ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A tractor-trailer loaded with generators, temporary roofing, more than 20,000 meals, and equipment to serve meals to first responders and survivors, has been staged at Send Relief’s headquarters in Alpharetta.

The truck will then head to Florida where teams have begun developing plans to move into the areas affected by Hurricane Milton as soon as the storm’s threat has passed.

Elsewhere in the region, Send Relief and Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) teams are making similar preparations, even while dozens of teams of volunteers continue to help Hurricane Helene survivors throughout the Southeast who have been devastated by that storm.

Hurricane Milton is projected to make landfall along central Florida’s Gulf Coast late Wednesday evening, early Thursday morning. Millions have been ordered to evacuate the Tampa Bay area that was impacted by Hurricane Helene in the last two weeks.

“Pray that God will dissipate this storm as it is headed for major population areas in central Florida,” said Send Relief President Bryant Wright.

SBDR mobile kitchens are on alert with teams from Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texans on Mission ready to partner with The Salvation Army and American Red Cross to provide hot meals to survivors after Milton hits Florida.

“We have increased the number of mobile kitchens and relief supplies on standby as the threat of Hurricane Milton has increased,” said Coy Webb, Send Relief’s crisis response director. “This has potential to be an historic strike that will bring destructive, life-threatening storm surge, widespread wind damage, flooding and potential for tornadoes.”

The Florida Baptist Convention shared that David Coggins, Florida’s SBDR director, is in touch with the Florida Department of Emergency Management and other partners to monitor and assess the storm’s impact.

Milton’s approach comes fast on the heels of Helene’s historic path across the Southeast that began on Sept. 26 when the storm made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend coastline as a Category 4 storm and tore through six states, bringing devastating flooding to the mountains of western North Carolina and the surrounding region.

More than 230 deaths throughout the Southeast have been attributed to Helene, with North Carolina’s flash flooding accounting for just under half of that total.

SBDR teams from 27 state conventions have been involved in the response to Helene at 25 response sites, and their response will continue as volunteer teams from across the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) will mobilize to help communities newly impacted by Milton.

Volunteers with Send Relief and SBDR have dedicated more than 86,000 total hours to serve survivors of Helene, providing more than 640,000 meals and helping more than 820 homeowners with everything from flood water mitigation, tree and debris removal and installing temporary roofing.

“One thing I can guarantee you,” said Webb, “Hundreds of SBDR volunteers are gearing up to continue ministering to survivors of these storms. As Send Relief supports their efforts with resources and materials, Southern Baptists will be meeting physical needs and offering eternal hope in the days, weeks and months to come.”

To donate and learn more about the response to this 2024 hurricane season, visit SendRelief.org.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Brandon Elrod writes for the North American Mission Board.)