Hard American Tactical Civil Defense Lessons from Hurricane Helene

Let's Help American Families Recover from this Biblical Event

NOTE: This Substack is not for everyone. It is long and detailed for a reason. It is written to assist those who are heavily involved in the recovery efforts of the hurricane Helene natural disaster. The goal is to avoid follow up manmade disasters due to incompetent government officials, criminals, and others who will provide barriers to quick recovery for those affected.

It offers valuable American tactical civil defense skills, knowledge, and expertise to reduce the suffering of the millions of Americans impacted by Helene. Please forward it to emergency responders, moms and dads, relatives, church pastors, supply chain business men and women, and all others involved in the recovery effort to provide guidance on how to reduce the suffering and speed up the recovery of all those impacted by this Biblical flooding. Pray for all those impacted, and especially those assisting their recovery.

Why Helene was a Biblical-Size Disaster

I believe we have just had our 3rd 2024 Black Swan event.

Jeff Berardelli @WeatherProf 1-in-1000 year floods are usually confined to a small area, maybe the size of a city. The size of the 1-500 & 1-1000+ year flood (recurrence interval) is colassal with #Helene #HeleneFlooding . I can say with great certainty that I have never seen a scope like this in the US!

National Water Center, @nwsnwc Estimated rainfall amounts from #Helene across the southern Appalachians had an Annual Recurrence Interval greater than 1000-years over a wide area; meaning there is less than a 0.1% chance (annual exceedance probability) of that happening in any given year.

Remember the Rule of 3’s

I have seen many disasters in my life, although hurricane Helene is one of the few that is Biblical in scope. When these kinds of events strike, you want to be able to turn to your children when they say, “Mommy…Daddy…what do we do? I’m scared.” and be ready in advance to answer that question confidently.

You can survive approximately:

• 3 minutes without air

• 3 days without water

• 3 weeks without food

So make sure your family has enough air, water, and food to survive a natural or manmade disaster. After over 40 years of doing professional and volunteer civil defense education, I estimate that, historically, perhaps 1% of Americans historically prepare for their survival. With the Red Chinese bioweapon attack, that number may have risen to 3%.

Here are other simple ways to prepare to recover from this event. Have a year’s worth of food, water, and medicine available just in case you are impacted by a natural or manmade disaster. It is easy to do. Prepare in advance. Hurricanes happen every year and are easy to prepare for in advance. As safe storage of water is primary to recover, I will explain the life-saving features of Waterbricks in great detail below.

Tip: The Practical Prepper: A Common Sense Guide to Preparing for Emergencies is worth getting to prepare your family for any disaster.

Emergency Water Supplies must be Stored in WaterBricks

Consider how many helicopters, trucks, ATV’s, and other vehicles are flying in clean water to those hundreds of thousands without clean water in the aftermath of hurricane Helene. Had they bought and stored WaterBricks in advance of this event, all the effort that is going into transporting water could have been used instead to transport food, baby supplies, cleaning items, etc.

Pure, clean water must be stored properly. That is the key. Plastic milk jugs will not work because they are made up of dangerous chemicals that leach into the water and bacteria embedded due to the milk that cannot be removed 100%. Instead, invest in WaterBricks.

WaterBricks for Safe, Clean Water Storage

WaterBricks ensure you and your family have a safe water supply and that it is stored correctly to be clean and pure when you need it. I have used them for almost 15 years and find them rugged, easy to fill and store, carry and stack, and very dependable when I’ve needed them. They sell for $180 for 10. At $18 a brick, they are reasonably priced. They are made in the USA by a veteran-owned business.

Water supplies can be cut off or contaminated. That is a fact. It happens daily. Yet, water is essential to health and life. By purchasing WaterBricks now and filling them with fresh, clean, safe-to-drink water, you will have abundant water for your family when you need it most.

On average, each of us uses 3 to 4 gallons of water a day. If your water supply is cut off, you will need to be able to access at least that much water each day. They are an easy and affordable way to satisfy that need.

I depend on a deep well for water and so I have to have store water for myself and my family. These are the best water storage items I've found. They don't leak and protect water for a very long time. Due to their ergonomic design and comfortable, easy grip handle, WaterBricks are easy to carry individually or two at a time. 

You can take them where ever you need them. You can load one in the trunk of your car for emergencies, as I do in my car and in my wife’s and children’s cars. Once in a power outage I brought the 1.6 gallon containers up and added them to my bathroom and my kid’s bathrooms. 

I installed the spigots to use to brush our teeth, wash our faces, and to drink. We enjoyed an uninterrupted supply of clean, safe water. Avoid the panic of running to the grocery store BEFORE a hurricane, flood, earthquake, snowstorm, or power outage. 

Enjoy the peace of mind of knowing you and your family have clean water to drink, clean, bath and use. It is something you can control. By doing so, you will have one less thing to be concerned about in the stress of an event. Your pets will thank you, too.

