This year’s hurricane season has already hit Florida with two monumental storms. There were more than 230 fatalities from Hurricane Helene, which unleashed devastation across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. Helene, which made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region on Sept. 26 as a Category 4 hurricane, has become the deadliest mainland hurricane since Katrina in 2005. A week later, Hurricane Milton reached land as a Category 3 hurricane, hitting south of Tampa Bay, a region that hasn’t seen a direct hit in over 50 years. So far, at least 24 fatalities have been reported due to the effects of Hurricane Milton.
First-year Logan Virgil said he couldn’t return home to South Tampa for fall break because of the hurricane.
“My family evacuated, but a lot of my friends stayed,” Virgil said. “There is a general knowledge that hurricanes don’t really impact Tampa as much because people are always over-exaggerating it.”
Sophomore Kate Pickens, who lives in Gainesville, Florida, said her family didn’t receive the brunt of Milton’s effects but that many people in her community are struggling.
“My family was lucky to not have received the worst of the hurricanes’ effects, but there still was plenty of havoc wreaked on the city,” Pickens said. “One of our good family friends had a tree crash into the middle of their home and will have months of repairs and still may never recover some of their belongings, which is really tragic.”
Floridians like Pickens are calling on nearby states for support.
“Raising money to help support people whose houses were affected in this way and can’t afford repairs and even basic necessities is always so beneficial in the aftermath of a big storm like Milton,” Pickens said. “We can only hope for a quick recovery for Tampa Bay and the other places that got severely affected by the storm.”
Though Nashville has largely been spared from the hurricanes, eastern parts of Tennessee experienced significant damage from Hurricane Helene. Vanderbilt students can lend a helping hand to help with hurricane relief.
The following national organizations are accepting donations to help affected areas, some of which were already struggling with the devastation from Hurricane Helene before Hurricane Milton hit. Here’s how you can support relief efforts:
The American Red Cross is opening and supporting shelters for people who have evacuated their homes. Make a financial donation or an appointment to give blood by visiting its website. Volunteers can also support efforts through the Nashville Chapter of the American Red Cross. It is seeking volunteers to support efforts in both Florida and Tennessee. You can sign up to help with shelter operations, meal preparation and other critical support roles.
Vanderbilt’s American Red Cross club is doing a blood drive Nov. 4-6 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. CDT in the Community Event Space.
The Salvation Army is providing relief, food service and emotional and spiritual care. You can make a donation online by visiting its website.
Based in Stamford, Connecticut, Americares teams are coordinating delivery of medicines, relief supplies and emergency funding to support health services. They deploy emergency response teams to Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee after Helene made landfall. Visit its website to donate and contribute to its efforts.
Rebuilding Together is helping fund essential repairs and clean-up efforts like tarping damaged roofs, mucking and gutting flooded homes to prevent molding and removing debris in affected communities. You can donate online on its website or by mail.
Based in Sarasota, Florida, which was impacted majorly by Hurricane Milton, All Faiths Food Bank is working directly with local emergency management operations to provide food, water and hygiene items to those in need. Support can be given through its website.
Greater Good Disaster aids the Florida Disaster Fund, which distributes funds to service organizations that help with disaster response and recovery throughout the state. You can donate online or by mailed check.
United Way of Florida organizes resources for those throughout the state and provides recovery support for those. Contributions can be made online to their overall disaster relief fund or can be allocated to specific counties within the state of Florida.
Student organization fundraisers
Vanderbilt’s student organizations can organize fundraisers to support hurricane relief funds. Hosting a charity event or donation drive on campus could help raise money for organizations such as Americares and the Salvation Army, which are providing immediate aid to hurricane survivors.
Local supply drives
Lastly, you can join a supply drive. Look for local drop-off points such as Nashville Superspeedway, where you can donate non-perishable food items, hygiene products and baby supplies.
It’s important to support Vanderbilt students and community members who are unable to return home to hurricane-affected areas. By volunteering, donating or raising awareness, students can contribute to disaster relief efforts and make a meaningful impact during this hurricane season.
