This weekend, Hurricane Florence delivered a crippling blow to parts of North Carolina, claiming at least twenty-five lives in this state alone, flooding neighborhoods, and shutting down roads.
All things considered, the Triangle—especially its northern end—got off easy, with just a good amount of rain and a stiff breeze to contend with. Eastern North Carolina, particularly near the coast, wasn’t so lucky.
The five-hundred-mile-wide storm was a category 1 hurricane when it made landfall at Wrightsville Beach early Friday, delivering strong winds and heavy rain. More than one million people were ordered to evacuate, and twenty thousand sought refuge in more than 150 state shelters. Nearly a half million remain without power, Duke Energy reported Monday. State and federal rescue personnel have already performed more than nine hundred water rescues, Governor Cooper told reporters.
The impacts of Hurricane Florence will be felt for days and weeks to come, as storm waters make their way back to rivers such as the Neuse and Cape Fear, which are expected to rise dozens of feet and crest higher than they did during Hurricane Matthew. Flooding has already caused the Sanford Dam to fail, collapsed a coal ash landfill near Wilmington, and could potentially threaten public health and the environment if floodwaters overtake a region home to a high concentration of hog farms. (At least one open-air lagoon has already been breached and three others have been inundated by floodwaters, the N.C. Pork Council said Monday.)
Here are some ways you can help those affected by the storm:
Donate to the N.C. Disaster Relief Fund, which is operated by the state, at governor.nc.gov. Contributions will help with the “immediate unmet needs of Hurricane Florence victims.” You can also text “Florence” to 20222.
The Durham Solidarity Center, Southern Vision Alliance, Blueprint NC, Environmental Justice Network, Farm Labor Organizing Committee, and other groups have started an effort called A Just Florence Recovery to collect and deliver supplies directly to affected areas. Canned food, tarps and ropes, hygiene items, over-the-counter medicines, cots and air mattresses, cleaning supplies, and plastic bags are needed. The coalition is working with Operation Air Drop to fly out of RDU and airlift supplies to inaccessible areas. Supplies can be dropped off at TAC Air Building (1725 East International Drive, Morrisville). Volunteers are needed there to pack and sort donations. Other drop-off sites are located at the Durham Fruit Company, the Durham Co-Op, the A. Philip Randolph Institute, Zog’s Pool Hall, RENA Center, and Steel String Brewery. Visit anothergulf.com/a-just-florence-recovery for more information, and search “A Just Florence Recovery/Operation Air Drop” on Facebook for the latest updates.
Donate to United Way’s Hurricane Florence Recovery Fund at unitedway.org/recovery/hurricane-florence; all donations will be distributed to local United Way chapters in affected areas. Or find a local United Way chapter and donate directly, like United Way of Coastal Carolina, which serves Carteret, Craven, Jones, and Pamlico Counties; United Way Cape Fear Area, which serves Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, and Pender Counties; or United Way of Robeson County.
Donate online at secure.actblue.com/donate/eastnc to the Eastern North Carolina Hurricane Recovery Fund. Donations will benefit on-the-ground organizations in Eastern North Carolina, including Alphalife Enrichment Center, Asociacion de Mexicanos en Carolina de Norte, Genesis 457 CDC, Kinston Teens INC, Integrity CDC, Men and Women United for Youth and Families, the A. Philip Randolph Institute, and the N.C. Association of Community Development Corporations.
Contribute to the Food Bank of Eastern and Central North Carolina. For every $10 you give, the Food Bank can provide fifty meals. Make a financial donation online at FoodBankECNC.org or see the food bank’s website for drop-off locations in Raleigh and Durham. Nonperishable foods, hygiene products, and cleaning supplies are needed.
DonorsChoose.org has started a Hurricane Florence recovery fund to help teachers and schools affected by the storm. Donations will be used to restock damaged classrooms. Donate and report damaged schools at DonorsChoose.org/hurricane-florence.
Donate, at NCField.org/donate, to the NC FIELD Farmworker Emergency Fund to help farmworker families in crisis.
Diaper Bank of North Carolina is collecting diapers, wipes, and cash donations. The organization says it is working with state emergency services to provide disaster relief kits with baby necessities, feminine hygiene products, and adult incontinence supplies. You can donate online at NCDiaperBank.org, drop off diapers at 1311 East Club Boulevard in Durham, or sign up to pack relief kits by emailing info@ncdiaperbank.org. The Durham Mayor’s Council for Women has also organized a drive to benefit the Diaper Bank. Through Friday, donations can be dropped off at Ponysaurus, Cocoa Cinnamon Lakewood, and Club Boulevard Elementary School.
Core Sound Water Fowl Museum and Heritage Center is raising money to help families in the Carteret County Public Schools system recover after Florence. More information at CoreSound.com/hurricane-relief.
The North Carolina Disaster Legal Services effort, which provides disaster-related legal resources, is organized by the North Carolina Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division. Donate at NCBarFoundation.org/donate to support its work.
The Islamic Association of Raleigh and Triangle Muslim Aid are hosting a supply drive Saturday from 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. at the Islamic Association, 808 Atwater Street, Raleigh. More information at RaleighMasjid.org.
Find more nonprofits assisting with Hurricane Florence aid, along with financial and accountability information, through Charity Navigator (charitynavigator.org).
