Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian humanitarian aid organization, has expanded its relief efforts to hard-hit areas in western North Carolina with three water filtration systems.

The water filters can provide clean water for 10,000 people daily, or up to 50,000 liters. Samaritan’s Purse designed the filtration systems with an in-house team of engineers.

THOSE SUFFERING FROM HURRICANE HELENE’S IMPACT GET HELP FROM REV. FRANKLIN GRAHAM AND SAMARITAN’S PURSE

One of the locations where the water filters have been deployed, Swannanoa, had its water pipeline network completely destroyed during Hurricane Helene. 

“We designed these systems to use overseas—and they work so well—but now the need is in our own backyard,” said Rev. Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse in a release.

“We are airlifting supplies, mudding out homes, removing trees, and doing so much more—all in Jesus’ Name—and we’re thankful for everyone who is helping make it possible. We want to remind each person that we help that God loves and cares for them and hasn’t forgotten them,” the Rev. added.

GEORGIA MAN SHARES STORY OF SURVIVAL IN NORTH CAROLINA AFTER HURRICANE HELENE: ‘INCREASED MY FAITH IN GOD’

Samaritan’s Purse, which is based in Boone, North Carolina, has also delivered emergency relief supplies to communities in need via 19 helicopter operations thus far. Many North Carolina communities were cut off from road systems during Hurricane Helene.

More than 2,700 Samaritan’s Purse volunteers have brought aid to those affected by Hurricane Helene. (Courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse)

Food, water, infant hygiene kits, and medical supplies have also been airlifted by Samaritan’s Purse to some of the most isolated and affected areas. The organization is operating a 20-bed emergency field hospital in Avery County for those hardest hit by Hurricane Helene and to continue oxygen care for those without electricity.

Samaritan’s Purse has also flown supplies to hard-hit areas from Hurricane Helene in 19 separate helicopter operations thus far. (Courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse)

In addition to basic supplies, nearly 3,000 volunteers have answered the call with Samaritan’s Purse to assist over 140 North Carolina families. Volunteers have cleared and cut downed trees, clearing storm debris, and mudding out flooded homes.

Samaritan’s Purse has also deployed Disaster Relief Units to communities in Georgia and Florida which have been affected by Hurricane Helene.

The current death toll from Hurricane Helene sits at 232 at the time of publishing of this article.

Employees forced to work at a Tennessee plastics factory are recounting the day historic flooding took over their parking lot and caused the power to go out. Once the plant shut down, and they were sent home, several of the workers did not make it. 

Floodwaters swept 11 people away, and only five were rescued. Two of them are confirmed dead and part of the death toll across the affected states that passed 150 Tuesday, The Associated Press reported.

“We were all talking to the supervisors and telling everybody, ‘Look, we don’t need to be here,’” Impact Plastic employee Zinna Adkins told WJHL. “Our phone alerts were saying we need to flee the areas. And they never said anything about it. And supervisors didn’t tell us that we could go.”

A statement from management of the company founded in 1987 and the factory located in Erwin sent to Fox News Digital said that Impact Plastics “expressed sympathy for the missing and deceased employees and one contractor.”

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“At no time were employees told that they would be fired if they left the facility,” the statement continued.  

Impact Plastics says while most employees left immediately following dismissal, “some remained on or near the premises for unknown reasons.”

Jacob Ingram, a mold changer at the plastics factory, filmed himself and four others waiting for rescue as bobbing vehicles floated by. He later posted the videos on on Facebook with the caption, “Just wanna say im lucky to be alive.” Videos of the helicopter rescue were posted on social media later on Saturday.

NORTH CAROLINA OFFICIAL REVEALS SHOCKING DAMAGE TO TOURIST TOWN: ‘ALL OF IT WAS WASHED INTO THE LAKE’

An aerial view of flood damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Erwin, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

“They should’ve evacuated when we got the flash flood warnings, and when they saw the parking lot,” Ingram said to the Knoxville News Sentinel. “We asked them if we should evacuate, and they told us not yet, it wasn’t bad enough.”

The two confirmed dead at the Tennessee plastics factory are Mexican citizens, Lisa Sherman-Nikolaus, executive director at Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition told the AP. She said many of the victims’ families have started online fundraisers to cover funeral costs and other expenses.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON HELENE’S HAVOC

Another aerial view of the damage following Hurricane Helene in Erwin, Tennessee, where Impact Plastics factory is located.  (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

“For employees who were non-English speaking, bi-lingual employees were among the group of managers who delivered the message,” Impact Plastics statement read. 

“The company is conducting an internal review of activities and timelines of September 27th and will share the information once complete,” a spokesman told Fox News Digital Wednesday. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

The five people killed aboard a single-engine plane that crashed and caught fire at Wright Brothers National Memorial’s First Flight Airport in North Carolina over the weekend have been identified, officials said Tuesday.

The National Park Service (NPS) identified the victims as Shashwat Ajit Adhikari, 31, of Silver Spring, Maryland; Jason Ray Campbell, 43, Southern Pines, North Carolina; Kate McAllister Neely, 39, of Southern Pines, North Carolina; Matthew Arthur Fassnacht, 44, of Marietta, Georgia; and a 6-year-old child, whose name was not provided.

“National Park Service employees at Wright Brothers National Memorial, Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (Outer Banks Group) extend their deepest condolences to the families, friends and loved ones affected by this tragedy,” David Hallac, superintendent of the Outer Banks Group, said in a statement.

The Cirrus SR-22 airplane crashed around 5 p.m. Saturday in a wooded area near the airstrip, which is located near the town of Kill Devil Hills in the Outer Banks.

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Witnesses reported that the airplane was attempting to land at the airport when the aircraft crashed and sparked a fire that caused the plane to burn, according to officials.

The Kill Devil Hills Fire Department and other local fire departments helped to extinguish the flames, but there were no survivors.

The plane was carrying five people, including a 6-year-old child, at the time of the crash near the Wright Brothers memorial. There were no survivors. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images, File)

Campbell was a decorated lieutenant colonel assigned to the U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, according to Stars and Stripes. He had about 19 years of active-duty service and served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2006.

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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the crash, and the Federal Aviation Administration was notified.

“We’re here to figure out what happened, why it happened and how we can prevent it from happening again,” NTSB investigator Ryan Enders told reporters Sunday.

NTSB expects to release a preliminary crash report within 10 days, though the full investigation into what caused the crash could take between nine months and a year.

The Wright Flyer lifts off for the first time in Kitty Hawk as Orville mans the controls and Wilbur runs alongside in 1903. (Wilbur and Orville Wright via National Park Service)

The Wright Brothers National Memorial was constructed in the area where Wilbur and Orville Wright conducted “a series of experiments that three years later resulted in the world’s first heavier than air, powered controlled flight,” according to NPS.