Since Hurricane Helene made landfall on Sept. 27, 2024, horse families from near and far have gathered together to start the recovery efforts.
Hurricane Helene’s 500-mile path of destruction caused catastrophic flooding across the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee. The flooding resulted in collapsing roads and the destruction of bridges and homes.
A week after the initial disaster, power and cell service have yet to be restored in several rural towns in the Southeastern United States.
Lana Warner Corley of Greenwood, South Carolina, producer of the Good Times Barrel Racing Association, NBHA Champion, and trainer, as well as the daughter of top Eastern trainer Jim Warner, said she and her family were without power for eight days.
“I’ll just speak on behalf of the multiple states like Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennesee,” Corley said. “It’s not normal for these states to go through this kind of damage with a hurricane. This has never happened before.”
Corley and her family, like others in the path of destruction, were not prepared for Hurricane Helene’s impact.
“My kids were literally playing in the yard, in the water, before this all happened,” Corley said. “Nobody was prepared for the damage that came with this. It was 4:30 in the morning, and the wind and rain woke me up. And when you have livestock, that’s the first fear, especially when it’s dark outside, is not knowing what’s happening.”
The path of devastation left many rural areas without basic necessities like power, water, and food. In addition to her barrel horses, Corley and her family raise Australian Shepheard dogs, so keeping running water for all their animals was a top priority.
BarrelRacing.com has contacted several members of the rodeo and horse communities to gather information on where anyone can contribute to the recovery efforts in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia.
Table of contents
How to Help:
Links for Monetary Donations:
- Victory Air GoFundMe
- Statesville, North Carolina, Airport Amazon Wish List
- Mountain Mule Packer Ranch Venmo
- Mountain Mule Packer Ranch T-Shirts
- Samaritan’s Purse
- Operation Airdrop
- Hurricane Helene Airlift Relief
Volunteer/Donate In Person:
- Statesville, North Carolina, Airport Volunteer Organization Page
- New Classic Pro Rodeo Stock Contractors
- Lane Scruggs – 864-395-9154
- Cydney Graham – 704-658-6221
- North Iredell FFA
- Bill Walker – 704-880-0489
Victory Air and Mountain Mule Packer Ranch
The rodeo and horse communities have stepped up in a big way and quickly, but the coming months will matter most to those who have lost everything.
“The horse show community and barrel racing community, there is nothing like it,” Corley said. “I could put out a post and say, oh my gosh, I need help, and someone from the horse community would be there to help with anything I need. Just from my friends that I know that have gone to North Carolina, I know Jordan Diaz, Elan Brooks, which is Craig Brooks wife, they have a trailer load going to North Carolina.”
For areas that can’t be accessed due to washed-out roads and bridges, Victory Air and Mountain Mule Packer Ranch are stepping up to get victims the items they need.
“Hayley Dagenhart used to barrel race some,” Corley said. “She’s taken items to the airport and having the airport fly them out to remote areas in North Carolina where people can’t get to. There are pack mules literally going to these people to get supplies because there are no roads.”
Breakaway roper and barrel racer Hayley Dagenhart works for Victory Air, a charter airline that usually shuttles NASCAR teams.
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Victory Air has been organizing both its own fleet and private pilots to drop supply packages to people who are not accessible by roads.
While Dagenhart and Victory Air are working to fly items in, the Toberer family with Mountain Mule Packer Ranch have been packing items to the inaccessible parts of North Carolina.
Mike Toberer is a military contractor who teaches troops how to pack mules into rough areas. Armed with about ten mules and one draft cross, Mike and his wife Michele began orchestrating supply drop-offs, where the surrounding communities came together to fill horse trailers with supplies.
The Toberer family and Dagenhart continue to organize ways for both monetary and in-person drop-offs. Victory Air has a GoFundMe set up for monetary donations, and donations can also be made by purchasing items from the Statesville, North Carolina Airport Amazon wish list. The Toberer family is accepting monetary donations via Venmo.