ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As the weight of Hurricane Ian's devastation continues to sink in, many people from the Tampa Bay area are doing what they can to lift up neighbors further south by giving time, energy and supplies.
Sol Relief, a nonprofit based in St. Petersburg, responds to disasters in a way few can.
It has a network of a couple of hundred volunteer pilots it's called on to help fly firefighters and supplies to the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Ian, turning trips that would take hours into 30 minutes.
A team of five firefighters came together on Tuesday for one mission.
“They’re all IAFF members that are going down to help the helpers," Hillsborough County Fire Fighters, Local 2294 president Tim Pearson told ABC Action News.
IAFF members from Hillsborough, Tampa and Hernando all volunteered their time on Tuesday to help firefighters in the areas Hurricane Ian ravaged, firefighters that are focused on search and rescue. Previous flights also had firefighters volunteering from Pasco County and St. Petersburg.
“We’re going down there to work on the houses of the firefighters that are still working the scenes. While they’re at work, their families are at home trying to do the cleanup, trying to tarp their roofs, remove drywall that’s wet, remove soggy belongings," Pearson said.
Every day, new volunteers are coming forward to help with the mission.
“It’s really about efficiency for us, to be able to have fresh bodies to go down each day, to go down and help, and it’s a resource that’s uncommon," Pearson said of Sol Relief. "And for them to step up and to offer the pilots and the planes and these flights is a real blessing to us, so we’re super grateful for that.”
The flight on Tuesday morning was one of more than two dozen Sol Relief said it's run, all with volunteer pilots, specifically responding to Hurricane Ian damage.
"We've got a beautiful community of volunteers, and the pilot community just really enjoys doing this," Sol Relief Executive Director Harris Ambush said. "It’s very unique, it’s very special, and then when we do a call to action, they’re there for us.”
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Founded in 2017 after Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria, the nonprofit has provided hundreds of disaster relief flights internationally, but Hurricane Ian is different. This is home.
“We are all affected by a storm, you know, whether it comes to you or not, this is an emotional situation," Ambush said.
Ambush said they feel a responsibility to be there.
“These are our friends, these are our neighbors, we’ve really got to keep that in mind and really got to remember that we’re all one community," Ambush said.
Sol Relief will continue working to lift people and the spirits of those impacted, showing that help is still coming.
“Disasters give us a great opportunity to see the heart of our community. You know, they have no obligation to do this, and out of the kindness of their hearts, the community comes together when these things happen," Pearson said.
Members of IAFF have been on Sol Relief flights out of St. Pete every day since Saturday, once Albert Whitted Airport reopened after Hurricane Ian. The teams will transition to driving as more roads open back up.