The damage left in the wake of Hurricane Ian is some of the worst we have ever seen. The people we’ve met here love this country and their neighbors. Even though there is so much cleanup and rebuilding to be done, there is a sense of optimism and strength as Americans from near and far join together to help their fellow man. Thank you for considering making a donation during this hurricane season.

When the flood waters came through, in just a matter of minutes, so many Kentuckians lost all their possessions and in some cases pets and loved ones. As we work to help find meaningful personal possessions and clear debris from homes, we are so moved by those who survived the flood waters. Their sense of family and community is the driving force that is giving them strength for their journey ahead. Spending time here in the mountains of Kentucky is a reminder that even though we are living through complicated times worldwide, family and community is what’s most important and will help us get through life’s challenges. Please keep in your thoughts and prayers our neighbors here in KY as the work continues.

The peak months for tornadoes are typically April to June and several destructive storm systems have already caused damage across parts of the southern U.S. This spring, we focussed our efforts on helping families find mementos and clear their homesites in Arabi Louisiana where an EF-3 tornado destroyed hundreds of homes along a 11.5 miles path.

During the late evening of Friday, December 10, 2021, 57 people lost their lives from one of the deadliest long tracked tornado outbreaks in history when a violent, long-tracked tornado moved across Western Kentucky for an astonishing 165.6 miles. We worked to help farmers clear massive amounts of debris from their fields and clean up their homesteads. Storms that take place during the holidays are always difficult and we are so grateful that we could help Kentuckians through these very difficult times.

Hurricane Ida was a deadly and destructive Category 4 hurricane which after Hurricane Katrina, the infamous 2005 storm, became the second-most damaging and intense hurricane to make landfall in Louisiana on record. Thankfully many homes were still standing and able to be saved. We focused on helping homeowners clear trees and other storm debris from homesites, which can often be impossible to do without the right equipment.

In the wake of a catastrophic flood that took the lives of 18 people, the Team is working alongside the Tennessee Rangers in Waverly, TN with our heavy equipment to help look for those who are missing, clear debris and help families find their belongings. It’s a small enough community where everyone knows each other and the loss of neighbors and loved ones is truly devastating.

Since January we’ve been helping in Alabama, first with hurricane cleanup and then in the aftermath of multiple tornadoes that touched down in Birmingham and surrounding communities. It’s meaningful to be here and help these tight-knit communities and to hear incredible stories of neighbors rescuing one another from the rubble.

The amount of widespread damage caused by Hurricane Laura is hard to put into words. You could drive around for days and still not be able to see all homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure that has been destroyed. We’ve been helping in Lake Charles, Louisiana and have found the people here are hardworking and truly care about each other.