Philly volunteers and rescue crews are helping in places hit hard by Hurricane Helene

Two retirees are among those from the region heading to North Carolina to assist Hurricane Helene survivors.

The category 4 storm made landfall Wednesday, leaving a path of destruction from Florida’s Gulf Coast to Tennessee that resulted in more than 100 people dead, and a stretch of country of over 600 miles experiencing record-level flooding, according to authorities.

In the wake of the tragedy, people from the Philadelphia area are lending a hand, with the American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Fire Department, and other Pennsylvania rescue teams aiding the storm recovery efforts.

Montgomery County resident Randy Miller, a former psychiatric nurse, was part of the Red Cross team that assisted during the Buck County flooding in July 2023. This will be her first time aiding outside the state in her two years as a volunteer.

“Our understanding is that people are trapped in their homes with nothing and we are ready to help with whatever is needed,” the 70-year-old said.

As the Red Cross disaster mental health regional lead, Miller said she is ready to face a devastating scenario. Her priority will be the mental well-being of survivors and community members affected by the destruction.

Her longtime friend Danelle Stoppel, a Red Cross mental health manager and mass casualty lead, is also headed to a still-to-be determined location in North Carolina.

After 26 aid missions over 13 years, the 78-year-old psychologist is well-acquainted with the aftermath of disasters. But, she expects a challenge because of the level of destruction the hurricane left, in particular for people with disabilities.

“Disasters do not discriminate,” said the Fairmount resident. “We need to make sure the people that are in shelters are covered and their disabilities are being taken care of.”

From an explosion in Port Richmond to fires in Upper Darby, the pair is used to working together, and their friendship provides a ray of light amid a crisis.

“My family thinks I’m crazy for going to a disaster,” Stoppel said laughing. “But they are supportive, and Randy had a long list that she reminded me of, so we went down [it] and got everything.”

The duo is flying into North Carolina early Tuesday, but doesn’t know exactly where they will be called to assist. The Red Cross headquarters in Charlotte will be their first stop, but where they go from there depends on the places that need the most help.

This makes packing harder, but they are making sure to be covered for at least 10 days.

Power banks have already been checked in their list, due to the outages some areas are experiencing. Jeans, shirts, jackets, and plenty of socks will also be packed. And, an iPad must come, but not for entertainment. The Red Cross uses them for keeping track of files and working at the scene.

Stoppel and Miller are not the only volunteers the local Red Cross has sent in Helene’s wake.

Almost a dozen volunteers have been dispatched to Florida and Georgia, according to Jennifer Graham, the regional American Red Cross CEO. And, more volunteers are expected to be sent in the following months.

At the state level, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced that four members of the Pennsylvania Incident Management Team were in Avery County, N.C., to support the emergency operations center. And, Pennsylvania Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team members were en route Monday to Salisbury, N.C., for search and rescue operations and to help deliver supplies to isolated communities.

They will join the 45 structural engineers, canines and their handlers, rescue specialists, doctors, and hazardous materials specialists of the Pennsylvania-Task Force 1 who traveled last week for rescue efforts, including Philadelphia Fire Department members.

For the rest of the population, Graham recommends volunteering and financial donations as ways Philadelphians can help.

“There are always people who want to collect food, blankets, toys, but we often here don’t do that,” Graham said.

Instead, she hopes folks sign up or make a financial donation to help get resources for the people in need.

Miller and Stoppel know volunteering isn’t for the faint of heart, but they hope Philadelphians realize there is power in action at any age.

“People don’t realize how much they can do,” Miller said. “It’s a way to keep using [your] skills to do good.”