(LEX 18) – 30 Starlink ground terminals that connect to satellites have been flown to North Carolina, giving people a direct connection outside their flooded city. Kentucky storm chaser Chris Hall is committed to ensuring people have a spark of hope.

Search and rescue crews, along with hundreds of volunteers, spent days cleaning up after Hurricane Helene leveled several towns in western North Carolina.

Helene’s death toll in six states has already exceeded 150, and at least 50 people have died in the Asheville, North Carolina, area. Thousands of people in several states are still without power, water, food and shelter.

“There are houses hanging on trees. Cars stacked on top of each other because of the flooding, it’s just devastation everywhere,” said Chris Hall, a 606 Storm Chaser providing Starlinks. “It’s really devastating to see the extent of the damage here. It’s something you don’t want to see, but you have to be prepared to see it. It’s going to take a lot to get these people back on their feet.”

Since Friday evening, Hall and his team have traveled across North Carolina distributing food, water, gasoline, generators, chainsaws and Starlink ground terminals. “We give them the Starlinks and say, ‘Hey, here’s $200 and a month of unlimited data.'”

The Starlink ground terminals are connected to a massive system of Starlink satellites owned by Elon Musk. They can be a lifeline for anyone in a disaster situation without cell service. The equipment allows you to send text messages and make phone calls.

In collaboration with Marco Patriots, Hall has distributed nearly 30 Starlink terminals, with more to be distributed.

“Keep these people, not just in North Carolina. East Tennessee down to Flordia. Even parts of Georgia. Keep these people in your thoughts and prayers. They will need it not just today, not just tomorrow.” They will need it for months or years to come. I mean, there will be some people who will never recover from this.

On Tuesday afternoon around 3 p.m., Hall installed another Starlink ground terminal at the North Canton Fire Department in Canton, North Carolina.

Hall also sent a mobile Denny’s restaurant to Asheville, NC to serve hot meals to area residents.