By: Makayla Rangel
LO’T News Editor

Lives have been lost, houses have been destroyed, and devastation has occurred as a result of Hurricane Florence. The storm originated from a strong tropical wave off of the West Coast of Africa. On September 14, this Category 1 hurricane struck the East Coast. In North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia powerful winds, heavy rain, and flooding have overtaken the coastline. Several feel of rain cover the streets. Powerful winds blow trees to the ground. Non-stop rain has created life-threatening environments for civilians. Volunteers have put their best efforts forth to help the people who are threatened the most. According to CBS News, 37 people have died as a result of the storm. 343,000 people have no power in North Carolina. Winds have reached upwards of 85 miles per hour. People do not have access to their cars, making transportation extremely difficult and dangerous. Entire cities have been buried under feet of water. Even millions of farm animals have been affected, drowning in the high flood waters. Although Florence is now a Category 1 hurricane now, it is predicted that it will strengthen into a Category 3 storm with winds up to 125 miles per hour which will not make anything easier for these struggling towns.
With all of the destruction and devastation, volunteers from all over the country are reaching out to help those in need. A Missouri-based organization led a fundraiser BBQ that brought 50,000 meals a day to recovering residents, Michael Jordan donated $2 million to hurricane response efforts, and The American Red Cross has provided over 8,000 shelters across the affected areas. Volunteers are coming together to make light of a devastating natural disaster. Any amount of help is a great contribution. To contribute to this cause go to
https://www.redcross.org.