Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida Wednesday, tearing through the western coast of the state with 150 mph winds and heavy rainfall. Harrowing videos of violent storm surge overtaking cars and buildings filled social media.
More than 2.6 million homes and businesses were without power Thursday morning, and the death toll was mounting.
“The impacts of this storm are historic and the damage that has been done is historic,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said. “We’ve never seen a flood event like this, we’ve never seen a storm surge of this magnitude.”
Ian, downgraded to a tropical storm, was still churning through central Florida on its way to the Atlantic Thursday.
Several organizations are on the ground to assist Floridians as they begin to recover from the devastating storm. Here’s how you can support Hurricane Ian victims.
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American Red Cross
The American Red Cross is accepting donations to help Hurricane Ian victims at this link. The national organization is providing supplies, shelter and other relief to Floridians.
Feeding Florida
Feeding Florida is a national food bank nonprofit Feeding America’s sunshine state network. Feeding Florida is coordinating with food banks across the state to provide food to victims of the hurricane. you can donate here.
FarmShare
Farm Share is a Florida nonprofit that sources left over fruits and vegetables from farms and distributes them to people across the state. The organization said it was sending multiple trucks full of food and supplies to assist with the Ian relief efforts and asks people to donate here.
Florida Disaster Fund
Florida’s official disaster relief fund coordinates aid across governmental and nongovernmental organizations in the state. you can donate here.
Convoy of Hope
This Missouri-based nonprofit is delivering supplies to Hurricane Ian victims. Its donation page outlines what your donation amount can cover for a family. For example, $15 creates “a family hygiene kit.” you can donate here.
CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort)
CORE is a global disaster relief organization that began its work providing assistance to the victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. The nonprofit said it was providing support to people of Florida in Ian’s aftermath. you can donate here.
Dream Defenders – Community Emergency Operation Center
This nonprofit is collecting food and supplies to deliver to hurricane victims. It is run by Dream Defenders, a Florida nonprofit supporting Black and Brown youth across the state. you can donate here.
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Volunteer opportunities
Volunteer Florida has a list of volunteer opportunities, both in-person and virtual. Find a list here.
Its opportunities include joining a Red Cross “Disaster Action Team” that provides 24-hour support to impacted individuals or a “Disaster Mental Health” team to help Floridians with long-term recovery from the trauma of the disaster.
donate blood
The Red Cross has an “urgent need” for blood donations in the wake of Hurricane Ian, according to their website. You can find a blood drive in your area by searching your zip code here or by calling 1-800-733-2767.
More organizations helping Ian victims
Contributing: John Bacon and Celina Tebor, USA TODAY; Phyllis Cha and Claire Rafford, Indianapolis Star
www.usatoday.com
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism