Hurricane Helene dissipated over Tennessee on Saturday, clearing the path for nationwide relief efforts to touch down across the southeastern United States. DC-based chef José Andrés’s nonprofit, World Central Kitchen, is among the organizations providing on-the-ground support.
Helene made landfall in northern Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane Thursday night, ushering in life-threatening floods and storm surge. Winds roared up to 140 mph, knocking out electricity and displacing households. WCK’s Relief Team and Rapid Relief Field Kitchen—manned by “food first responders” who work out of custom trucks equipped with cooking supplies, ingredients, and solar panels—was prepositioned in Tallahassee before the storm blew in, according to the organization.
WCK’s Relief Team is on the ground and in the skies over Florida, identifying communities most in need of support after Hurricane Helene. Water, sand, and debris blanket our search areas, but we will continue to do what it takes to provide nourishing meals. #ChefsForFlorida pic.twitter.com/jLHomeBmYT
— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) September 30, 2024
The Rapid Relief Field Kitchen, which WCK says can provide thousands of meals each day, arrived in the small Gulf coastal town of Steinhatchee less than 12 hours after Helene passed through. There, the organization reports, volunteers offered water and served nearly 400 meals of chicken and rice to impacted residents.
After leaving Florida, the storm swept through Georgia, where WCK was the first relief organization to arrive. Director of Emergency Response Sam Bloch, who traveled by helicopter to provide aid in the town of Pearson, noted that high winds tore roofs off of many houses, downed several trees, and cut off electricity.
🚁 Sam checks in from the skies over southwest Florida while en route to pick up meals from a WCK partner restaurant in Ashville. Our Relief Teams are hard at work, providing meals across Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina to support families affected by Hurricane Helene.… pic.twitter.com/LXP0fIw5WE
— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) September 29, 2024
More WCK responders are identifying areas of high need in Tennessee and North Carolina, where Helene triggered devastating floods. Andrés posted a video to X early Monday morning while en route to Asheville, filming inside an Abingdon, Virginia, Waffle House where he was buying sandwiches to hand out to first responders on his way.
Quick report on my way to Ashville to join @WCKitchen teams, from a @WaffleHouse in Abingdon, picking up sandwiches for any hungry first responder I may find in the way! Proud of the teams responding in many states from Florida to North Carolina plus our response in Acapulco..🫶🏻 pic.twitter.com/toGiNcdOQ4
— Chef José Andrés 🕊️🥘🍳 (@chefjoseandres) September 30, 2024
Washingtonian has reached out to WCK for more information on the status of its relief efforts. We have not heard back yet.
Those who want to provide support to WCK’s Helene response can make a monetary donation. The website heleneaid.com features a list of organizations seeking donations, including food banks local to impacted areas and grassroots relief groups such as Operation Airdrop and nonprofit Operation BBQ Relief, which serves up smoked meats to natural-disaster victims.
