Helping Hurricane Helene survivors

By Shari Harris, Publisher

Just over a month ago, on September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene cut a path of destruction across the southeastern United States, leaving death and destruction in its wake. Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia received record rainfall, causing rivers to overflow and resulting in flash floods, road washouts and even landslides.

Many watched in disbelief as reports of the devastation were shown on television and social media. The desire to reach out and help a neighbor in need, but not being sure how to help, was likely felt by most. An Edgar Springs couple, Clark and Kathy Jaeger, were among those wanting to lend a hand.

“The Lord talked to us, we talked to each other, and we did it,” Jaeger explained, as she and her husband decided to personally take a load of supplies east.

“We felt the need to go,” she explained. “People needed help.”

A post on their personal Facebook page reached many others who were wanting to help, and within 24 hours, they had enough supplies to fill a three-horse trailer.

A very generous donor, who had helped during the recovery after Hurricane Katrina, came by and advised them on what would be beneficial to take. He made a few calls and found a place in Pacific, Mo., where they could pick up 15 generators that could be fueled by gasoline or by a propane tank.

The Jaegers were able to make contact with a gentleman associated with a church in Greenville, Tennessee, who was accepting donations of supplies, and on Thursday, October 3, they were on their way. After picking up the generators in Pacific, they stopped for the night on the other side of Nashville, then the next day they picked up ten 20# tanks filled with propane at a Lowes in Knoxville to add to their load. The Lowes store sold them the propane tanks at their cost.

A cowboy church campground in Greenville had been converted into a distribution site, and when the Jaegers arrived on Friday, they were met by some of the 50-60 volunteers who operated the site. They efficiently unloaded their supplies, and other volunteers sorted supplies into packages to be distributed. Then packages were weighed and placed on pallets and a tractor hauled the pallets to the helipad. Between 11 and 14 helicopter flights per day left the distribution site loaded with the supplies to drop them where they were needed. During the 90 minutes the Jaegers were onsite, three or four helicopters were loaded and took off.

Along with the propane and generators, the Jaegers took diapers, formula, wipes, food, clothing, and square bales of hay.

On their return trip, they crossed the Nolichucky Dam, which only days earlier was completely underwater and failure of the dam was believed to be imminent. Kathy Jaeger shared that while seeing the distance down to the river, it was difficult to comprehend how the water could have been so high as to submerge the entire structure.

The Jaegers still had some funds to donate, so they went east to Johnson City, bought two carts of diapers, wipes and formula, then delivered them to Erwin, Tennessee, at a school. While waiting to unload, they helped volunteers unload a trailer ahead of them. The Jaegers returned to Missouri on Saturday, but their adventures didn’t end there.

The first snow fell on some of the devastated areas the next week. A request for warm items was put out, and the Jaegers responded again. Through their personal contacts and contacts through their business, Zane’s Tire and Garage, in Rolla, they began to accumulate funds and supplies for another trip. Phelps County Bank and First Community National Bank assisted with a baby diaper drop, but when Red Door Gifts heard about it through the Rolla Chamber of Commerce, they really promoted it, and before the Jaegers knew it, they had to get another truck and trailer to haul everything. A friend, Olivia Mueller, offered to take her truck, a customer loaned them a trailer, and another friend, Jason Bunton, offered to go along. The Salvation Army reached out to them and put them in touch with a retired Marine veteran who wanted to donate, and he gave a four-wheeler, three generators, blankets, sleeping bags, coats and more. Funds donated allowed for the purchase of 17 more generators. A church in Cuba had collected half a trailer load of items, and asked the Jaegers if they would take their items. Pepsico donated cases of Gatorade. Blankets, 50-60 new sleeping bags, coats, generators, formula, onesies and other supplies were packed in the trailers.

This time the supplies were taken to a man whose wife worked in North Carolina at a nursing home. They were distributed to contacts she had throughout the region.

Kathy Jaeger explained that funds raised are still being disbursed in the area.

When asked if they would return, the Jaegers weren’t sure. Boots on the ground are more of what’s needed now, they explained; helpers to clean up and to rebuild.

“Don’t forget them,” Kathy Jaeger urged. “It’s not over.”

It’s anticipated that it will take years for the area to rebuild, with vital infrastructure washed away, along with houses, businesses and lives.

Over 230 deaths are attributed to the disaster, and it’s one of the costliest and deadliest storms to hit the U.S. Along with local relief efforts like the Jaegers, regional and national responses have also been seen.

Samaritan’s Purse (samaritanspurse.org) has been very active in the area, as has Convoy of Hope (convoyofhope.org). Both of these organizations accept donations of any size, and they share information on their web pages about what they are doing to help. Pastor Paul Richardson, of Licking Assembly of God, shared that many teams and hundreds of trailer loads of supplies have been delivered by Convoy of Hope, and that they are there long after most people leave a disaster area. The American Red Cross (redcross.org) is also helping in the area, as are state and national government organizations.

The Jaegers provided a unique perspective about the culture of the Appalachian people and their unwillingness to accept help from the government. Perhaps this culture extends from a distrust of the government from the days of moonshining. Or possibly it is due to a need to be strong and independent in order to eke out a living in a rugged land that can, at times, be unforgiving, much like the Ozarks. Regardless, this culture may mean more successful outreach will be possible by non-profit entities not associated with the government.

Help is also coming from benefits like Eric Church and Luke Combs star-studded concert that raised $25 million over the weekend, and donations by individuals and businesses, like Dolly Parton’s personal $1 million donation. But also helpful are the donations made by all the individuals, from the donor who gave $5 at Zane’s Tire and Garage, to the Trail Ride and Chili Dinner benefit organized recently by Kevin and Tina Garrett in Texas County. And prayers are always welcomed. It’s going to take all of this and more to fix the damage caused by Hurricane Helene.