How You Can Use WaterBricks

To successfully manage disasters, the U.S. Marines have used a strategy that is summarized in their saying, “Improvise, Adapt and Overcome” for years. WaterBricks are a tool to put that strategy into practice before, during, and after a disaster.

WaterBrick’s make water storage easy. They can be stored in bedrooms, basements, kitchens, living and family rooms, and closets. Due to their Lego®-like design, they may be stack as a cube or tower.

They are available in two sizes: 3.5 gallon and 1.6 gallon. These two sizes allow for long-term storage and short-term use. Each also has a sturdy, comfortable handle for carrying and a rugged screw on lid with an anti-leak gasket. This lid can be removed and a spigot lid added to regulate the flow of water from the container.

In addition to water storage, WaterBricks may also be used for: food storage, to build walls, as an emergency float, for field showers, as a flood barrier, as a hunting blind, to store medical supplies, for sand bags, and to build houses.

The Well Designed and Highly Useful Spigot

An often-overlooked feature of water storage and use is how you get the water you need to flow when you need it. Water delivery involves pouring it out (often hard and wasteful) or, for greater efficiency, using a water spigot. The water spigot that attaches to the WaterBrick meets that requirement.

It is a wonder of utilitarian engineering. The base is easy to screw on. It has a gasket that keeps it tight and prevents any leaking. The valve uses a simple handle that you turn to open the water flow. Turn the handle back and the flow stops.

What this excellent spigot design means is that in a disaster situation, with the stress and disruption each means, you do not have to worry about getting a safe, clean water quickly. This spigot is especially easy for children, the elderly, and disabled to use. As my family discovered during our power outage, it is so much easier to brush your teeth or wash your face using the spigot.

Carrying Handle

The carrying handle is ergonomically designed to be comfortable in your hand when carrying them. Two eyelet hooks at the top of the unit make it easy to install and remove the handle. 

Rubber Gasket

Each WaterBrick has a serrated lid with a rubber gasket for easy gripping and turning. The gasket keeps the water from leaking.

Additional WaterBrick Uses

Frozen WaterBricks may be stored in a refrigerator to preserve food or medications. Medications that require refrigeration can be kept usable during a power outage. Also, when the ice eventually melts, you can drink the resulting water.

Note: This is important to extending frozen food life during a power outage. And, if you need to keep insulin or other medications cold, this can be a lifesaver in the first few hours and days of the loss of power.

Although beyond the scope of this article, if you go to the WaterBrick company website you will see many other uses for them, such as to build furniture and shelter or to store ammunition, grain, food, coins, alcohol, sand bags, and more.

Dual Use Technology

WaterBricks are have so many uses they are a dual use technology. Unlike so many survival supplies that sit unused except in an emergency, they can be used year-round for multiple activities (parties, family events, company gatherings, hunting, etc.) that require safe, clean water.

You can fill them with water, sand or pea gravel and they will stop a bullet (see their website). You can use them dry to maintain a waterproof enclosure for storage. Or if you are camping or boating, you can bring a few along and have clean fresh water to drink, clean up, brush your teeth, wash your clothes or any other activity that requires water.

Or, to add weight for traction, place a few in the back of your pickup truck or car in the Winter. If you are stuck for a long time in the snow, you have water to survive.

With every disaster the first item that disappears from store shelves is water bottles. By keeping WaterBricks in your survival supplies, if you must flee, you can add them to your grab them to your grab and go kit and put them in your car or truck to use on the journey or at your next destination. You can even include them for a picnic or tailgating with your favorite beverage!

WaterBrick Features

The main features of the WaterBrick product follow.

• Made of tough, textured BPE-free HDPE (high density polyethylene resin)

• 3/32 inches thick

• 2 ½ pounds empty and 30 pounds full of water

• Portable

• Available in blue or tan

• Each has two holes to help them be staked in place

• Easy to carry

• Easy to tie down and secure

• Stackable (cross stacks and interlocks)

• Interlocking male and female parts (Lego-like design)

• Customize storage patterns

• Save space (store under a bed, behind a couch, in a closet, etc.)

• Versatile — May also store bulk food (beans, grain, oats, cereal, pet food), bullets, etc.

• Durable and last for years

• Useful for family and business events (parties, camping and others)

Standard Size Specifications

• 3.5 gallon container

• 9″ Width, 18″ Length, 6″ Height

• Weight Empty – 2.52 pounds

• 150 can be cross stacked per pallet

Half Size Specifications

• 1.6 gallon container

• 9″ Width, 9″ Length, 6″ Height

• Weight Empty – 1.17 pounds

• 300 can be stacked per pallet

Portable – At 3.5 gallons, it is small enough to carry with you in a time of need or to fit under beds or in the refrigerator.

Stackable – Cross stacks and interlocks up to 4 feet high in closets or the garage to create a bulk storage system. Insert standard ¾ inch PVC through the internal columns of these stackable containers for safer stacking heights.

Durable – These industrial-grade cross-stacking containers are durable enough to withstand a high impact air drop or be used as building blocks in transitional basic shelters. The ultra violet additive extends the product life up to 15 years.

