Dolly Parton donates $1 million to Hurricane Helene disaster relief as storm claims over 200 lives

Country music icon Dolly Parton is donating $1 million to Hurricane Helene disaster relief efforts after more than 200 people died in the storm. 

The Tennessee native announced her sizeable donation towards the Hurricane Helene disaster relief at a Walmart in Newport, TN on 4 October via an emotional press conference. Hurricane Helene is the deadliest mainland hurricane in the US since Katrina in 2005.

Parton and her companies Dollywood Parks & Resorts, The Dollywood Foundation, Dolly Parton Stampede and Pirates Voyage partnered with Walmart to support disaster relief efforts after the Category 4 hurricane hit the Appalachian region. 

The star said at the conference: “I am totally with you because I am part of you.” She explained: “I have a lot of my own relatives that live here, and when we heard about this it was devastating, not just because it was my family [but] because all these people feel like my people. 

“We all feel related, and we are in some sort of way. So it just devastated me just to know that we had to suffer like that,” she said. Parton confirmed that her family members were safe in the wake of the hurricane. 

“You’re never prepared, you just try to step up,” Parton added. “God has been good to me, and so has the public, and I feel like if there’s anything I can do to give back in any way I can I’m always willing to do that.”

At least 223 people have been confirmed to have died as a result of the hurricane since it hit Florida on 26 September. Over half of the people who died were in North Carolina, as flooding wreaked havoc on entire communities.

Hundreds of people are still missing, with officials reporting difficulties in identifying some of those who died following the hurricane. Over a week since the disaster struck, hundreds of thousands of people are without power, with patchy signal making communication difficult with some communities.

Severe flooding in western North Carolina has also disturbed colonies of yellow jackets, which raises the risk of stings. For a small number of people, a sting from the insects can be life-threatening. Health officials in the state have bought large amounts of Benadryl, an antihistamine, and EpiPens to combat the risks.

If this story has affected you, call the American Red Cross on 1800 733 2767 or visit redcross.org/helene to find shelters. For disaster mental health support, call the Disaster Distress Helpline for free 24/7, including multilingual support, on 1800 985 5990. 

If you would like to donate to the Hurricane Helene relief efforts, call the American Red Cross on 1800 733 2767 or text HELENE to 90999. To volunteer with the Red Cross, visit redcross.org/volunteer.