In the Face of Disaster, AmeriCorps Rises to the Challenge

In a matter of weeks, two major hurricanes struck the U.S. and left widespread destruction in their wake.

On Sept. 28, Hurricane Helene made landfall on Florida's coastline as a Category 4 major hurricane and carried 140 mile per hour winds northwest, leaving a trail of devastation nearly 500 miles long across Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas.

Just two weeks later, the Florida coast was struck again by a monstrous Category 3 Hurricane Milton.

The two storms caused storm surges that swept into coastal residences and businesses and toppled structures, and flooding that washed out roads and bridges.

The damage was overwhelming, but as the skies cleared, AmeriCorps members were already primed to respond.

The Disaster Services Unit

The Disaster Services Unit coordinates AmeriCorps' engagement through other agenciesat the federal, state, and local levels. When a call for help goes out, the DSU answers by deploying its Disaster Response Teams of AmeriCorps members. From the moment they arrive, as early as 48 hours after a storm strikes, AmeriCorps members arrive on site and work alongside agencies like FEMA and the American Red Cross to help man support shelters, muck and gut homes to remove debris, conduct needs assessments, and more.

It's the kind of work new AmeriCorps member, Austin performed when his team arrived in Florida after Helene's landfall.

"When my team arrived in Florida, the first thing I experienced was the rush of activity; people hurrying to provide help to the community there," Austin said. "Volunteers were operating out of a local church to make meals for people in need while others were constantly in and out, performing wellness checks through the area."

Since arriving, Austin and his AmeriCorps NCCC team have helped install blue tarps on the roofs of damaged buildings, cut and removed fallen trees from homes, and put together care packages for hurricane victims.

It's work that he believes will stay with him for years after the work is finished, and its all in the very spirit of what made him join AmeriCorps in the first place.

"I wanted to serve my country by helping Americans in need," Austin said. "I believe the team and I are showing the people of Florida that people care … I hope they can see that we want to be there to help them heal from this, and that we just want to be a helping hand in their time of need.".

To date, more than 365 AmeriCorps members are deployed to Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton sites. They have helped more than 2,600 people in disaster areas through survivor assistance work and they have reached out to another 800 people to share information on resources available to them in their time of need.

The Spirit of Service

That desire to be the change; to be the helping hand to a stranger in their moment of need is exactly the reason so many Americans choose to join AmeriCorps each year.

For the past 30 years, AmeriCorps members have played a vital role in the response to disasters across the U.S. and they were on the front lines to offer support during the COVID-19 pandemic. From forest fires and floods to hurricanes and tornadoes, more than 170,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers have answered the call for disaster recovery efforts.

Learn more about AmeriCorps' disaster recovery efforts and join the thousands serving with AmeriCorps NCCC.

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