Safe Dry Storage – Stores water, food, ammo or anything you want to keep dry. The resin used in this food grade container meets FDA standards and is BPA free making them safe storage containers for food and water (but not for fuels or oils).

One Final Caution: Never store water in used plastic milk cartons, water bottles, or soda bottles. All fall apart and in time and are unsafe and unsanitary. They also break apart easily.

WaterBricks are an innovative, reasonably priced, multi-use disaster and emergency tool. I have used them for years and find them vital to a safe supply of clean, fresh water. 

They also have many other uses and are a vital addition to any family or businesses survival supplies.

For more detailed information on WaterBricks, see these links:

Website:         https://www.waterbrick.org

Twitter:          https://twitter.com/WaterBrick

Facebook:       https://www.facebook.com/waterbrick

Instagram:       https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/waterbrick/?hl=en

Instagram2:     https://www.instagram.com/waterbrickintl/?hl=en

Pinterest:         https://www.pinterest.com/source/waterbrick.org/

YouTube:        https://www.youtube.com/user/waterbrick

WaterBricks are a great way to store water, food, even  ammo, or to build furniture or shelter when needed. I have used them for some time and find them rugged, easy to fill, carry and stack, and very dependable. WaterBricks can be cross stacked and interlocked for easy storage and to build furniture or shelter.
I am on a well so I have to have a good source of emergency water, and these are the best water storage items I've ever found. They are like water LEGOs that stay in place, don't leak, and protect water for a very long time. I highly recommend WaterBricks, especially for those on a well who are not connected to city water, such as those in the mountains of Appalachia.

Note: These bricks can be frozen. This is important to extending frozen food life during a power outage. And, if you need to keep insulin cold for a diabetic, this can be a lifesaver in the first few hours and days of the loss of power.
You can also order Waterbricks here directly. (online) or at 877 420 Water (phone)
1011 Crown Park Circle, Suite 100, Winter Garden, FL, www.WaterBrick.org

Food

Food for Patriots is who I ordered my year supply of food from, but there are many out there now that make it convenient, easy, and fairly inexpensive to purchase and store food for emergencies. Buy a years worth of food. It will arrive in 4 plastic containers thar are easily stored.

Please only buy healthy food and drink. Avoid high fructose corn syrup, Red Die 40, and all the other poisons they inject into 85% of the processed foods. Take the supplements you need to remain healthy. Remember: if it is from the farm, it is good. If it is from the factory, it is likely not good for you or your family.

Exercise daily to keep up your strength and flexibility. As you just found out, you need that strength and flexibility to get through emergencies and to help your family survive. Obesity is not your friend.

CAUTION: My son has been trapping and killing mice in our basement recently. I just discovered why. When I went to check on my supply, a plastic Survival 72-Hour Food Kit: Meals for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner was eaten through and had mouse droppings all over it. The year-long food supply was encased in thick plastic rodents cannot penetrate. Buy accordingly.

Medicine and Medical Supplies

You know what medicines and supplements you need. Keep a ample supply on hand. Since the Red Chinese bioweapon attack, many companies offer ivermectin, amoxicillin, and other life-saving drugs you can purchase online.

Remember that simple hydrogen peroxide kills germs, bacteria, and viruses. You should have plenty around for your family for everyday cuts and cleaning, but you should also have even more available for natural and manmade disasters.

Purchase what your family needs. Many Floridians and Mountaineers now without basic medicines would be so much better off with just the basic medical supplies and medicines.

North American Rescue is an excellent source of medical supplies. Be sure to buy multiple CATs (Combat Application Tourniquets) to save someone from bleeding out. CATs have save thousands of lives. North American Rescue, LLC 35 Tedwall Court Greer, SC 29650-4791 Phone: 864-675-9800 Fax: 864-675-9880

North American Rescue also sells professional medical kits that handle most emergencies. The cheap first aid kits sold in big box stores, pharmacies, and grocery stores are just not adequate to the task in many emergencies. When my wife fell into the pool last summer and broke two bones in her ankle, I was glad I had the professional splint from the North American Rescue kit to reinforce her heel so she could make it to the emergency room. Spend a few extra dollars on a North American Rescue medical kit and you will save thousands by handling medical emergencies yourself rather than depending on expensive hospitals.

Starlink: The role of Starlink units providing communication immediately after Helene’s fury struck cannot be overestimated. By Elon Musk providing the Starlink communication platform immediately after the widespread destruction of cell phone communication, tens of thousands of impacted Americans were able to call for water, food, medical supplies, and transportation to hospitals.

@TheThe1776 Ivanka Trump and the Love and Light Foundation flew in 300 STARLINK units for the Helene victims of the #NorthCarolinaFlood

ALEX @ajtourville NEWS:@Starlink kits provide critical communications in the wake of the devastation from Hurricane Helene. The FCC now needs to stop dragging its feet and approve Starlink Direct to Cell service which will be even more of a game changer when it comes to emergency communications.

