Some Michiganders will be spending this weekend far from home helping with hurricane relief efforts across the southeast U.S.
Florida residents are beginning to repair repairing damage from Hurricane Milton, which smashed through coastal communities and tore homes to pieces, flooded streets and spawned a deadly tornadoes Wednesday night into Thursday. At least eight people were dead, but many expressed relief that Milton wasn’t worse.
Milton’s destructive path through Florida came shortly after Hurricane Helene blew ashore on Sept. 26 with winds of 140 mph (225 kph). Helene killed more than 230 people, caused widespread wreckage and left millions without power. Recovery was ongoing in some areas hit by Helene as Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida Wednesday night.
Greg Martin, the executive director of Disaster Relief at Work, said the Waterford-based nonprofit is operating is in several states struck by Hurricanes Helene and Milton this week.
Martin told Stateside host April Baer it’s important to give people what they need, not just what you want to give.
“Bristol Motor Speedway is the overflow for all donations that people can’t use,” Martin said, “Because the good intentions of people who wanted to help are, 'Let’s throw some stuff on a truck and send it down,' but nobody asked for it. So it just shows up. It’s extra non-perishables that nobody can eat. It’s clothes that nobody’s using.”
Meanwhile, Michigan national guardsmen are among the more than 6,500 guardsmen from more than 10 states mobilized to support rescue and relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Milton.
CH-47 Chinook helicopters and several support crew from the Michigan Army National Guard arrived in Florida on Tuesday ahead of the hurricane making landfall. As part of the ongoing emergency response mission to support areas impacted by severe flooding, the crew will assist federal and local authorities.
President Joe Biden on Sunday will visit areas in Florida impacted by Hurricane Milton. The White House announced Biden’s visit but did not detail exactly where the president will travel.
Biden was scheduled to be briefed by aides Friday afternoon on the federal response and recovery in the aftermath of Hurricanes Milton and Helene.
