HOUSTON — As the devastation from Hurricane Helene comes into full view, volunteers and resources from Texas could help recovery efforts in the hardest-hit areas.
On Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced that he would deploy emergency generators to Georgia.
The Houston Texans have also stepped up to help. After a Sunday victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team announced it would donate $1 million to hurricane relief.
A number of non-profit organizations have also laid out their plans to help those impacted.
About 20 volunteers from American Red Cross Texas Gulf Coast region have been on the ground in Florida.
Texas A&M’s Task Force 1 also had people stationed in Florida before the storm. As of Monday, some members of that 80-person crew were on the move to North Carolina to assist with the continued search and rescue efforts.
With parts of North Carolina cut off after Helene, the United Cajun Navy has begun flying food and supplies to the area. In a social media video, volunteers can be seen unloading from a small aircraft in Black Mountain, NC.
Executive Director Jennifer Toby said the organization's efforts involve a couple hundred Houston-area volunteers.
“I think all of our volunteers have been through this exact situation, and that’s how we get a lot of our volunteers, and they want to give back,” she said.
The non-profit organization Mercy Chefs tells KHOU 11 it has one team deployed in Florida and a second team in North Carolina. The organization was founded in 2006 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Founder and CEO Gary LeBlanc said the communities he’s seen near Ashville, NC are hurting.
“The scope of the damage, the loss of life, it far exceeds anything that’s been reported,” he said. “It feels just like Katrina all over again.”
LeBlanc said his teams will serve about 10,000 meals a day for as long as there’s a need. In some parts of North Carolina, he explained that need could last months.
“We’re here to do as many beautiful hot meals as we can just as we’ve done in Houston several times this year to remind people that they’re not forgotten and there’s hope for recovery,” he said.