Dima Zeniuk @DimaZeniuk It’s wonderful to see Elon Musk and SpaceX sending hundreds of Starlink terminals to support the victims of Hurricane Helene. Starlink is genuinely making a positive impact for thousands of people in need

Collin Rugg @CollinRugg JUST IN: Trump says he has spoken to Elon Musk about providing Starlink to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene, says “Elon always comes through.” Hundreds of thousands of people are currently without internet. Towns like Asheville are currently considered “blackout zones” for accessing the internet, texting and making calls. Starlink is one of the only ways to get internet access after fiber optic lines buried along roads were damaged and cell towers were knocked offline. “I just spoke to Elon. We want to get Starlink hooked up because they have no communication whatsoever.” “Elon will always come through. We know that.”

Jane Adams @iLoveJaneAdams Isn’t it interesting how, when disaster strikes, we turn to the private sector for solutions? While local governments fail, it’s Elon Musk and his Starlink that step up to help communities in crisis. This is a perfect example of why relying on big government isn’t the answer. Americans need real solutions, and sometimes that means looking to innovative entrepreneurs rather than bureaucrats.

X Thank God Elon Musk purchased X and it was available to freely communicate information and acted as a town square so Americans were and are informed about who needs what, when, and where. I and many millions of Americans were able to stay up on the disaster in real time. Rescue efforts and resources were properly allocated because Americans were able to communicate using X.

Drones: Real time views of the Biblical level destruction of Helene were demonstrated by hundreds of Americans who spontaneously flew their drones to communicate to other Americans the extent of the horrific damage caused by this once every thousand year flooding. These videos were instrumental in conveying the magnitude of the loss. As importantly, insurance policy holders will be able to use that footage to file their claims with insurance companies. And those insurance companies are fare more important than the feds to help people rebuild their homes, purchase new cars, clothing, furniture, beds, appliances, and everything they had before the event.

The $750 promised by VP Harris is a joke. My house burned down in 2004. I spent $7,000 the first week to buy clothes, beds, kitchen items, furniture, and to pay the first, last, and current months rental for my family. I was fortunate to have insurance to cover this expense. As in Malibu, many Mountaineers are not so fortunate.

Chain Saw and Heavy Equipment Operators: The most valuable first responder is the skilled construction worker who knows how to operate chain saws and heavy equipment operators who remove the downed trees, power lines, and debris that block food and water supply workers, fire fighters, EMT’s, police, and insurance adjusters from getting to the flood victims to save them and restore their lives to some kind of normalcy.

Fire: Be sure to have ways to start a fire so you can use firewood to cook and keep warm. In addition to easily purchased plastic lighters, have a few electric ones you can use to get kindling and wood lit.

Cell Phone Chargers: The ability to simply plug in their cell phone to communicate with the authorities, emergency responders, family, and friends has been eliminated due to the scale of the destruction. Hundreds of thousands of cell phone chargers will have to be shipped in so these Americans can maintain basic communication.

Generators: Tens of thousands of generators will have to be shipped to provide basic power as these Americans recover. So far, I have seen only gas powered generators being shipped in. I recommend solar generators as they will not need continuous fuel shipments to stay up and running.

Tarps: To cover the holes in roofs for those who still have a roof, to protect furniture, clothes, power equipment, valuables, etc. from the elements, millions of tarps will have to be shipped into Florida and Appalachia. Churches, volunteer groups, fire companies, police, and others will have to provide them until the private sector can catch up with the demand.

Balls and Stuffed Animals for the Children: The trauma of this event for adults is overwhelming. Most parents are so busy trying to recover, find shelter, water, and food, their normal attention to their children will, or necessity, be limited. Imagine how much greater the trauma is for children who do not have the coping skills or experience to process what they are going through as Mom and Dad are overwhelmed.

A basic way to replace the scary natural disaster trauma images now in children’s minds is to replace them with fun images they will remember in the future using balls and stuffed animals. If you can get your hands on one, hand a ball or frisbee or a stuffed animal to your children. This enables them to play, interact, laugh, and recover.

Remember that children are the future if they are to grow up, fall in love, court, marry, and make beautiful American babies.

Maps: When cell towers are down or you cannot recharge your cell phone due to no electricity, you have no GPS to find your way, so you will need to have backup maps to find directions.

American Flag Signaling: In distress situations, the American flag is a wonderful tool to signal to others you need help or are alive inside the home or car. I have seen videos of so many homes and cars already be spray painted with the “X” symbol to indicate the house will be torn down or the vehicle towed to the dump. By placing the American flag on your roof or in your doorway you signal to rescue workers and others that you are alive and can be reached. This is critical when every structure around you is gone.

Fireworks, Flares, and Megaphone Signaling: To notify flyover helicopters, planes, and drones your location, fireworks, flares, and megaphones can attract attention so you can be rescued.

Flashlights and Batteries

A flashlight and batteries can save your life when power goes out. Be sure that one or two are solar flashlights so you can always recharge them with sunlight.

Plastic Storage Containers: After a flood, survivors need plastic storage containers to store what belongings they can salvage.

