The death toll is rising as recovery crews work around the clock to help those affected by the destruction of Hurricane Helene. As the calls go out for more help, people from across the country are responding, even a few folks from the Northland.

Kristy Robertson of Duluth has worked with the Red Cross since 2020, and is currently in Florida assisting those in shelters who’ve suffered the loss or damage of property.

“It’s certainly been a challenge. There’s a lot of heartbreak that came through with it. But within 24 hours, I was starting to see clients that were going from just that state of shock and fear to. ‘we’re going to be okay'” Robertson said.

She’s been in Florida long before Helene struck, being first assigned to the state about a year ago, to assist those affected by Hurricane Idalia, which hit roughly the same area of Florida as Helene. Robertson says that some folks were hit by both storms.

“Quite a few of the households that we had been working with for the past year were in that boat. We’re working on these plans, we’re getting repairs done, we’re getting ready to go back home and then here comes the storm. Here comes Helene.”

Despite these daunting setbacks, the Red Cross is still there with open arms for victims.

“So there are some folks that are back at square one, but again, they know that were here for them,” Robertson said, ” And I think that’s one of the great things about being in this organization, is that they know we’re there to help in whatever capacity we can. It let’s them know that they’re not standing in this alone.”

The Red Cross says that several others from the Northland are assisting in recovery efforts, including folks from Grand Rapids, Mountain Iron, and Deer River.

Late on Saturday, September 28, two members of the Superior Fire Department arrived in North Carolina. They’re part of Wisconsin’s Task Force 1, a team made up of Firefighters from across the state. Wisconsin Emergency Management says they’re assisting with search and rescue operations in western North Carolina.

And despite being several states away from the damage, Robertson says folks can still lend a helping hand.

“Sign up. Volunteer. We could always use some help. If you can’t leave to deploy to an incident, there’s a lot of other ways to help. There’s a lot of ways can help right at home, and we can use all the help we can get. It really is one of the most rewarding things you can do.”

Information on volunteering and making donations to the American Red Cross can be found on their website.