ATLANTA — As of Tuesday, Helene’s death toll has surpassed 150, with search and rescue crews spread across the mountains of western North Carolina.
Helicopters are being used to reach those trapped due to washed-out bridges. Crews on the ground are going in on foot and horseback to reach isolated homes.
“Communities were wiped off the map,” North Carolina’s governor, Roy Cooper, said at a news conference Tuesday.
Close to 300,000 customers are still without power across the western North Carolina mountains.
Relief efforts have been set up across the Southeast as more than a dozen states have sent hundreds of personnel to help.
In Atlanta, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta (UUCA) is mobilizing to collect essential supplies for the affected communities.
UUCA’s Senior Minister, Rev. Taryn Strauss, is evoking the Atlanta community to come together in support of this effort. She is leveraging her direct contacts in Asheville to ensure supplies reach those most in need.
Donations will be accepted until 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday and from 10 a.m. until noon on Wednesday.
The church started collecting items on Monday. As of Tuesday afternoon, they confirmed that they had not only collected a number of items but also raised more than $20,000 through contributions.
You can drop off donations at 2650 N. Druid Hills Road NE in Atlanta. They're looking for the following items:
- Bottled water
- Non-perishable food
- Diapers
- Formula
- Menstrual products
- Wet wipes
- Pet food
- Paper towels
Rev. Strauss is coordinating logistics with UUCA’s Executive Director, Bryce Thomason, and their partners on the ground in Asheville, ensuring that all donations will be efficiently distributed to families facing the brunt of the disaster.