Sanitation and Cleaning Supplies: Sanitation and cleaning supplies are critical, especially in the hours and days immediately after the flooding. Heavy duty liquid cleaners by the gallons, baby wipes for cleaning your skin, mops, brooms, rags, buckets, thick plastic trash bags, etc. are all necessary to begin the recovery process.

Septic Tank Overflow and Other Dangerous Polluted Water

When I was at the Salt Lake City 1983 flood, a hydrologist took me to the top of a mountain outside the city. From there, I was able to see the phenomenal view of large sections of the a major American city under water. These floodwater's caused major chemical waste ponds to overflow and their effluents to flow downstream, in addition to all the other problems that result from a flood. Those waters had dangerous chemicals that could kill.

And all those in Appalachia cleaning up after these floods face this danger, but worse because there were so many septic systems attached to their houses. The effluents are now everywhere. You must create a barrier between your skin and those poisons by wearing rubber gloves, boots, and eye protection.
NOTE: ALAWAYS WEAR HEAVY RUBBER BOOTS IN THIS POLLUTED WATER TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM CHEMICALS AND DANGEROUS BACTERIA AND FROM ITEMS THAT CAN CUT YOUR FEET OPEN AND EXPOSE YOUR BLOOD TO PATHOGENS.

Reflectix: You can insulate your new home or repair your current home, save heating and colling costs, and provide a safe healthy environment for your family by using Reflectix. I have installed it in 3 houses.

After All Natural Disasters, It Gets Better

The day my house burned down in 2004 when my wife was medevacked to the Johns Hopkins Burn Unit and I was exhausted salvaging what was left and dealing with dozens of contractors who suddenly appeared and visiting her in the hospital that night at 1:00 a.m., I was emotionally exhausted. As my mother was fond of saying, “Physical exhaustion is nothing. Emotional exhaustion is the hard one to get past.”

The day after the fire, a lady who appeared at my door went through a house fire the year before. She told me, “It will get better. You will see.”

Those words of encouragement saved me that day so I could make it to another day and another day. I say that to all those in Florida and Appalachia who just experienced this event. “It will get better. You will see.”

I was only one disaster in the neighborhood and was able to find a contractor to rebuild my home quickly. There are so many homes lost that many Floridians and Mountaineers will not be as fortunate as you will be seeking to hire contractors who are stretched thin. But you will hire them and you will recover.

CAUTION: One thing I to be aware of is rip off artists who will show up and falsely offer to do your repair or rebuild work. They will ask for half the money up front. DO NOT GIVE THEM A DIME!!! Tragically, after any disaster, criminals show up and pretend to be legitimate contractors. They fleece honest Americans out of their hard earned insurance money. Check…check…check…the credentials of anyone you hire.

I had to fire the original contractor on my home rebuilt in 2004 because I stopped by unannounced and found him using children under 10 with no PPE to clean up the toxic detritus left after the fire. I argued with him and he told me to mind my own business. I called my insurance company, USAA, and scheduled a meeting to fire them. They brought a lawyer and threatened me. I pointed out the 7 mistakes they made in my contract, including misspelling my name. We fired them.

Expect Complications and Delays: Then I found a remarkable good old boy from the back woods I could barely understand who rebuilt my house beautifully. But even then, I had to clean up the mold in the basement as he would not touch it. First, I used hydrogen peroxide. Second, I used bleach. Third, I used a blow torch to get the really bad stuff. Finally, I sealed it with Kilz.

Tip: Stop by unscheduled on any contractor you hire to make sure he is doing the work professionally and ethically.

People are remarkable resilient, especially Floridians and Mountaineers because they have to be. Today I saw a video of a guy in a holler that was completely cut off had rigged up a rope across the river and was using a grocery store shopping cart to bring supplies to his family. It will be that kind of American ingenuity that will save us. A Country Boy Can Survive.

Salt Lake City Recovery from the 2013 Flood

Salt Lake City offers a lesson in recovery and I want all those in Florida and Appalachia to know this. In 2013 I stood on the same mountain just behind the Utah State Capital that overlooks much of the city and all I saw were gleaming new buildings and dry land. It was as if the flood never happened. Behind me million dollar houses with wrap around porches were being built. Before me the downtown now looks like Manhattan with local, regional, national and international banks competing for who could build the tallest skyscraper.

Salt lake City in 2013 is a different city than the one I saw in the 1983 flood when it was under a large body of water. It has prospered and grown, especially in the software and financial services industries. Florida and Appalachia will recover and be prosperous again just like Salt Lake City.

Verify Whoever you are Giving Money to goes directly to the Victims

Be very careful to verify the organizations to whom you give money to help the destitute in Florida and Appalachia actually get the money. For example, after 9/11, the large donation I gave to where I worked then was taken by the human resources director to a casino in Connecticut and never got to the survivors. And over the decades I have discovered multiple “Veterans Charities” that are rip offs because the director and staff take 90% of donations for their salary and benefits and very few donations get to the Veterans.

