Dogwood Health Trust releases Hurricane Helene disaster response playbook

Dogwood Health Trust has shared a new disaster response playbook that captures lessons learned from its experiences following Hurricane Helene in 2024.

The playbook and downloadable readiness and response checklist offer practical guidance for how philanthropy and other organizations can help stabilize communities in the immediate aftermath of a disaster and lay the groundwork for long-term recovery.

“Philanthropy, nonprofits, and government have always played vital roles in our communities,” said Dr. Susan Mims, President and CEO of Dogwood Health Trust. “We are proud to collaborate with and offer support to these private and public organizations that strengthen access to healthcare, housing, food, education, and economic opportunity across Western North Carolina (WNC). When Hurricane Helene tested the systems our communities depend on every day, I was inspired by the creativity, care, and collaboration our partners demonstrated as they came together to meet the moment.”

One of the deadliest U.S. storms of the 21st century, Helene caused an estimated $59.6 billion in damage and recovery needs in North Carolina, according to the N.C. Office of State Budget and Management. And most of the impact was felt by Dogwood’s 18-county service area of WNC, which includes Burke County.

“Helene went beyond a natural disaster; it was a systems disruption in a very rural place,” Mims said. “People lost homes and loved ones. Entire communities were cut off from necessities such as power, clean water, cell service, and safe road access for weeks.”

Within five months of Helene, Dogwood invested more than $80 million in immediate relief grants, and the organization continues to support recovery efforts. Dogwood works closely with nonprofit partners, long-term recovery groups, and local governments to help communities build back better, and in 2024 and 2025 combined, it invested over $365 million in annual grants, impact investments, and hurricane relief.

The disaster response playbook highlights four key lessons from response efforts, sharing what Dogwood and WNC faced, how they responded, and what they learned as part of a longer journey. Those lessons are as follows:

• Stay true to purpose — Dogwood’s response built upon its long-standing mission to improve health and well-being in WNC. Relief funding was directed toward areas aligned with Dogwood’s long-term priorities, including maintaining critical health services, supporting housing stability, and strengthening economic opportunity.
• Trust enables impact — Flexible funding allowed organizations to respond to rapidly changing community needs without delays tied to rigid funding requirements. This meant keeping clinics open, distributing supplies, and caring for neighbors. As one partner shared, having that support meant they could focus on people, not payroll.
• Relationships and networks make things go — Strong relationships and local knowledge are essential to effective disaster response. Local nonprofits, healthcare providers, funders, and community leaders identified needs, coordinated resources, and reached impacted communities. Existing relationships and trusted networks made large-scale coordination possible during a rapidly evolving crisis.
• Speed and equity both require intention — Rapid response efforts must be paired with intentional strategies to ensure resources reach the people, communities, organizations, and small businesses most affected by the storm. Equity is about more than distributing resources evenly. It is about understanding who has been most affected, who was already experiencing disinvestment and disconnection before the disaster, and what support is needed to ensure resources reach those people.

“We hope the playbook is an adaptable resource for philanthropic organizations nationwide who want to prepare for and respond effectively to future disasters,” Mims said. “Most importantly, disaster preparation begins with building strong partner relationships and networks and making investments today in the well-being of our communities. Pairing those things will help us all stand up to the next storm together.”

The aforementioned lessons and voices of grantee partners are explored in more detail via the playbook found on Dogwood’s website. The downloadable checklist serves as a starting point to support planning, guide decision-making, and help leaders respond to the unique needs of their communities. To view the playbook, visit dht.org/hurricane-helene.

About Dogwood Health Trust

Dogwood Health Trust is a private foundation based in Asheville with the sole purpose of dramatically improving the health and well-being of all people and communities in the Qualla Boundary and the 18 counties of Western North Carolina. To learn more, visit dht.org.

— JM