By Soleil Shah
Hurricane Helene was a devastating category 4 hurricane. Helene made landfall in Perry, Florida and hit along Florida’s Gulf Coast during September. Helene’s path continued up to Georgia, the Carolina’s, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Helene has been the deadliest hurricane since Katrina in 2005. Helene’s death toll so far has been over 225 people, many still missing and unaccounted for. Hundreds of people have lost their homes, belongings, and even family members. Many Ponte Vedra High School (PVHS) students claimed to have lost power for several hours and experienced rain and wind. Though PVB did not suffer immense effects from Helene, many people in North Carolina did.
Students in the National Honor Society at PVHS have been collecting items such as toiletries, non-perishable food, and baby items to donate to the hurricane victims in North Carolina. Mr. Miller, teacher at PVHS, planned to deliver the items himself by driving up to North Carolina with the collected supplies. The Brown Family YMCA, located on Landrum Lane, is also collecting items to send to North Carolina victims. The YMCA is encouraging people to donate any supplies that would be beneficial to the people in need. This donation drive runs until October 10th. There are several other places where donations for Helene victims can be collected. The American Red Cross is accepting online donations ranging from $75 to $1,000.
There are many ways PVHS students can pitch in to the hurricane recovery efforts. It is important to remember that although Ponte Vedra Beach was lucky enough to survive Helene with minimal damage, several other regions did not. Donating, even just a small amount, to families in need is a sure way to make an impact. As of early October, the National Hurricane Center is watching closely at Hurricane Milton. Milton will likely make landfall on Florida’s West Coast near Tampa as a category three hurricane. St. Johns county is currently under a coastal flood advisory and is one of the 51 counties in Florida under a state of emergency. Experts say that Milton might just bring more destruction than Helene did.
Graphic created by Ryder Navarra