Charity Navigator is an excellent resource to use to verify your donation actually gets to the hurricane Helene destitute. Only give money to honest local recovery efforts such as the Water Mission.

We are giving batteries, flashlights, and other supplies to Terry who cuts our grass and his wife Melissa. Honest relief organizations like theirs, grass roots and Bible based, are who you want to donate to to ensure your money actually reaches the destitute.

In God's Service Community Services/Disaster Response, Inc.

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Our Disaster Relief Efforts Are Underway: Donations Are Being Accepted. We are pleased to inform you that our disaster relief logistics are in place, and we are fully equipped to handle the collection and distribution of essential items to those affected. Our team at In God’s Service CS/DR, Inc. has carefully coordinated efforts to ensure that all donations are efficiently processed and delivered to those in need in Morganton, NC.

We will be actively collecting supplies over the next week and are assessing the situation on a daily basis. We will update our collection dates/times as needed. Please know your contributions will make a significant impact during this critical time. If you would like to donate, please see the attached list of urgently needed items.

Children's Diapers (all sizes), Pull-ups (all sizes), Baby Formula, Baby Wipes, Large (contractor size) Trash Bags, Disposable Paper Products, plates/cups/napkins/utensils), Personal Hygiene Items (shampoo, soap, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, feminine products), Hand Sanitizer, Nutritional Shakes, First-aid Supplies (hydrogen peroxide, Benadryl, Tylenol, Band-aids, Neosporin ointment, Calamine lotion), You can drop off donations at Martinsburg Seventh-day Adventist Church 2407 Delmar Orchard Road, Martinsburg, WV 25403. You may also contact us @ (304) 433-2935 or InGodsServiceCSDR@gmail.com Thank you for your continued support in helping us bring relief to our community.

Warm regards, Melissa Clapper, President, In God’s Service CS/DR, Inc., Director, Disaster Response @ Martinsburg SDA Church, (304) 433-2935

Donate to Churches, Not NGO’s like HIAS or “Catholic Charities”

Do not give money to the corrupt NGO’s who helped transfer billions from DHS/FEMA and other agencies to bring in and coddle 25 million illegal aliens. For example, the bishop of West Virginia just sent out a solicitation for “Catholic Charities” which is nether Catholic nor a charity. I would never give a dime to “Catholic Charities.” I say that as a cradle and devout Roman Catholic.

Catholic Charities certainly has money to burn. As I reported in my 2019 book, “Open Borders, Inc.,” Catholic Charities raked in an annual revenue of nearly $4 billion in 2016, $1.2 billion of which came from government sources. Taxpayer funding is the largest single source of funding for Catholic Charities, comprising more than one-third of its total funding.

Operating under the umbrella of the illegal alien amnesty-promoting U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Charities employs an estimated 65,000 employees engaged in affordable housing, health, welfare, employment, and immigration and refugee resettlement. In 2016 alone, Catholic Charities’ members served 413,050 immigrant and refugee clients. Immigrants (no distinction is made between legal and illegal) received help with “Dreamer” applications, detention and removal hearings, visa applications, and citizenship services. Refugees received “interpreter services, job placement, employment training, outreach, counseling, legal services, and matched savings programs.”

HIAS is even worse. The Hebrew Immigration Aid Society has enabled millions of illegal aliens from over 145 countries to make the journey from the Darian Gap to the U.S. Southern Border to American communities all over the country.

A follow-up CIS examination of the more than 30 faith-based nonprofits among those UN NGO partners — representing Jewish, Lutheran, Seventh Day Adventist, Catholic, and nondenominational evangelical organizations — shows that the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have been mainlining taxpayer funds to these groups, which then distribute them to keep hundreds of thousands of migrants comfortably moving toward illegal U.S. southern border crossings.

HIAS. A prime example is the self-described “Jewish American” nonprofit organization HIAS of Silver Spring, Md. (incorporated in 1903 as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society), which has pledged $17.1 million in aid to immigrants in at least seven Latin American nations during 2024, the UN’s RMRP planning documents show. It turns out that in FY 2022, 47 percent of revenue reported by HIAS came as grants from government agencies, the majority from the State Department, but some also from the Department of Homeland Security, according to the group’s tax filings and other sources, with the balance coming from a mix of major corporate sponsors and other sources.

The money that should be going to native Americans in Florida and Appalachia has been stolen and spent on an illegal alien invasion. There are serious crimes and treason on Mayorkas and his minions that must lead to prosecutions when Donald J. Trump is elected.

You are On Your Own

FEMA is not coming to save you. And the history of the feds failing Americans disaster after disaster is long and bitter. Here is just one example.

I wish it was not so and that this large federal organization carried out its original mission. I received my NIMS 101 and 102 and Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) from them and they do have some good courses and people. Sadly, like so many federal government bureaucracies, they eventually just want power and control and forget their purpose for being.

