Here’s how you can help with Hurricane Milton recovery

Image via AP.

Hurricane Milton battered the Gulf Coast less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene caused dangerous flooding in the region.

Milton made landfall at around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday near Siesta Key as a Category 3 storm. The storm was a monster while over the Gulf, reaching Category 5 strength and seeing its pressure drop to near record low levels. Thankfully, it weakened by landfall and Florida averted a worst-case scenario strike.

But plenty of families were still severely impacted, including far from landfall. Milton also spawned dozens of tornadoes which caused destruction on the east coast in several areas that were not expecting a significant direct impact from the storm.

Around two dozen have died, and assessors are still working to determine the storm’s full impact. Nearly 3.4 million people lost power at the peak of outages, with more than a million still lacking power into the weekend.

That leaves many wondering how they can contribute to help those affected begin to recover. Immediately after the impact, state and federal agencies, nonprofits, and the private sector began the recovery process by working to make aid available for anyone impacted by Milton.

Online forums — such as local Nextdoor.com communities and Facebook groups based in your area, to name two — can provide information and links to organizations offering help, food distribution, cleanup efforts and more.

Want to lend a hand to those impacted by Milton? There are many ways you can help:

— 211 Tampa Bay Cares is closely working with Pinellas County Emergency Management, Pinellas County Human Services, Pinellas VOAD, & other recovery organizations to ensure the safety of all citizens. Connect with on Facebook and Twitter for relevant disaster information.

— ABC Cares Foundation immediately funds construction industry members and their families in need after tragedies, hurricane-related or otherwise. Ninety-seven cents of every dollar raised goes to recipients in need.

— A Door of Hope provides help for children in crisis.

— American Red Cross offers financial donations for those impacted by Hurricanes Helene or Milton, as well as blood donations for disaster victims.

— Babycycle Diaper Bank provides necessities like diapers, wipes, clean clothing, and other essential items.

— Care USA provides cash assistance to those affected by Milton.

— Farm Share often reaches affected communities within days of a storm’s landfall, and it’s crucial for Florida families to have enough food, water, and supplies to last until aid can be safely provided.

— Feeding Tampa Bay is again hard at work following Milton. In partnership with the Tampa Bay area Emergency Operations Centers, Feeding Tampa Bay works directly with local emergency management operations to provide food, water, and hygiene items to our service area, state, and neighboring states during crises.

— Florida Disaster Fund funds will be distributed to service organizations that help individuals in communities with disaster response and recovery.

— FMB Strong is dedicated to supporting communities in Fort Myers Beach through food pantry donations, ensuring that no one goes hungry in the aftermath of a disaster.

— GoFundMe has started a general Hurricane Milton relief fund.

— Metropolitan Ministries will use donations to provide families with food, water, shelter and necessary supplies.

— OneBlood is urgently calling for blood donations for Milton victims. All blood types are welcome, but the most needed are O-negative and O-positive blood and platelets.

— Operation BBQ Relief — Sen. Jay Collins’ day job will gather a fleet of cooks, mobile pits, kitchens and volunteers. Operation BBQ Relief delivers the healing power of BBQ to disaster-affected communities, offering solace to residents, first responders and relief workers.

— The Salvation Army is mobilizing disaster response teams and mobile feeding units to respond to Hurricane Milton’s impacts. Your donation will help provide emergency aid, food, drinks, emotional and spiritual care, and long-term recovery services to the disaster’s survivors.

— Samaritan’s Purse has launched a response to assist Milton victims.

— Stronger than the Storm offers kid-friendly resources to help children recover, reconnect and develop resilience during tough times before, during and after disasters.

— United Way of Florida has a fund to assist communities in Florida impacted by Helene and Milton.