On October 11, 2024, on a sunny afternoon, days after Hurricane Helen devastated western North Carolina, Operation Air Drop, a non-profit that uses volunteer pilots and small planes to deliver supplies to communities in the aftermath of natural disasters, and Ground Force Humanitarian Aid, a humanitarian relief organization specializing in delivering aid on the ground, partnered with us at AmeriGas, the nation’s largest retail propane supplier, to transport more than 1,300 AmeriGas-donated propane cylinders via ATV and pack mule to stranded families and businesses who were still without power or resources in the town of Spruce Pine, NC and other nearby areas that were devastated by the recent storm and unprecedented flooding.
Over 1,300 Cylinders Distributed to Communities
In just a matter of days – the stretch between Sunday, October 6th and that Friday, the 11th to be exact - our AmeriGas team was able to mobilize quickly for the cause, coordinating the purchase, filling, and distribution of more than 1,300 propane cylinders so they could make their way to the difficult-to-access community.
A big thank you to the entire team for their efforts in making this happen for one of our local communities. You can check out a video of the operation on our Facebook page.
We also want to express our sincere appreciation to all of the AmeriGas team members who are working to support our customers in the impacted areas, including the 53 Airborne drivers from across the country who traveled to the impacted areas to assist our local staff.
The Exceptional Assistance from Our Airborne Volunteers
AmeriGas Airborne continues to be a strong source of assistance for us and—combined with the resilience of our local teams—allows AmeriGas to be there to help our customers when they need it most. Some employees, like volunteer Airborne driver Cory H from Billings, MT, opted to weather the storm and stay in Florida through Hurricane Milton. In his words, Cory is "out here doing what we are put on the earth to do," by assessing the damage to Tampa-area locations and helping our customers.
And, in North Carolina, dedicated Airborne driver Damien N found a note near a cell tower he was delivering to that stated "Please call us. We need LPG. We are just down the logging trail ahead." Damien jumped into action, called the phone numbers listed, and found out these were non-AmeriGas customers who were told by their provider that they were unable to deliver propane to them. Due to a delivery exemption currently in place, Damien and AmeriGas were able to provide much-needed propane to these residents in a remote area.
Learn more about AmeriGas’s Airborne emergency response team here.
While much has been done to help our customers, and non-customers alike impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, there is still more to do, and we will continue to share more updates with you in the coming days and weeks. In the meantime, stay safe!
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