In late September, Hurricane Helene left a path of destruction that stretched from Florida all the way into North Carolina. Appalachian communities like Asheville, N.C., were adversely affected, with millions in property damage and over 100 reported dead in North Carolina and even more missing, according to reporting from the Associated Press. 

Chrissy Davis owns Tiger Docks in Wright City, and she has always tried to be conscious of ways her business can help others. When she saw the devastation Helene left in its wake, she knew she had to help. 

“When I woke up on Friday, (Oct. 4) I was just like, we need to do something,” said Davis. “I have the resources as a business owner, I have the contacts to rally people fairly quickly.”

Then she spoke to Dan Young at Reliable Trucking Services, and asked him if he would be willing to lend his logistical expertise. 

“We handle everything from a pallet to a truckload, so no matter how much we get, we can definitely send it,” said Young. 

From there they reached out on Facebook, calling on the community to step forward and help. They solicited cash donations as well as a laundry list of items that were needed by survivors in North Carolina. 

Those supplies encompassed everything from diapers to dog food and protein shakes to charcoal, and the community responded. 

Within a week of Davis’ original Facebook post, Tiger Docks had received roughly $20,000 in donations and even more in supplies. 

Last Friday, those supplies were packed onto 22 pallets, loaded onto a truck and shipped to Arden, N.C., a small community roughly 15 miles outside of Asheville. Arden was not as heavily impacted and was able to receive and distribute the aid.

That truck arrived late morning on Oct. 12, and the two businesses received so much in contributions that another truckload will ship out from Wright City on Oct. 18. 

Davis is no stranger to organizing hurricane relief, as she and her husband conducted similar efforts in 2017 when southern Texas was battered by Hurricane Harvey. 

“Business owners are one thing, they have money, they have the funds they want to help, they want to do what they can do,” said Davis. “But the people, I think because we have done so much, … They know and they trust that what we’re doing is going to get into the right hands.”

One of those donors was the Wright City Fire Protection District Fire Corps, who stopped by on the morning of Oct. 9 to donate $1,000, roughly half of the proceeds from their recent pancake breakfast fundraiser, to the relief effort. 

For Young, the relief efforts were an opportunity to carry on his father’s legacy with Reliable Trucking. He said in the past the company had been very generous and while he wanted to carry on those efforts, he had been unsure of where to direct his attention. 

When Davis asked for his help, it clicked. 

“When that opportunity came I was like I can do that in my sleep,” said Young. “That’s something I can do easily, let me know how I can help.”

From there Young was able to lend his facilities to load the trucks along with his logistical know-how to get the supplies there, as many of the roads in the areas impacted the most have been washed out or completely destroyed. 

Due to the locations in Appalachia that were impacted the most, some of the needs in those communities were unconventional, compared to what would normally be considered hurricane relief. 

Davis said some of the most important items they gathered were winter coats and blankets, as the destruction in North Carolina has left many without homes at a time when colder months are fast approaching. 

Another surprising need was the anti-histamine medication Benadryl, Davis said that when she was asking contacts in North Carolina what was needed, Benadryl was at the top of the list. 

According to Davis, as flooding ripped through these Appalachian communities, the resulting landslides and moving dirt uncovered hives of yellowjackets that have been stinging survivors and recovery workers alike. 

For Davis, her dedication to relief efforts like this came down to one point, what if it were me?

“What if we had a tornado hit Wright City, what kind of devastation would that leave behind?” Asked Davis. “Where would people be and would people help us? So the thought process is hopefully when we need help down the road, this good deed will come back.”