors, I saw the smiles on people’s faces, and it made me feel that what matters is that we’re all together, that we’re there for each other, that we’re there to support each other… that we’re there to heal each other.”
Further distributions were held in North Carolina on November 23 at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville as well as Bowman Middle School in Bakersville, with another distribution the following day, November 24, at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville once more.
As Tzu Chi’s distribution in Fort Pierce concluded, a sense of love and warmth permeated the space. Hand in hand with communities, Tzu Chi volunteers will continue along the path of compassion as relief continues.
