Western North Carolina was crippled by historic flooding and life-threatening conditions from the impacts of Tropical Storm Helene. Many organizations are working to support those in need during this difficult time.
WRAL is coming together with the community to raise funds for those devastated by Hurricane Helene. Tune in Wednesday, Oct. 2, from noon to 7:30 p.m. for our telethon, where every donation goes directly to supporting recovery and rebuilding efforts across the state. Your support can help families, friends, and neighbors regain their footing after the storm. Join us on WRAL and make a difference.
The Red Cross has declared an urgent need for blood and platelet donations in the wake of Hurricane Helene. In addition to the unimaginable devastation caused by the storm, the hurricane forced more than 1,000 scheduled blood donations to go uncollected through the Carolinas and Georgia. That number continues to grow.
Drop off donations during business hours, Monday through Friday, Oct. 4, at the following locations:
Items needed:
A drive-thru donation line will be set up to make the process quick and easy for residents. Follow the signs when you arrive.
Items needed:
In addition to physical donations, cash and checks are also welcome. Please put "Western NC/Helene" in the memo line. All funds will be collected and donated directly to emergency relief efforts in western North Carolina. Please make checks payable to:
For more information, contact the Johnston County Sheriff's Office at 919-989-5010.
All cash donations will be used to purchase gift cards to fast food restaurants so flood victims and members of the rescue, first response and emergency teams can have hot meals. ONS purchases gifts only from those restaurants that provide us with 50% discounts on the gift cards.
The full list of acceptable donation items includes:
Cash and checks written to the Wake Forest Firefighter Foundation are also accepted. All monetary donations will be used to purchase additional relief supplies.
Appalachian State University said the school will be closed for several days due to infrastructure damage to the campus. The school saw significant flooding on Friday.
None of the residence halls were damaged, but its campus did sustain some damage from Helene.
Some of the ways we're providing tangible relief include:
If you are in a personal crisis and need someone to talk with, you can call or text the Crisis Line at 988. If you are not in an immediate crisis, but need someone to talk with, you can call the North Carolina Warm Line: 1-855-733-7762.
NC 211 is an information and referral service provided by United Way of North Carolina and supported by local United Ways and public and private partners
North Carolina leaders mentioned the service as the western part of the state deals with flooding, no water, no power and no cell service in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
People trying to connect with family members can call NC 211 or 1-888-892-1162 if calling from out-of-state. People can also call those numbers to report missing loved ones.