As Service Members Work Around-the-Clock on Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts, the USO is by Their Side

By Danielle DeSimone

On September 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, made landfall along Florida’s northwestern coast and moved across North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia, devastating much of the southeast region. The storm’s destructive path led to historic and catastrophic flooding, devastating winds, loss of power and water, the loss of entire homes and infrastructure, as well as numerous injuries and fatalities.

As local communities throughout the southeast assess the damage caused by Hurricane Helene and continue relief efforts, the National Guard and the Coast Guard have sprung into action to help in the storm’s aftermath.

These service members are not only leaving their loved ones behind to tackle stressful disaster response missions, but many are also members of the very communities they are supporting, making their response efforts all the more challenging.

While these service members work tirelessly around the clock in support of the southeast region, the USO is right there alongside them, providing crucial support and helping to ensure that they can carry out their mission.

National Guard and Coast Guard Activate for Hurricane Helene Response

With more than 200 fatalities and entire cities devastated, Hurricane Helene has been declared the deadliest hurricane to hit the United States mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

When Hurricane Helene struck the coast of northwestern Florida on the evening of September 26, 2024, it brought sustained winds of 140 mph and a “nightmare” storm surge. As the storm moved over western North Carolina, the region was devastated by inland flooding that destroyed roads, bridges, homes and entire city streets. South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee were also deeply affected, and more than a week after the storm hit, all of these communities are still evaluating the extent of the damage of the storm.

More than 6,000 members of the National Guard from 16 states across the U.S. have been activated and are providing assistance in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

This hurricane response has included the deployment of over 25 aircraft and 400 vehicles to assist in search and rescue, debris and route clearance, as well as transportation and distribution of disaster relief supplies.

In Florida, National Guard members have so far rescued 165 people and more than 60 pets using helicopters, boats and high-water vehicles. Additionally, they have cleared over 2,200 miles of roads and established 36 sites to distribute supplies to local communities.

Members of the U.S. Coast Guard have also been extremely crucial in rescue efforts in Florida; as the storm raged and in the days that followed, Coasties rescued and saved 21 lives and five pets in Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina.

U.S. Army Col. Paul Hollenack, commander of the North Carolina National Guard’s 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, reported that that members of the National Guard have so far distributed more than 600,000 pounds of food, water and supplies to members of affected communities. In North Carolina, this support is especially crucial, as many citizens have been completely cut off from outside assistance due to washed out infrastructure. But regardless of the challenges they face in reaching affected communities, in North Carolina alone, the National Guard has rescued more than 500 people and 150 pets, and they are continuing to clear debris from roads so more assistance can reach those in need.

For many of these service members, this work is personal. As members of the National Guard, many Guard members are based out of the states in which they are currently serving – in other words, they are members of the very communities that have been affected by Hurricane Helene. When they received orders to report for hurricane relief efforts, they had to leave their loved ones and their homes behind, hoping they’d be safe in the path of the storm. Some soldiers have even lost their own homes to Hurricane Helene and despite the immense loss, have decided to volunteer for active-duty anyways and instead channel their efforts into helping other members of their community.

Being called upon to support your own hometown and witnessing the damage done to it can take a toll on the service members responding to hurricanes. After all, Hurricane Helene was an incredibly destructive storm, and recovery will take time for the people, homes and cities who have been affected. As service members continue to work around-the-clock in dangerous conditions in order to provide critical support to southeastern communities, they themselves need support as well. And that’s where the USO comes in.

The USO Provides Support to the People Serving in the Wake of Hurricane Helene

From the moment states began preemptively activating National Guard units ahead of Hurricane Helene’s arrival, the USO began preparing as well.

It has become our organization’s standard operating procedure, any time there is a natural disaster, to coordinate with the military and be ready to provide support to those service members activated in response to disaster relief. This time was no different.

In the days leading up to Hurricane Helene, USO teams began packing supplies: from pallets of water, to much-needed snacks, to packets of socks, to USO Care Packages outfitted with toiletry items, volunteers and staff began preparing supplies that would best support service members after long days out in the field, conducting hurricane relief work.

Mobile USO teams also began to load up, gas up and hit the road, heading first to Florida. Five of these Mobile USO vehicles began making their way south even before the storm hit, and in the days that have followed, these teams have provided crucial support.

Acting as “USO Centers on wheels,” the Mobile USO units and the teams that operate them provide them a moment of respite after long days working in the wake of the storm. In addition to offering classic USO amenities like Wi-Fi and device charging stations, Mobile USO vehicles are also stocked with snacks, water and sports drinks to keep service members properly fueled and hydrated so they can stay sharp during their missions. With electricity, water and cell service extremely limited – or nonexistent – in the wake of a hurricane, having a space where they can access air conditioning, a cold glass of water and Wi-Fi and a charging port to reach out to their loved ones is crucial to boosting morale among responding service members.

Another benefit of Mobile USO vehicles is that they are able to access multiple locations over a short period of time so they can meet the service members where they are, instead of service members needing to pause their duties to head to the nearest USO Center. These Mobile USO teams are driving right into areas most affected by the storm – because where our service members go, so too does the USO.

These resources might seem like a small reprieve in light of the immense work required in natural disaster relief, however, having small moments of respite after responding to so much destruction can make all the difference in service members’ operational readiness and well-being as they prepare to head out onto another mission.

“As soon as I saw the USO, it brought light to my face,” said U.S. Army Spc. Rodriguez, who was serving in South Carolina. “I already knew they were going to take care of us.”

It is important to remember that for many members of the National Guard who are currently leading relief efforts, the areas they are responding to are their homes. They are members of the communities that have been affected by the storm, and they had to leave their own loved ones behind to go help others in need. Seeing this level of destruction within their own communities can take its toll.

U.S. Army Spc. Samuel Meadows, a combat medic, shared how the work that he and his team have been doing has affected him, and how the USO has been a source of support.

While on orders in Florida, Samuel volunteered to go into the disaster zone to evacuate a family friend and his family. He explained how terrible it was to witness the damage done to the landscape and people’s homes as he helped evacuate this family.

The pace of these service members’ work can also take a toll. Samuel shared that since September 27, he and his team have been consistently working 14-hour shifts while conducting maintenance work in their off-hours. This kind of schedule can be grueling, which is why support from the USO is so crucial.

At the end of a long, hard day clearing pathways in South Carolina and airlifting critical supplies to Asheville, North Carolina, Samuel was met with the familiar sight of the red, white and blue USO logo on the side of one of our Mobile USO vehicles.

“People don’t understand how well [the USO] boosts the morale out here. When you’ve got all of these guys who are coming in sweaty, tired … and then we get a snack?” he said. “It’s like that extra little boost from the community that really shows that we’re appreciated.”

Aside from the physical challenges of this hurricane relief work, witnessing the destruction of lives and homes during long shifts in the disaster zone can take an emotional toll on these service members. The USO provides support to the people who serve during natural disaster relief to provide them with a short respite – this way, they can recharge and prepare themselves for yet another day of crucial work.

As the focus of Hurricane Helene’s destruction shifts from Florida, our Mobile USO teams are quickly moving to support these service members in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. While they work hard to carry out relief efforts, we will continue to provide resources that can help ensure their well-being and operational readiness.

It is the generosity of our donors and partners that gives the USO the flexibility to respond quickly to meet the needs of all service members. We can deploy resources just as service members receive their orders. With the support of the American people, we can ensure that we are always by the side of the people who serve as they carry out their missions.

Are you interested in giving back to the people who serve and volunteering with the USO? Learn more about what it means to be a USO Volunteer and if there’s a USO Center near you by clicking here!