Hurricane Helene Sept. 2024

Hurricane Helene took a path across multiple states and caused catastrophic damage and loss along her way. Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina all felt the affects of this system. Halo and partner teams staged in Tallahassee Florida and waited for land fall.

Helene formed on September 24, 2024, and rapidly intensified into a Category 4 hurricane. It made landfall near Horseshoe Beach, Florida, on September 26, 2024, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (220 km/h)

Helene resulted in at least 234 fatalities and caused economic damage estimated at over $120 billion. It was the deadliest hurricane to strike the U.S. since Hurricane Maria in 2017.

Rescue and support was provided by air, boat and vehicles to reach those in need. Teams moved as the eye of the storm was just moving fulling onto land trekking down to Steinhatchee FL. Supporting local and state organizations with boat rescue for areas that were inundated with water. With more information coming in about the destruction of the storm as it moved north east teams pivoted and worked back up to Georgia.

Monitoring the information as it rapidly came in a clear need for support in NC was noted. Wasting no time our team headed on the trip up to provide live saving and sustaining support. Waters still raging and families trying to make sense of what happened as we hit the ground and air full force.

More Details and Pictures to Follow

Hurricane Idalia – August 2023

Hurricane Idalia was a powerful and destructive Category 4 hurricane that caused significant damage across parts of the southeastern United States, especially in North Florida, in late August 2023. The tenth named storm, third hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season.

The system was upgraded to a tropical depression on August 26, 2023, and strengthened into a tropical storm a day later, receiving the name Idalia. It traversed the Gulf of Mexico where it underwent rapid intensification, briefly becoming a Category 4 hurricane prior to making landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida at Category 3 strength on August 30. Idalia remained a hurricane as it moved through Northern Florida and crossed into Southeast Georgia; it then pushed into the Carolinas as a tropical storm. On August 31, Idalia emerged into the Atlantic, where it transitioned into a post-tropical cyclone that same day. Later, it passed south of Bermuda, made a counterclockwise loop, then meandered off the coast of Nova Scotia while winding down.

H.A.L.O Responded to the storm – Below is a snapshot of our deployment.

  • Jay getting it done.
  • The massive tree damage took out homes, closed roadways and destroyed vehicles in its path.
  • Aerial shot of opening roadways to allow homeowners access out after being blocked in.
  • Sometimes you have to work in high places.
  • Multiple trees landed on this home. GA
  • A look from the inside
  • More tree work.
  • Part of the process is covering homes to prevent further damage from the elements.
  • Making plans so everyone is safe and able to work efficiently.
  • Tight places make work difficult at times.
  • Team work! HALO had the opportunity to partner with other groups during this deployment.
  • Working together makes the heavy lifting a bit easier.
  • Assessing the incoming flood – Florida.
  • A big help from an amazing young man!
  • When working from Florida back to Valdosta GA Jay lended a hand to get the roads open.

Texas Floods – Hill Country – July 2025

On July 4–5, 2025, a slow-moving storm system unleashed over 20 inches of rain across Central Texas, triggering flash floods that devastated communities along the Guadalupe River and surrounding counties. The disaster became one of the deadliest floods in Texas history, with 135+ fatalities, dozens missing, and widespread destruction of homes, camps, and infrastructure.

Entire summer camps were inundated, roads and bridges washed out, and agricultural lands across the Hill Country and Concho Valley were submerged. The flooding overwhelmed local emergency services, prompting large-scale search and rescue operations supported by state and federal agencies. NASA and NOAA deployed aerial and satellite assets to assist responders in mapping inundation zones and guiding relief efforts.

For organizations like HALO, the Texas Floods highlighted the urgent need for rapid deployment capability, coordination with local authorities, and specialized teams for animal response, logistics, and field operations. The event underscored how quickly severe weather can escalate into a humanitarian crisis, requiring both tactical field support and long-term recovery planning.

In response to the devastating floods that struck Central Texas in July 2025, HALO Relief deployed a team of skilled and dedicated volunteers to support search and recovery efforts in the Leander area.

Over the course of two weeks, our teams worked alongside local agencies and partner organizations with the shared goal of bringing closure to families impacted by the disaster. Search members, K9 human remains detection (HRD) units, and equine teams united to form a cohesive response force, combining expertise and compassion in the field.

This deployment demonstrated the strength of collaboration and the resilience of communities coming together in times of crisis.