'They need our help,' Dr. Phil in North Carolina assisting with Hurricane Helene relief efforts

UPDATE | Oct. 7, 2024, 3:08 PM CST |

Southeastern U.S. — Dr. Phil McGraw headed to North Carolina this weekend to help with disaster relief efforts there.

"A lot of great people doing a lot of great things down here. We are happy to help and keep this story alive," shared McGraw.

The state is still reeling from Hurricane Helene’s impact, now considered one of the deadliest storms to hit the U.S. this century. The Category 4 storm that first struck Florida’s Gulf Coast on September 26 dumped trillions of gallons of water across several states, leaving a catastrophic trail of destruction that spans hundreds of miles inland.

Businesses and homes were destroyed, whole communities nearly wiped out, hundreds of lives lost, with many more still unaccounted for. Massive flooding wiped out buildings, roads, utilities and land in a way that nobody expected, let alone seem prepared for.

McGraw teamed up with evangelical Christian humanitarian aid organization Samaritan's Purse and chain retailer Michaels to deliver supplies, generators, and a helping hand to people affected by the hurricane. Ex-UFC star Tim Kennedy was also on-hand to deliver supplies and help in the cleanup effort.

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McGraw documented his efforts and shared videos of him working hard alongside volunteers. In one video, the famous talk show host is shown pouring heavy sludge into a bucket. 

"Let me tell you, these guys don't have meetings to fill out forms, to plan a meeting, to get something going. They have verbs in their sentences. They have springs in their step, and they're out making things happen. FEMA, all these other people are talking, thinking, no, not Samaritan's Purse. They're out doing things," McGraw told crosswalk.com. 

He added that he believed Western North Carolina, was largely forgotten by the rest of the country following the devastation. 

"People in other parts of the country are living their lives because this is out of sight, out of mind," McGraw said. "I don't want it to be. They need us. They need our help. They need our support." 

Clearly moved by those he helped in the mountainous community, McGraw shared, "They have no power -- not going to have any for four to six months," he said. "We've flown in, taken them generators, food, water, supplies. [I] didn't hear one person talk about being a victim. Didn't hear one person talk about whether the people they were helping as neighbors or being helped by neighbors were Democrats or Republicans. Didn't care about pronouns, didn't care about politics, didn't care about anything. All they cared about was that they were all Americans. Their neighbors needed help, and they were giving it. They needed help and they were accepting it."

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris also visited North Carolina on Saturday. She arrived a day after Republican nominee Donald Trump came and went. Until this week, Harris had not visited the scene of a humanitarian crisis as vice president. That duty was reserved for President Joe Biden, who has frequently been called on to survey damage and console victims after tornadoes, wildfires, tropical storms and more.  But Biden made stops over two days in the Carolinas, Florida and Georgia, surveying the damage and meeting with farmers whose crops were destroyed.

On Sunday, Oct. 6, Biden ordered another 500 active-duty troops with advanced technological assets to move into Western North Carolina and assist with the response and recovery efforts. That brings the number of troops now supplementing the on-the-ground effort to 1,500, according to a statement from the White House. In addition to those troops, more than 6,100 National Guardsmen and more than 7,000 Federal personnel are also offering support, according to the administration. 

"My administration is sparing no resource to support families as they begin their road to rebuilding," said Biden in a statement Sunday. 

This week, FEMA announced it could meet the immediate needs of Helene but warned it doesn't have enough funding to make it through the hurricane season, which runs June 1 to Nov. 30 though most hurricanes typically occur in September and October. Even if a homeowner does have it, FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program only covers up to $250,000 for single-family homes and $100,000 for contents.

More than 200 people have died due to Helene. It's the worst storm to hit the U.S. mainland since Katrina in 2005, and scientists have warned such storms will only worsen in the face of climate change.

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