CDP Atlantic Hurricane Season Recovery Fund

Hurricane Milton, the second major hurricane to make landfall in Florida in only two weeks, struck Siesta Key on Oct. 9, bringing storm surge, deadly tornadoes and 120-mph winds to communities already reeling from Hurricane Helene. The impact from multiple storms in the same general area has exacerbated systemic issues and left the state of Florida with dwindling resources for continuing recovery.

Just before Milton, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm on Sept. 26 near Perry, Florida and moved quickly inland, bringing life-threatening storm surge, destructive winds and flooding rains throughout multiple states.

The storm was very large, leaving a devastating 800-mile path of destruction across the southeastern U.S. We continue to assess the ongoing needs throughout the storm’s impact area and are working with local partners to determine the most strategic use of funding to support equitable recovery.

The CDP Atlantic Hurricane Season Recovery Fund supports initiatives that prioritize communities devastated by Atlantic hurricanes, especially those facing systemic barriers to equitable recovery.

We focus on the greatest areas of need for the recovery process. Our approach is community- and expert-informed, focused on medium- and long-term recovery, and rooted in using an intersectional racial equity lens.

Photo: Damage in Keaton Beach, Florida, after the landfall of Hurricane Helene, Sept. 27, 2024. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob Hancock; CC BY 2.0)

Earlier in the season, Hurricane Francine made landfall on Sept. 11 in Louisiana as a destructive Category 2 storm, bringing 100 mph winds and flooding rain. As it moved inland and weakened, it brought torrential rains and flash flooding across other states.

Hurricane Debby caused widespread power outages and flooding, and spawned tornadoes along the eastern U.S. coast and into Canada, while Hurricane Beryl made history as the earliest Category 5 storm on record.

This fund supports these disasters:

Medium and long-term recovery

We support recovery programs identified by our disaster experts in partnership with those in the affected communities. This includes rebuilding homes and providing mental health, legal, and disaster case managementservices. As the recovery progresses, we often shift our focus to address other urgent challenges identified by our local partners.

Community- and expert-informed

In consultation with local stakeholders, our team identifies specific unmet recovery needs and funding gaps in each community. We explore investing in all geographic areas affected by the Atlantic hurricanes.

Intersectional racial equity lens

CDP prioritizes giving resources to meet the needs of populations and individuals whom systemic inequities have marginalized.

With funding from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy's Atlantic Hurricane Recovery Fund, our grantee partners are helping affected communities rebuild stronger.

See all grantee partners