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In the wake of the devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene as it moved through western North Carolina last weekend, local organizations are already mobilizing to help out however they can.

Roanoke Cooperative has sent eight employees to assist with power restoration efforts in the Blue Ridge service area, which covers Boone and surrounding communities. Those employees include Line Technician Supervisor Jamie Elliott, Fleet Operations Coordinator John Turner, and line technicians Brice Smithwick, Benton Barrett, Gary Outland, Griffin Strong, Joshua White, and Chad Simmons.

To aid in their work, the crew traveled westward in three large bucket trucks, two pickup trucks, a Digger Derrick truck used to help with pole placement, and a track machine which can also be used to help with pole placement and a has a bucket on it.

Cherise Newsome from Dominion Energy said their crews have been sent to South Carolina to assist with power restoration efforts there. She said after they finish that work, they could move to other areas in the Carolinas to assist as well.

Hertford County Emergency Management Director Patrick Dilday was staged in western North Carolina three days prior to Helene’s arrival. He towed the Hertford County’s Command Center operations trailer to Haywood County, located southwest of Asheville.

In a telephone interview early Monday evening, Dilday said he is helping to coordinate over 400 first responders engaged in search and rescue operations. Dilday said those first responders represent agencies from throughout the United States.

“We have teams here from Ohio, Wisconsin, Maryland, Massachusetts and New York,” he said. “They’re doing the best they can to get to those who are in need of help. There are residents we can’t get to, they are physically cut off due to severe damage to roads and bridges. National Guard helicopters are working to get to them and we’re trying to coordinate with officials in Tennessee to help out in North Carolina, but there are only a small number of access points available for them to use.”

Bertie Emergency Services Director John Rawls said two EMS units, one Quick Response Vehicle, and five Bertie EMS members departed Sunday en route to western North Carolina.

“They initially went to a staging area and were deployed after that,” Rawls said on Monday. “I’m not 100 percent sure when they will return and I’m waiting to hear if we’re needed to send any more manpower or resources.”

Several rangers from Merchants Millpond State Park in Gates County have also deployed to the western part of the state to assist in the recovery effort.

For Roanoke-Chowan area residents wanting to help, the West Chowan Baptist Association is collecting donations through Friday at St. John Baptist Church, located at 1644 NC Hwy 461, Ahoskie. Donations can be dropped off from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Items they are collecting include water, Gatorade, diapers, baby wipes, hygiene kits, nonperishable items, along with cleaning supplies such as paper towels, mops, shovels, and more. They are not accepting clothing donations at this time.

“Anyone can give,” said Dr. Greg Clark, who serves as WCBA’s Associational Missions Strategist/Director of Missions. “They don’t have to buy a ton. Every little bit helps.”

Clark said the donated items will be sent to Hendersonville to be dispersed from there.

Conway Volunteer Fire Department is partnering with CRAB Trucking to also collect donations this week. They are accepting water, Gatorade, canned goods (pop top lids), toiletries (shampoo, soap, toothpaste, etc), paper towels, toilet paper, batteries, cleaning supplies, trash bags, baby formula, diapers, and more.

These items will be dispersed to residents of West Jefferson by the town’s fire department.

“For us, it’s really personal,” said Tracey Flythe, a member of Conway’s Women’s Auxiliary.

Flythe explained that a longtime member of Conway’s department had moved to West Jefferson last year, so that’s how they were able to link up for this relief effort.

“We’ve got a lot of support from the community already. The community here is awesome,” Flythe said on Monday as the first donations started coming in.

Drop offs can by made from 5-7 p.m. through Friday, Oct. 4 at the Fire Station, located at 113 White Street, Conway. For more information, call Albert Vann (252-536-9019) or Joe Flythe (252-398-7730).

The Murfreesboro Volunteer Fire Department and the Murfreesboro Police Department are also serving as a drop-off locations for Conway VFD’s efforts. According to their Facebook pages, donation items can be dropped off at Murfreesboro VFD from 7-9 p.m. through Wednesday, Oct. 2 and Murfreesboro Police and Murfreesboro Public Works will take collections during normal office hours for those unable to attend the designated drop-off times.

Northampton County’s Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Management, and EMS are partnering together to also accept donations this week from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Thursday, Oct. 3. Drop-off locations are Food Fresh (312 W. Jefferson Street, Jackson) and the old EMS building across from Gaston Town Hall (224 Craig Street, Gaston).

Like the others, they are accepting a variety of items including water, canned foods and other nonperishables, flashlights, hand sanitizer, batteries, blankets, hygiene products, diapers and baby wipes, and other essentials. These items will be sent to emergency services locations in western North Carolina on Friday, Oct. 4.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the western half of North Carolina as Hurricane Helene devastated the area last week,” said Northampton County Sheriff’s Office Captain Patrick Jacobs. “Emergency crews from all over the country have been deployed to assist. There are no words to accurately describe the destruction and devastation our fellow North Carolinians are experiencing.”

Northampton County Fire Marshall Chris Collier urged citizens to donate what they can.

“Those citizens in those counties have lost everything,” he said. “Everything was just washed away. So we need to do all we can to get them help, because they would do it in return for us.”

For groups who wish to move people, resources, or equipment into western North Carolina to provide aid, it must be coordinated with NC Emergency Management – Business Emergency Operations Center (BEOC). Without coordinating, aid may be turned away at various checkpoints. BEOC will prioritize movements and provide safe routes with an escort, as needed.

For request, email BEOC@ncdps.gov and begin the subject line with “Logistics Support.”