Offroading Auto Shop To Send Supply-Filled Jeeps to East Tennessee for Hurricane Relief
on Oct 04, 2024
Local businesses and neighbors are banding together to support hurricane relief efforts
Hurricane Helene made landfall on Thursday, September 26th, and left a path of devastation that no one could have predicted. Thousands of residents across the southeastern United States have been left without access to power, shelter, food, and other necessities.
As relief efforts are underway, the death toll continues to rise and is now upwards of 200 fatalities, according to a report by CNN.
Death toll from Hurricane Helene soars to 200 after officials in Georgia and Florida report additional deaths https://t.co/4ZAze27Jbz
— CNN (@CNN) October 3, 2024
An offroading auto shop is gathering supplies to bring to hurricane victims
Outlaw Offroad, a specialized auto shop for jeeps and other off-road vehicles, is asking nearby residents to donate supplies like toiletries, water, batteries, formula, and flashlights to be used for hurricane relief efforts. The business owners plan to transport these supplies via Jeep to those in need.
With eight locations across Tennessee and North Carolina, Outlaw Offroad is uniquely positioned to reach people in different areas of the states affected.
Jesse and Candice Klo, of the Murfreesboro, TN location, have set a goal to fill up a trailer bed with 12,000 pounds of supplies and make an initial delivery to eastern Tennessee on October 20th. They told local news:
“We wanted to kind of trickle things in and do them in waves, so that there’s consistently something there for people to get and it’s not just all up front. That’s super important.”
Jeeps from the Outlaw Offroad network are helping residents in hard-to-reach areas
Due to the extensive damage to roads and bridges in the region, emergency response vehicles and repair crews have been delayed in reaching areas where help is needed.
However, Jeeps, with their smaller size but high offroad abilities, have been able to traverse some of these areas. Jesse Klo shared:
“Jeeps, they can clear a tree that’s small enough to get through, whereas, it may take the rest of the day for the power company to get through. So, it has already paid dividends.”
Additionally, Outlaw Offroad is now in contact with private helicopter pilots and is asking residents of affected areas to provide them with the coordinates of suitable landing locations so they can deliver supplies by air.
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Candice and Jesse Klo plan to continue accepting donations and delivering them to residents in need for as long as they can.
“It’s our neighbors. The whole state of Tennessee really bands together.”
You can drop off donations here Monday through Friday before 5 pm.
For additional resources and ways you can help the victims of Hurricane Helene, visit this page.