Unfortunately, under the Biden/Harris Administration they have diverted American tax payer money that should be used to help Americans prepare for and recover from natural and manmade disasters and redirected it to “DEI”, “CRT” , “Environmental Justice”, “Climate Change”, and other Marxist programs in addition to assisting the invasion of the U.S. by terrorists, murderers, rapists, and illegal aliens in an effort to create a one-party totalitarian state.

In the 1980’s, when I taught at FEMA’s Emergency Operations Institute they were corrupt and incompetent (the head of FEMA had his daughter’s wedding at their headquarters). Sadly, it has gotten much worse. Just today I am receiving reports from people in the hardest hit areas of Appalachia that the FEMA “professionals” are kicking out those who are actually helping the poor from hotels and taking them over for their use.

FEMA bureaucrats have also shut down American citizen to citizen and church to citizen aid stations and fire houses. Like so much of the federal government, they push Marxist DEI and climate change wokeness rather than getting food, water, medical supplies, and sanitation goods to destitute Americans.

Worse, DHS Secretary Mayorkas has admitted that they stole the money that should have gone to hurricane relief for impacted native Americans and transferred it by the billions to illegal aliens. He did not receive permission from Congress to do this. He needs to be prosecuted. This is a crime of such magnitude that justice must prevail and all who participated in this evil must be identified, judged, and convicted.

Below, Tim Kennedy summarized well how it is Americans helping Americans in this disaster rather than FEMA or DHS, as always.

Tim Kennedy @TimKennedyMMA There’s no way that you can grasp the amount of damage left in the week of this hurricane. And there’s no way that you can comprehend the complete failure by our government to respond. There are Americans that have been left up in the mountains in the hills with no support. I guess it’s always been that way. The people outside of the cities don’t matter. The poor don’t matter. The blue-collar workers don’t matter. We are just one month away from an election and you see how much they really care. I got to see firsthand how the ones answering the call are everyday regular Americans. I got to watch volunteers from saveourallies do the impossible. They’re sleeping in cars. They’re delivering baby formula, food, and diapers. They checked on nearly 100 year-old men that have been surviving for a week on their own.  Don’t believe what you’ve seen on the news. Don’t believe what you’ve been told by “the officials”. The damage and loss of life is indescribable.  This hurricane has left a path of devastation that we haven’t seen since Katrina, with soaring water levels and powerful winds wreaking havoc across the region. As rescue efforts continue led by volunteers and non-profits, the sheer scale of the destruction is becoming clearer, with many rural residents displaced and facing an uncertain recovery. Thank you!  Thank you to the volunteers at AirDrop.  Thank you to the volunteers from Samaritans Purse. Thank you to the volunteers at the resupply centers. Thank you to every single one of those men wielding chainsaws going up and down mountains trying to get trapped families out. Thank you to all the volunteers bringing in their helicopters and being the best pilots they can possibly be. Thank you to every person in the kitchens cooking meals for someone else. Thank you to every church that opened their doors to show what Christians really can do.  I could go on for hours. So I’ll just leave you with this: Thank you for acting like Americans and good neighbors.  When you’ve lost hope, always look to the helpers.

For true insights into this American talent for getting it done, discover Scott Mann. author of “No One is Coming to Save You: A Green Beret’s Guide to Getting Big Sh#t Done.”

“Why they are leaving Appalachia to Die”

This is a direct quote from an American citizen who lost their home to Helene.

The failure of the federal government to respond to hurricane Helene in real time and in the days after it stuck must be investigated. With all the military bases located in that area, why wasn’t America’s massive military might unleashed to deal with this Apocalyptic flooding disaster? Oh, that’s right, it was wasted and unavailable because it was with NATO taking care of Ukraine’s borders and sent to the Middle East to defend Israel rather than supporting the taxpayers in the United States who fund it.

As always, it is Americans helping other Americans that is the real recovery story. https://x.com/i/status/1840703119501500786

FoxyFarmer @GardensR4Health 17m Update from Jonathan Howard NC Governor @RoyCooperNC is still NOT providing support for rescue efforts. Roy Cooper, Biden, Harris are leaving thousands of stranded people die. Every NC politician has blood on their hands. Someone please help our people.

Lest We Forget: Helene Background Videos

https://x.com/i/status/1841125088361361896 Cory Mills @CoryMillsFL Quick Update: Day 2 Today we will focus on resupply to Poplar and Burnsville, NC. Yesterday we resupplied Asheville with approx 3000-4000lbs of supplies. We will focus on hoist operations and welfare checks to the areas completely cutoff and most impacted by the storm.

FoxyFarmer @GardensR4Health Update from Jonathan Howard You guys made Jonathan’s post go viral and it blew everything up. Title 10 bullshit was resolved, more helicopters on the way….. If Jonathan hadn’t gone viral, 100’s of thousands of people would have died. This man is a super HERO

https://x.com/i/status/1841820462415794221

https://x.com/i/status/1841897067188277433

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6362801354112

https://x.com/i/status/1840703119501500786

https://x.com/i/status/1841920889224626227

https://x.com/i/status/1842189688037335209

Shawn Hendrix @TheShawnHendrix·Please share and tag! Hey @elonmusk can you make @Starlink free for the next 30 days in the disaster zone. It’s really slowing us down setting these up and I am putting them all on my personal card. Gift cards won’t seem to process.

