Hurricane Helene has caused incredible damage here in the Carolinas. We are already receiving reports of downed trees, power outages, and most frighteningly, many flooded rivers and dams near collapse.

We have also received some questions about how LDR Carolinas can help in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, especially as we begin to ask rostered ministers about the conditions in their congregations and communities. This post may be a lot of information to read and absorb in the midst of a disaster, but hopefully it will help others understand why we are asking for information about your local conditions!

At this point, as part of the NC and SC Synods, we are most concerned about damage affecting the congregations directly – specifically injuries to staff and members, and damage to the church buildings or to the parsonage or pastor’s home. Both synods have disaster funds. There is even a special campaign ongoing right now for the SC Synod Disaster Fund. Those funds make it possible for each synod to provide financial assistance directly to congregations affected by a disaster.

We want to support you and your congregations’ work in your own communities. Information about the conditions in your congregation and community helps us assess what resources we can suggest to you and helps us report useful information to our partner organizations. Lutheran Disaster Response is not normally one of the organizations that provides immediate relief following a disaster, but we do partner with other organizations through NVOAD (National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster). LDR Carolinas works directly with our partners in both the North Carolina and South Carolina VOADs.

LDR’s major strengths are in long-term recovery and disaster case management. Meaning that LDR can bring funding to the table to assist with the repair and rebuilding of homes in the months and years following a major disaster. In the Carolinas, that long-term funding and work is coordinated through our partner agency, Lutheran Services Carolinas.

Help is available. As LDR Carolinas, we do not have large teams of volunteers available to provide immediate assistance in your community, but many of our partner organizations through VOAD do. The American Red Cross and Salvation Army are two of our partners that provide shelter and feeding, and other organizations like Baptists on Mission, UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief), and Team Rubicon ( a veterans’ organization) often provide the volunteer labor to help clear debris, tarp roofs, and begin mucking out flooded homes.

To receive volunteer assistance with home damage from Helene, please register with Crisis Cleanup at 844-965-1386. In addition to registering for assistance with necessary work, this will also help officials assess the extent of damages in your community. More resources are available in both English and Spanish. Please let us know if you need them. We encourage you to share this information with everyone in your congregation and community!

We do have the ability to request Solidarity Grants from LDR. These grants help provide for short-term unmet needs in an area affected by a disaster. Information from you about the needs in your community will help us prepare a grant request for these funds if they are needed. We also want to partner with congregational or community leaders who can help administer those funds in their area.

We would also welcome an opportunity to meet with pastors in your conference or to speak with your congregation to explain more about the work of LDR Carolinas, especially our two focuses of promoting disaster preparedness and developing a network of individuals and congregations in the Carolinas who are prepared to respond when a disaster occurs.

Let us know if you can help! Volunteers are needed to help with the cleanup, but please DO NOT self-deploy. If you are available to help, let us know and we will help you connect with other organizations already at work in the area.

Volunteers are also needed to take phone calls to Crisis Cleanup. This can be done from your own home on your own schedule. All you need are basic computer skills. Let us know if you would like to help, and we will help you get the brief online training.

We continue to pray for all those who have been affected by Hurricane Helene (along with previous disaster recoveries that we are still assisting with here in the Carolinas)!