Though they were seven hours away, their suffering felt like his own. He couldn’t bear the thought of watching his home swallowed by floodwaters, losing friends and family to a sudden disaster, or spending Thanksgiving alone,

Some communities more socially vulnerable to disasters According to an October report from the U.S. Census Bureau, more than half a million North Carolinians living under disaster declarations during Hurricane Helene were already highly vulnerable to disasters.

With Thanksgiving approaching, the leaders of North Carolina Hearts with Hands Disaster Relief find themselves grateful to be able to serve their own community after Helene's deadly flooding.