As we’ve seen in the news, devastating hurricanes have swept the East Coast, leaving communities in the wake of destruction, with more tropical storms predicted on the horizon. In the face of the challenging circumstances, private philanthropy and community groups are stepping up to aid in recovery and resilience. In response, our team has put together a resource page on our website collecting all the outlets for supporting hurricane relief right now. Please contact Communications Director, Maggie Mosley, if you have anything to add to this list.
Federal Support and Shared Resources
- Applying for Disaster Assistance: People in designated counties can apply for FEMA assistance in three ways: online by visiting disasterassistance.gov, calling 1-800-621-3362 or in the FEMA App.
- Reunification: People who need help reconnecting with loved ones missing after the hurricane can call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
- Small Business Support: SBA offers low-interest loans to help in disaster recovery. These loans can be used for losses not covered by insurance or FEMA for both personal and business needs, or business operating expenses that could have been met if the disaster had not occurred. SBA disaster loans are available to businesses of all sizes, homeowners, renters, and private non-profit organizations in declared disaster areas. To find out if you’re eligible to apply, visit the Disaster Declaration Search Page. Types of SBA Disaster Loans include:
- Physical Damage Loans: For the repair and replacement of physical assets damaged in a declared disaster.
- Mitigation Assistance: Provides funding to make improvements to reduce future damage.
- Economic Injury Loans: Helps cover operating expenses for small businesses affected by the disaster.
- Military Reservist Loan: Assists small businesses with operating expenses when employees are on active duty leave.
Additional resources and state updates on Hurricane Milton can be found by visiting:
- FEMA’s Website on Hurricane Milton. Spanish version available here.
- Fact Sheet on Pre-Landfall Preparations for Hurricane Milton
- Follow FEMA’s Tweet with Updates on Emergency Alerts.
- FEMA’s Tweet on Evacuation Orders, Open Shelters, and More Resources for Florida Residents.
Resources and Assistance for Communities Impacted by Hurricane Helene:
- Hurricane Helene FEMA Resources: FEMA has a list of State, Tribal and Local official websites and resources on FEMA.gov/Helene.
- Supporting the Response: If you are an organization wanting to support, please contact the FEMA Voluntary Agency Liaisons at FEMA-VAL@fema.dhs.gov.
- FEMA’s Website on Hurricane Helene
- Updated Fact Sheet: Sparing No Resource to Support Communities Impacted by Hurricane Helene.
State-Based Resources
Florida
State Assistance Information and Resources Line: The state of Florida has activated the State Assistance Information Line. Residents needing information and resources can call 1-800-342-3557. There are English, Spanish & Creole speakers available to answer questions.
Florida Emergency Shelters: A list of emergency shelters, including those that can accommodate people who need assistance and those who have pets can be found at Shelter Status | Florida Disaster.
Live Updates: For live updates, follow FLSERT on X and Instagram and FDEM on Facebook.
Quick Links:
Georgia
Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security—Hurricane Helene Diaster Support
Staying Informed
Social Media
- Glynn County EMA Facebook
- Glynn County Board of Commissioners Facebook
- National Weather Service – Jacksonville
- The City of Brunswick’s Facebook
- Georgia Emergency Management & Homeland Security Agency
Alerts – Mobile / Text (SMS) & Email
Be sure you have a phone charger to keep your phone charged if the power goes out.
If you have a cell phone or smartphone, you have lots of options for receiving up-to-date information about emergencies:
- CodeRED- Subscribe to the Glynn County Emergency Notification System
CodeRed allows Glynn County 911 and EMA to send messages to the public by text/SMS, e-mail, and Internet posts. - The National Weather Service can now send free weather warnings directly to your phone if a hazard is imminent in Glynn County. Check with your wireless carrier to see if your wireless phone is WEA (Wireless Emergency Alert) enabled to receive these messages.
Volunteer
The CERT program is a partnership with the City of Brunswick and is enriched by certified and seasoned instructors from key agencies, such as Glynn County EMA, Glynn County Fire Rescue, Glynn County Police Department, City of Brunswick Fire, City of Brunswick Police Department, Community Church, Glynn County Amateur Radio Club, and The United Way. This collaboration not only ensures high-quality training but also fosters relationships and information exchange among emergency response agencies and volunteers.
South Carolina
- FEMA Region 4
- Inciweb – Incident Information System
- South Carolina Emergency Management Division
- South Carolina Office of the Governor
- South Carolina State and Local Level Referrals
- Local News & Media
- Visit the News & Media page for events, fact sheets, press releases and other multimedia resources.
- Local Resources Custom Text
- Emerald Multimedia Collection
- DVIDS Multimedia Collection
- Volunteer and Donate
- Recovery can take many years after a disaster. There are many ways to help such as donating cash, needed items or your time. Learn more about how to help those in need.
- Don’t self-deploy to disaster areas. Trusted organizations in the affected areas know where volunteers are needed. Work with an established organization to make sure you have the appropriate safety, training and skills needed to respond.
- FEMA Voluntary Agency Liaisons (VALs) build relationships and coordinate efforts with voluntary, faith-based and community organizations active in disasters.
- Doing Business with FEMA
- If you are interested in providing paid services and goods for disaster relief, visit our Doing Business with FEMA page to get started.
- If you own a business involved with debris removal and want to work on clean-up efforts in affected areas, please contact the local government in affected areas to offer your services.
North Carolina
Western North Carolina Helene Response & Rebuild is a live resource guide that is being updated with current information and is a tool for those affected by the hurricane to find resources. Please share this information with your networks and anyone you know who would need assistance.
NC Inclusive Disaster Recovery Network, a collaborative of public, non-profit, and faith-based organizations seeking avenues for community voice and equitable access to resources in our disaster recovery system. If you’re an NC organization in need of connection to resources such as volunteers, donations, legal help, etc., reach out to Andrew.Shoenig@MDCinc.org.
Agricultural Disaster Assistance for Hurricane Helene Recovery is a compiled list of farm-based resources and considerations pulled together by the Land Loss Prevention Project. This includes immediate assistance assessment tips for farmers and links to state and federal aid resources.
North Carolina Local Efforts:
- American Red Cross
- Diaper Bank of NC
- Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina
- Operation Airdrop
- Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwestern North Carolina
- The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina
- Western North Carolina Response & Recovery
Philanthropy Serving Organizations and Funder Giving Opportunities :
- Florida Philanthropic Network
- Appalachian Funders Network
- North Carolina Network of Grantmakers
- Philanthropy Southeast
- Farm Aid
Learning Resources for Funders
- The Center for Disaster Philanthropy has several resources that can help funders plan their response. Additionally, CDP hosted a webinar on how funders can support Hurricane Helene recovery.