Collin Rugg @CollinRugg JUST IN: Trump says he has spoken to Elon Musk about providing Starlink to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene, says “Elon always comes through.”

Hundreds of thousands of people are currently without internet.

Towns like Asheville are currently considered “blackout zones” for accessing the internet, texting and making calls.

Starlink is one of the only ways to get internet access after fiber optic lines buried along roads were damaged and cell towers were knocked offline.

“I just spoke to Elon. We want to get Starlink hooked up because they have no communication whatsoever.”

“Elon will always come through. We know that.”

Nick Sortor @nicksortor It’s 3 am here in Western North Carolina, and I’m just turning in for the night. Today was EYE OPENING. We’ve already delivered multiple Starlinks to several emergency centers across the region who had been TOTALLY offline prior to our arrival.

The fact that there are still fire stations and first responders TOTALLY DISCONNECTED from colleagues in the same county is INSANE. We’re rapidly fixing that.

@ChrisHallWx has been an INCREDIBLE partner through this mission. I couldn’t ask for anyone better. And lastly, thank you @elonmusk for this absolutely mind blowing technology that has saved countless lives out here.

Below is a first-hand account of the vast devastation from Western North Carolina - by Auobrey Charlotte

Today I saw true devastation and death and I am not ok…

Today was the first day that I attempted to make it into Asheville to work. I wanted to check on my store and my staff and see my coworkers and to get some much needed supplies. I am still out of power and water at my home in Marion. With hwy 40 East Bound closed I had to take back roads around it which included down close to lake Lure and Chimney Rock and then back up into Black Mountain and Swannanoa before finally into Asheville.

The normally 40 minute drive to work took the better part of two hours and in that time the things I saw will haunt me for the rest of my life. The lightest of things were down trees collapsed power lines. I drove over and under so many destroyed power lines it wasn’t even funny.

Then I got into areas where I was driving over cliffs and the edges of collapsed roads some of which had me wondering if I would even make it to Asheville alive or see my little girl again. On more than one occasion my car felt as if it were slipping off the road. The road was collapsed in many places and slid down the mountains and or into rivers below so much so that barely one car could make it through. I even had to drive through what used to be a stream which is now small river that had overtaken a bridge. It took me a while to get the courage to drive through it because I couldn’t see the bottom and wasn’t sure how deep it was or how safe it was to drive through. I had to wait on someone else obviously more familiar with the area to go through first for reassurance I could make it in my little Kia.

Then I began to see cars such as the one below and even houses and a couple of campers collapsed and or washed away down the mountains and the rivers. Not even just with trees fallen on them. They had completely been destroyed and taken away by the storm waters. I saw whole sides of mountains and rivers that had collapsed in giant mudslides more than one hundred feet high easily.

But that wasn’t the worst…

As I drove through several areas where the storm had hit the worst I saw bodies. Bodies of animals wild and domestic, and then..I saw human bodies who had gotten caught in the storms and the rivers. (No im not kidding or exaggerating) At first I thought they were Halloween decorations or just clothes or something but as I got closer I could see they weren’t, they were real. Real victims of Helene washed away by the storm. I saw their faces.

Words cannot describe how much I was affected by those sights. Even worse when I was able to get signal when finally getting into Asheville I called emergency to let them know about the victims, and was told they would get to them when they could but they were currently overwhelmed with calls similar in nature and the disaster response, and honestly they didn’t know if and when they would be able to get to them.

All of this was happening while on the radio which for Asheville has mostly become call ins a woman got on the call from Swannanoa to talk about the bodies she had seen floating down river and piling up.

I am horrified. I am not ok. Those two hours this morning completely changed me. It’s one thing to hear of these kinds of disasters and a complete other to see it, truly see it. I’ve seen posts of people trying to find their loved ones in all of this, and all I can think of now is...were some of those people I saw the loved ones they were searching for? What will happen to them? Could anyone have saved them? Did they have any warning? I am utterly heartbroken.

I’m sure my coworkers thought I lost my mind because I couldn’t really do much except stare off into space thinking about what I saw and or was in tears. WNC was never prepared for what happened with this hurricane. I don’t know if there was a way to prepare for what happened, and now all I can say is if you have family in WNC and/or anywhere that was affected by this storm please help them, check on them, do what you have to.

Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers. Please remember kindness in the face of this disaster. We are not ok. Today I saw true devastation and death and I am not ok… Despite technology and the world having come so far, it is mules that are bringing relief to some parts of Western North Carolina

My Contact Information

Here is my card and contact information. If you need anything clarified or want to discuss any of these points further, feel free to contact me. poetslife@protonmail.com or 301 325 7936.

Tip: The People, not the government, get the recovery done, as here with the West Virginia Boys building roads for those who were cut off by hurricane Helene in North Carolina.