As the second anniversary of Hurricane Helene approaches in September, it remains more than just a distant memory for many people in East Tennessee.
An estimated 50 to 100 families (and possibly more) still have not replaced their homes lost in one of the worst disasters in the history of Tennessee, observed Garry Maddox, coordinator for Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief’s Arise and Build Initiative.
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“Most of the rebuilding and repair work has been done,” he said. “Every now and then we find somebody that needs some help (with repairs) but mostly we’re building new homes now.”
For those still needing help with repairs, the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board is providing building materials and some other home furnishings through its warehouse in Elizabethton. God’s Warehouse, a ministry of the Nolachucky Baptist Association, also is continuing to supply materials as needed.
Tennessee Baptists hit the ground running after Helene struck East Tennessee from Mountain City down to Newport in September of 2024, and they have not stopped helping homeowners since. After the initial clean up from the storm was over, Tennessee Baptists went into repair and rebuild mode, Maddox noted.
Since 2024, Tennessee Baptists have logged 37,000 man hours and more than 3,000 Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief men and women have volunteered to help nearly 900 families and complete more than 552 jobs, he added.
Within weeks after Hurricane Helene, Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, gathered leaders from throughout East Tennessee to discuss long-term recovery efforts. The Arise and Build Task Force was assembled to plan a strategy for helping East Tennesseans rebuild.
Tennessee Baptists joined forces with other organizations and churches but have primarily worked with the Appalachia Service Project, Maddox said. They have helped with the construction of 45 new homes and there are 27 houses currently in some phase construction in East Tennessee, he added.
Of the new homes that have been built, Maddox noted TBDR donations and gifts have provided about $25,000 in cash and about $50,000 in volunteer labor for each house which averages about $135,000 to construct. The remainder of the funds come from ASP and other organizations and churches, he said.
‘We need help’
Though it has been over a year-and-a-half since Helene, people are still coming forward who have not received assistance, Maddox noted. He observed there is a proud culture throughout East Tennessee and people resist outside help. They tend to think they can take care of their own, but they can’t.
“We will continue to find people who will finally give up and say, ‘We need help.’”
When Maddox learns of families who need help, he refers them to ASP who vets the families. “They have skills that we don’t have,” he said.
As of now, no end for Arise and Build has been determined, Maddox said. “We probably will still be sending teams to East Tennessee through the end of 2027,” he said.
For more information on Arise and Build, including donations and how to volunteer, visit the website at tndisasterrelief.org/ariseandbuild.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Lonnie Wilkey and originally published by Tennessee’s Baptist and Reflector.
