Showing Up and Staying: Disaster Relief in an Age of Distrust

As the Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, disaster response organizations across the country are preparing for the next storm. That preparation includes coordinating logistics, purchasing supplies, training volunteers, and strengthening partnerships. It now also requires planning for an environment shaped by misinformation, distrust, and competing narratives.

A recent 60 Minutes segment examining extremist groups in disaster zones highlighted how quickly public perceptions can form after a disaster. Recovery efforts are now followed by outside groups and online networks attempting to influence how events are understood while communities are still in crisis.

The segment highlighted a reality many disaster response organizations have increasingly encountered: disaster zones are no longer only spaces for physical recovery. They are also environments where information moves quickly, emotions run high, and public perception can form before recovery is completed. In the 60 Minutes segment, Henderson County, North Carolina, Sheriff Lowell Griffin warned that this may become “the new normal” for disaster response.

Fear, uncertainty, and isolation create fertile ground for misinformation after disasters. In moments when communities are struggling to make sense of loss and disruption, narratives can spread quickly, often filling the vacuum before facts and recovery efforts have had time to take shape.

We saw this during NECHAMA’s deployment after Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina. Volunteers from Jewish communities across the country worked alongside local churches, civic groups, and community organizations to clear debris, muck homes, and support families recovering from the storm. At the same time, online misinformation about both the disaster and recovery efforts circulated widely, often disconnected from conditions on the ground.

Disaster response now happens both on the ground and online, where recovery efforts and public narratives develop at the same time. In highly visible moments of crisis, volunteers become ambassadors of trust. Their presence shapes how communities understand who is showing up and whom they come to trust during uncertain times.

NECHAMA volunteers work alongside local residents during recovery efforts in Western North Carolina.

In many of the communities NECHAMA serves, our volunteers may be among the first Jewish people local residents have ever worked beside. In others, NECHAMA may be the only Jewish organization that people encounter during a time of crisis. Those interactions matter. Trust is often built not through statements or slogans but through direct experiences and shared work during difficult moments.

This does not mean disaster response should be reframed primarily through the lens of public relations. The core mission remains helping communities recover after disaster strikes. NECHAMA means “comfort” in Hebrew, and that commitment is reflected through direct service and long-term recovery work in partnership with local communities.

As storms grow more destructive and recovery becomes more complex for vulnerable communities, organizations are operating in environments where misinformation can spread rapidly and public trust can become fragile. That reality makes partnership, consistency, and long-term presence even more important.

For volunteers, showing up is only the beginning. Communities remember the people who work beside them, listen to their stories, and remain engaged after headlines fade. In an age of distrust, service itself becomes an act of relationship-building.

NECHAMA’s work has always been grounded in service: showing up, working alongside local communities, and remaining committed long after media attention fades. In moments of crisis, communities remember who showed up and who stayed.

Stephan Kline is Chief Executive Officer of NECHAMA – Jewish Response to Disaster.

Tzlil McDonald serves as Project Director, Combating Antisemitism, leading interfaith outreach efforts in Western North Carolina and beyond.

For more information, contact: stephan.kline@nechama.org or tzlil@nechama.org