One year ago today, a small group of strangers gathered in Edneyville, North Carolina, with no banner, no plan, and no name. What they did have was a shared purpose: to reach people cut off by Tropical Storm Helene. Bridges and roads had been washed away. Trees and power lines blocked paths to homes. Families were left without water, food, power, or medicine. Some were already drinking from toilets to stay alive. Insulin was delivered to those who needed it most, though in some places it came too late. Death was in the air, but so was something else. People from different walks of life came together with one mission: to save whoever they could. Politics didn’t matter. Religion didn’t matter. Race didn’t matter. Only the work mattered. That group called itself Hendersonville Disaster Relief.

From those first days, with around 200 volunteers and little more than determination, a seed was planted. Out of that seed grew what we now know as Grounded Boots Relief. Founded by John Badger, who admits he had no prior experience in disaster relief, the effort has transformed into a nonprofit with a focused mission: to be first in after disaster, gathering real-time information that allows agencies and organizations to respond more effectively.

In just one year, we have answered the call beyond Helene. We have stood alongside communities through flooding in Virginia, wildfires in Polk County, and Tropical Storm Chantal in central North Carolina. We sent support to a search and rescue team during the wildfires in LA. And in recent days, we have been on alert for what began as Invest94L, now expected to dissipate before making significant landfall.

The work has not been easy, but it has been necessary. Each response has sharpened our skills and clarified our mission. We have gone from being strangers in the mud to being a nonprofit with status, structure, and strategy. And most importantly, we have gone from being a loose network of helpers to being recognized by our community, our neighbors, our partners- you- as a worthy cause.

We are now a year older, though in truth, the heart of this effort is timeless. It is the same heart that drove strangers into the floodwaters with life-saving goods. The same heart that carried insulin across washed-out roads. The same heart that says, again and again: when disaster strikes, we will show up.

Grounded Boots Relief is grateful for every hand that has lifted with us, every voice that has spoken our name, and every step that has carried us further than we thought we could go. Our story began in the shadow of Helene, but it is still being written. And with your support, we will continue to carry that same purpose into every storm that lies ahead.

Grounded Boots Relief has been on alert as Invest94L formed in the Atlantic, with early models suggesting it could strengthen into Tropical Storm Imelda and push into the Carolinas. Our team prepared for a possible deployment.

By late Friday night, Hurricane Humberto’s pull shifted the storm track, reminding us how quickly forecasts can change. Our meteorologist, Jackie King, provided timely updates that kept us positioned to act if needed. For us, time on alert is never wasted. It strengthens readiness.

This alert also sharpened our process. Conversations with our board, NCVOAD, emergency management, and meteorology gave us clearer direction. With Jackie now on our panel, our weather updates are more strategic, and our outreach will be more methodical moving forward.

10,000 Nuclear Bombs in One Storm
A single mature hurricane generates 1.3 x 10^17 Joules of wind energy every day—that’s the same as running half of the world’s power plants at once. And when you factor in the clouds and rain? The energy skyrockets to 200 times the world’s total electrical output. NASA puts it this way: one hurricane can unleash the energy of 10,000 nuclear bombs.
Source: howstuffworks.com

I had great expectations for Grounded Boots Relief, and I very much still do. What I did not realize was how often there would be gaps in response efforts. That is part of why I am glad we stepped into this work. At first, I believed those gaps only showed up during widespread disasters. Over time, I have learned how our organization can help in those moments, and also where other organizations are better suited to step in.

I also need to share something that has weighed on me: the embarrassment of having to reintroduce our organization to people. In the beginning, I thought I was doing a solid job of explaining who we were and how we assisted in times of crisis. But after several responses, I realized how difficult it was to communicate clearly what we actually do. In the last few months, we narrowed our scope and stopped advertising our support in the way of products. The challenge is that companies and organizers still find our older information, the kind I had intended to leave behind, and assume that it reflects who we are now. It feels strange to know that people have put their faith in us, and then I have to explain that our purpose has shifted.

I believe this restructuring is the right move. While it is awkward to say that we were once trying to be all things to all people, it is true. We are no longer spread so thin, and that makes us stronger. I cannot guarantee we will never need to refine again, but I can say with confidence that we are far more capable today than when we started.