In response to the severe damage caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the Arbor Day Foundation has pledged to plant 10 million trees across six impacted states.
"After witnessing the destruction left by Helene and Milton, we felt a strong responsibility to contribute meaningfully to the recovery process. Our mission was reinforced by the flood of calls and messages from people wanting to assist the affected communities and forests," shared Dan Lambe, Arbor Day Foundation's CEO. "While safeguarding human lives is always the first priority after such disasters, we coordinate with our planting partners to determine the appropriate timing for replanting. When the moment is right, we’ll be there with 10 million trees, ready to help bring hope back to these regions."
Over the next four years, the Foundation aims to plant these trees in affected areas of Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Once the most critical needs have been addressed, the Foundation will partner with public and private entities and local organizations to develop a timeline for tree restoration.
Although the full extent of tree cover loss from Hurricanes Helene and Milton is still under assessment, the storms—which hit within weeks of each other—caused severe structural damage and extensive flooding.
Since its founding in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has planted over 500 million trees in 60+ countries worldwide, contributing significantly to disaster recovery efforts since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Through this initiative, the Foundation continues its support of communities and forestlands affected by hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and floods.
As hurricane season winds down at the end of October, the lengthy process of restoration and rebuilding is only beginning.
Click here to donate to the Arbor Day Foundation’s effort to help replant and restore areas impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.