Hurricane Helene Rapid Response | All Hands and Hearts

All Hands and Hearts (AHAH) was staged and ready to provide immediate relief before Hurricane Helene’s record-breaking landfall, first arriving in Pasco and Madison Counties, Florida, in the hours following Helene’s passage. Within two days, AHAH deployed a team to Asheville, North Carolina, in response to reports of unprecedented flash flooding and mudslides ravaging the region. The team assessed over 60 homes for emergency assistance and completed debris removal, mucking, gutting and tree removal across more than 20 sites during their first week.

Less than two weeks later, while still engaged in immediate Hurricane Helene cleanup efforts in Florida, Hurricane Milton – the fastest intensifying Category 5 hurricane on record – began to close in on Florida, prompting the team’s evacuation. Anticipating severe damage, AHAH was prepared to return immediately after the storm, resuming critical cleanup and debris removal as part of the early stages of their 12-month response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

North Carolina
In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s impact in Asheville, it was clear that the storm’s repercussions would be felt for months, if not years. Just two days after the hurricane’s unprecedented damage to this astonishingly inland, mountainous region, AHAH had a team on the ground, ready to begin assisting with the community’s needs. While taking in the scale of devastation, we quickly established a base, fully aware that our commitment would extend into long-term recovery efforts.

AHAH’s rapid mobilization allowed teams to quickly address the immediate needs as flood waters retreated, supporting homeowners in Asheville and its surrounding communities by assessing sites for cleanup, mucking, gutting and removing debris. Our early arrival meant we were able to establish local partnerships quickly, with organizations such as the American Red Cross and CORE, to exchange mutual expertise in relief efforts.