Hurricane Helene/Milton Response & Recovery

Final Report: Hurricane Helene & Milton Response – Disaster Aid USA

Disaster Aid USA deployed a record number of response teams during Hurricane Helene and Milton, delivering over $3 million in free disaster relief services across multiple states.

In Florida alone, DAUSA mucked and gutted over 300 homes in communities including the Panhandle, Port Richey, Tampa, Safety Harbor, Englewood, Bradenton, Sarasota, Siesta Key, Treasure Island, Fort Myers, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Vero Beach, and others. Our chainsaw and heavy equipment teams assisted more than 50 families by clearing large trees and storm debris from properties and roadways, supporting both residents and local emergency services. At one point, 15 DAUSA teams were operating simultaneously across Florida—the highest deployment in our organization’s history.

In Tennessee and North Carolina, DAUSA teams worked tirelessly in mountainous and riverfront communities to gut flood-damaged homes. Each job presented unique challenges due to difficult terrain, isolation, and limited access to resources, resulting in long hours and complex logistics.

In North Carolina, DAUSA loaned a Side-by-Side utility vehicle to a local Volunteer Fire Department, which was used for life-saving rescue operations, supply deliveries to isolated homes, and fire response efforts. In January, we also donated $20,000 to this department to help replace equipment lost during the disaster.

Our Water Purification Trailer was delivered to North Carolina, where it provided up to 20,000 gallons of clean water per day, serving more than 600 families for several months.

This multi-state response was made possible by teams from Virginia, Texas, Ohio, Maryland, and West Virginia working in Tennessee and North Carolina, while teams from Louisiana, Texas, and Florida covered the extensive relief operations throughout Florida.

This historic deployment underscores Disaster Aid USA’s expanding capacity and unwavering commitment to serving communities in crisis with professional volunteers, heavy equipment, and sustainable recovery solutions.