Rev. Franklin Graham, CEO of both Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, on Monday spent time in Valdosta, Georgia, together with former president Donald Trump, to offer assistance and comfort to those impacted by Hurricane Helene’s devastation.
While the official death toll as of Monday afternoon is over 125, hundreds more people could be deceased, according to officials on Monday afternoon, Fox News reported.
Roads, bridges, homes and businesses have been destroyed while many of those who are stranded await supplies.
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Samaritan’s Purse is responding in the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee, the organization shared with Fox News Digital on Monday.
“This building behind us represents hundreds of thousands of people that have lost homes, businesses, friends, loved ones,” said Rev. Graham on Monday in remarks.
“It is going to take an army of volunteers and people to respond, and at Samaritan’s Purse we want to always respond in Jesus’ name. We want people to know that God loves them, that God cares for them.”
He added, “Sometimes when a storm like this comes, people think, ‘Well, maybe God is mad at us, maybe this is His judgment?’ No. God loves us. How do I know that? Because the Bible tells us that God loves us and cares for us.”
Graham also said, as shared with Fox News Digital, “Yes, there are storms in life, but God will take us through those storms if we put our faith and trust in His Son, Jesus Christ.”
He thanked the former president “for coming and helping to put a spotlight on this city, this state and this region that has lost so much.”
Samaritan’s Purse disaster relief specialists arrived on Friday afternoon to begin their assessments, the organization told Fox News Digital.
Two disaster relief units — tractor-trailers stocked with tools and equipment — also departed on Friday from North Carolina, where Samaritan’s Purse is headquartered, to serve as a base of operations for volunteer teams, the group said.
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Also, the organization is responding in western North Carolina through disaster relief.
It is setting up a field hospital unit in the parking lot of the Watauga Medical Center, it said, to provide oxygen for patients who have no power at home.
Crews are continuing the work to clear debris, restore power and get supplies to areas affected by the storm.
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The category 4 hurricane made landfall along Florida’s Big Bend region late on Thursday night, FOX Weather reported, with winds of 140 mph and a devastating storm surge.
As the storm traveled across the U.S., Helene left behind widespread destruction from the Sunshine State through Georgia into the Carolinas and Tennessee Valley.
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