WATERFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — With Hurricane Milton fast approaching, hundreds of workers and volunteers from Michigan are already down South responding to Hurricane Helene cleanup efforts. Now, they're preparing for yet another round of devastation.
“When you have two of the biggest hurricanes in the last two decades within two weeks of each other, it came at us fast,” said Greg Martin, executive director of Disaster Relief at Work. “Everything we do, it's a drop in the bucket. But get enough drops, you fill the bucket.”
That mindset is what fuels nonprofits like DRAW. The organization is based in Waterford Township and is preparing to send its sixth truck full of supplies down South on Wednesday to assist with Helene recovery. Martin himself has visited the area, and volunteers are still down in the Carolinas.
“Helene is this generation's Katrina,” Martin said. "This, in its size and its scope, is the most devastating storm we've seen doing this.”
Not even 24 hours after loading that sixth truck, Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall on Florida’s gulf coast. Martin and DRAW will be responding to help in those cleanup efforts too, although, their warehouse in Mississippi has already been depleted from Helene.
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“Every organization that does what we do, it's a challenge. For an organization of our size, it’s even more of a challenge,” Martin said. "We're preparing for the possibility of a major wind event. The stuff we're doing with Helene is a major flood event, so it’s different supplies, but we're ready to go.”
It comes as hundreds of other resources are already deployed to the South for Helene, including 600 Michigan workers from DTE Energy who are working in the Carolinas and Georgia. That includes both lineman and tree trimming crews.
“The sheer number of resources that are being used in those states for Hurricane Helene is rather unprecedented," said Brian Calka, vice president of distribution at DTE. "It's a pretty unique storm.”
Now with Milton approaching, there's a good chance Florida will need to call upon even more crews to assist. Calka says the state could be in need of 30,000 to 40,000 extra lineman.
"This is a very unique situation where within a couple of weeks, you have two massive, massive hurricanes hitting the Southeast," Calka said. "It’s going to take a record number of crews to help finish up the hurricane relief efforts but also respond to Hurricane Milton.”
The American Red Cross says 66 volunteers from Michigan are already deployed South assisting in Helene cleanup and Milton preparations. The Michigan Army National Guard also has 40 soldiers in North Carolina assisting with cleanup. They expect to be there for 10 to 14 days.
“This is what they signed up for," said Maj. Megan Breen, commander of the Michigan Army National Guard 507th Engineer Batallion. "They wanted to do operations within their local communities, whether it’s here or helping their brothers and sisters in North Carolina.”
The National Guard is also monitoring the storm set to hit Florida late Wednesday or early Thursday.
"The staff here at the headquarters in Lansing is doing some initial analysis to see what assets they could potentially provide if an ask does come from another state,” Breen said. "Being part of the National Guard, this is something we prepare and train for.”
As for DRAW, they’ve already responded to more disasters this year than any other year. With even more supply trucks set to head South on Saturday, the help and the need is not slowing down.
“We can watch and see what's going on in other places, or we all step up. Because we know next time, other people are going to step up for us,” Martin said. "In the worst of times, you see the best of people, and that’s what I've seen over the course of time. As heartbreaking as it is, you hope that this energy can bring some hope in really dark times.”
For information on volunteering or donating to DRAW, visit drawbuckets.org.
For information on donating to the American Red Cross disaster relief, visit its website.
