Hurricane Helene left a path of destruction more than 800 miles long, spanning from Southwest Florida to Virginia. This massive area of impact includes Florida's Big Bend where communities are still recovering from two prior hurricanes (Idalia in August 2023 and Debby in August 2024), as well as a tornado in May 2024 -- all in the last 13 months. This is the tragic case of repetitive damage and loss. 

In the immediate aftermath of Helene, Red Cross partnered with Citrus County Government to support displaced citizens by opening an emergency shelter in Citrus Springs. County Administrator Steve Howard visited the shelter the day it opened and shared, "County staff, Health Department and Red Cross have done an exemplary job! I’m proud of the work they are doing. I spoke to many citizens that were very thankful." 

One of the families affected by Hurricane Helene is Brian and Nanza Darley who came to the shelter when they lost their home. “This is devastating…there is nothing left,” said Nanza Darley. She later stated that the Red Cross volunteers at the shelter “listen to us and give us hope.” Her husband Brian Darley said, “The Red Cross is giving us a chance to put our life back together.” 

This is a similar sentiment from another shelter resident Joseph Melchionne from Citrus County. He and his disabled mother came to the shelter after a tree fell on their home. He explained, “We never have had to ask for help before on any of the other storms we went through. I’m glad that there was someone to help…a big thank you to the (Red Cross) volunteers.”  

HOW TO FIND HELP  Find shelters and other resources by downloading the free Red Cross Emergency app. For people unable to access the information they need, call 1-800 RED CROSS but keep in mind longer wait times due to large call volume. You can also find shelters and community-based services by following your local emergency officials on social media or by monitoring local news. 

The Red Cross has disaster mental health workers available at many locations. If you or a loved one needs help, reach out through the Disaster Distress Helpline for free 24/7 multilingual support by calling or texting 1-800-985-5990. 

HOW YOU CAN HELP People affected by Hurricane Helene need urgent help now, and we can’t do this alone. You can help by making a financial donation by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or texting the word HELENE to 90999. Financial donations for Hurricane Helene enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster. 

If you would like to volunteer with the Red Cross, visit redcross.org/volunteer to learn more about volunteer opportunities.