North American Disaster Relief & U.S. Rebuild
In addition to international relief efforts, Samaritan's Purse mobilizes staff and equipment and enlists thousands of volunteers to provide emergency aid to victims of tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters in the United States. After an initial response, Samaritan's Purse often stays behind to rebuild and restore houses for families in need.
North American Disaster Relief
The Samaritan's Purse North American Disaster Relief team maintains a constant state of readiness—monitoring weather conditions and emerging natural threats across the nation to respond at a moment's notice to natural disasters.
While the organization’s U.S.-focused relief efforts are based in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, about 30 miles east of the ministry’s international headquarters in Boone, Samaritan’s Purse has strategically positioned staff and equipment across the country. Bases of operation include North Wilkesboro, North Carolina; Dallas, Texas; and Fullerton, California.
Samaritan's Purse maintains a fleet of disaster response vehicles, including nine Disaster Relief Units, and stands ready for rapid deployment. These tractor trailers are stocked with heavy-duty tarps, generators, chainsaws, and other tools to aid in cleanup efforts. Each Disaster Relief Unit also contains a small, built-in office space to serve as local command centers for Samaritan's Purse recovery efforts.
Across the United States, over 60 Disaster Relief Vehicles—box trucks specially outfitted with tools and equipment—are stationed at partner churches and ready to provide support for Samaritan's Purse disaster responses in their region.
Deployments
In disaster areas, Samaritan's Purse always partners with a local church, where staff members set up a command center and mobilize volunteers to serve the community. Once on the ground, Samaritan's Purse assessment teams canvass hard-hit neighborhoods and talk with people in need to let them know help is available.
Samaritan's Purse and its army of volunteers help families recover after a catastrophe. Depending on the nature of a disaster, volunteers may tear out damaged drywall, remove flooring, put tarps on damaged roofs, haul away debris, and help homeowners salvage personal belongings.
Disaster relief teams include staff and volunteers. Many of the volunteers have received classroom and hands-on training, and they travel across the U.S. with Samaritan's Purse to help homeowners affected by natural disasters.
- In 2019, Samaritan's Purse launched Team Patriot—an initiative that provides Operation Heal Our Patriots participants the opportunity to volunteer in hard-hit communities following natural disasters. In 2025, 88 U.S. military veterans and their dependents helped families recover from storms during 18 deployments across the country.
- Since 1998, Samaritan's Purse has responded to 387 domestic disasters in 39 states, bringing aid to more than 84,477 families.
- In 2025, more than 15,600 volunteers served about 450,490 hours with Samaritan's Purse, helping more than 6,000 families recover from disasters.
- Samaritan's Purse responded to 15 disasters in 11 states in 2025, including floods in central Texas and Colorado, tornadoes in Kentucky and St. Louis, and other devastating weather outbreaks.
U.S. Rebuild
After the initial disaster response and cleanup efforts are complete, U.S. Rebuild often steps in to begin rebuilding new homes for families who otherwise would be unable to afford it. In addition to rebuilding homes, Samaritan’s Purse also repairs homes; replaces mobile homes, furniture, and appliances; and rebuilds infrastructure such as bridges, driveways, and culverts.
U.S. Rebuild began in 2012, after Samaritan’s Purse responded to Hurricane Sandy. Since then, Samaritan’s Purse has completed or is in the process of completing 51 rebuild programs across 20 states, including in Mississippi, Kentucky, Hawaii, Texas, and North Carolina.
- After severe flooding hit Texas in July 2025, Samaritan’s Purse started a rebuild program, providing families with new homes and repairing damaged structures as well as replacing furniture and appliances. So far, over five homes have been repaired and construction for dozens of new homes has been approved.
- Samaritan’s Purse began its Hurricane Helene rebuild program in 2024 and plans to continue working in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee for years to come. The rebuild program is in the process of helping hundreds of families with long-term housing by providing mobile homes, building new homes, and replacing furniture and appliances.
- After the Lahaina fires in 2023, Samaritan’s Purse opened a rebuild program in Hawaii. The rebuild team is hard at work in Lahaina to finish construction on over 40 homes.
- Samaritan’s Purse built 32 homes after eastern Kentucky was hit by severe flooding in 2022. In 2025, 18 of those homes were dedicated as a part of the Chestnut Ridge neighborhood, a 57-lot subdivision built to support families impacted by the flooding.
