Hurricane Michael

How You Can Help & How to Request Our Help

Are you … 

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  • A homeowner in need of weatherhead repairs to have electricity at meter box connection?
     

  • Running a family farm in Holmes, Washington, Jackson, Bay, or Walton?
     

  • Have unreimbursed private pump repairs, farm irrigation issues, or livestock water-tank damage?

 

You’re in the right place.

It’s hard to describe now what one Mayor aptly called “a carpet-bombing.” People are still on their knees, and we are still helping, especially where it concerns safe hot running water—and helping remote family-run farms.

 

Hurricane Michael was the 3rd-worst hurricane in United States history—and the strongest hurricane on record to ever hit the Florida Panhandle. It devastated a swath of both urban and rural areas, while snapping millions of dollars’ worth of timber 90 minutes inland, way off the Gulf of Mexico. EIGHTEEN counties are receiving some form of FEMA assistance from the disaster. You’ve seen pictures of coastline devastation, but you probably haven’t seen much of the rural areas that had cattle break loose or die, barns explode, feed ruined, and their farms without electricity—for months. Most of the region was without power for about 3-6 weeks.  Utility companies did a Herculean job rebuilding the grid—and that reflected the 9,000+ workers here from across the country assisting.

What We Did Over 2 Months

Safe Water for Walton’s full-time relief effort with volunteers started within hours of October 10 landfall when one of our business members, YOLO Board, reached out, offering to be a drop-off site. It was clear that those directly hit would be without power for weeks or months. Within 2 days when deemed safe, our truck deliveries started in the “strike zone,” across several counties. We covered an 80-mile area between Bay and Jackson counties multiple times:

 

  • 6 local non-profit service partners had their strategic needs lists fulfilled and delivered.

  • 800 pounds of fresh fruit delivered to emergency shelters.

  • 2 hot seafood meals served to emergency responders (Jackson County EOC/National Guard/FWCC Law Enforcement, and Holmes County Sheriff's Office & EOC staff).

  • $18,000+ in materials and $6,000 in cash donations deployed.

  • 50 gift cards to the Wal-Mart mobile pharmacy in Jackson to cover $10 co-pays for life-saving Rx's. 

  • 8 families received deliveries from their special lists of clothing and supplies for parents & children.

  • a high-capacity generator with fuel cans to service a neighborhood of homes in Lynn Haven.

  • 2 U.S. Postal Service carriers whose homes were abolished received emergency supplies on Day 1.

 

Our first truck+trailer delivery on Day 3 was to United Cajun Navy in Lynn Haven. To Tyndall Air Force Base service members—in a partnership with EOD Warrior Foundation—we bought $1,000 worth of tarps for the homes they owned off-base.  We purchased their “solar showers,” so they could report for required immediate duty.  We participated in federal USDA meetings to support area farmers and to learn what our regional watershed neighbors would need long-term.

What We Are Doing Now

With a special donation from NFL Saints QB Drew Brees of $10,000

— and any donations from you —

we are still helping our watershed neighbors.

Request our short form Q&A for electrical work or water-repairs reimbursement. (The property owner must write. Provide your homesteaded address.)

We launched this strategic program with NFL Quarterback Drew Brees & community partners like Gulf Coast Children's Advocacy Center!

TO HELP A FAMILY IN NEED, click here.  Your donation is tracked & you will receive an update on the family, post-repairs!

Safe Water for Walton, Inc., is a non-profit advocacy and education organization properly registered with the State of Florida and the IRS.