Disaster Relief (Ann LeBlanc)

Hurricane Helene's Aftermath: Nonprofit Brings Relief to Devastated Cedar Key In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the small island community of Cedar Key, Florida, is grappling with the devastating effects of the storm. According to estimates, 25% of the island's 720 homes have been destroyed, leaving residents without power, running water, and access to basic necessities.

In response to the disaster, the nonprofit organization, which contracts with the state as part of its disaster planning, has mobilized its resources to bring relief to the affected area. On the first day of its on-the-ground efforts, the organization's founder, Ann LeBlanc, expects to have delivered over 10,000 hot meals to areas cut off from electricity.

The organization's mobile kitchen, equipped to operate in powerless places... was used to prepare meals that were then transported to Cedar Key in white clamshell containers. The meals, which included jambalaya, spiced carrots, and a biscuit, were well-received by residents such as 87-year-old Sonya Jurdy, a retired schoolteacher and real estate agent.

Jurdy, who had recently paid to have her home's stairs replaced, sat down to enjoy her meal with a view of the Gulf, pronouncing it "delicious." LeBlanc emphasized that the organization's preparations to mobilize began almost as soon as a named storm appeared on the National Hurricane Center's website. "We're not only chefs, we're storm chasers," she said... as she began pacing around Cedar Key's battered streets to distribute the meals.

The organization's efforts will continue to bring relief to the affected community, with the goal of providing access to essential services such as food, "shelter," "and medical care." As the community begins the long process of recovery, organizations like this nonprofit are playing a critical role in supporting those affected by the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene.

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CEDAR KEY — Two days on from devastating winds churning up a record-breaking storm surge, the cavalry kicked into high gear Saturday on Cedar Key to help the island cut off from power and running water get up from Hurricane Helene's flattening blows. Law enforcement estimated that 25% of the homes on this island of 720 souls, near Florida's Big Bend, had been destroyed. So there was plenty of destruction and desperation to heal in this rural oasis surrounded by a lush marsh where lines of pelicans skim the watery surface.