#297: Using Military Training in Hurricane Helene Disaster Relief with Alex Jarbo, USMC Veteran

"They've run hundreds of missions out here, and they’re an incredibly nimble group. They create their missions the day before, and then they push out that morning with those missions." - Alex Jarbo, U.S. Marine Corps ‘13 - ‘17

This podcast is a slight departure from the regular SABM Podcast episode because of the hurricanes that have devastated communities in the southeastern U.S. For this episode, we interviewed Alex Jarbo, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, 10X Vets Member, and resident of Asheville, North Carolina – an area that has been heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene. Alex and a team of heroic volunteers are working to help local residents with rescue and reconstruction efforts. In this episode, Alex describes his first-hand experience of what’s been happening on the ground and how people are coming together to help. To support their efforts, please consider donating to their GoFundMe campaign.

How You Can Help

As of this writing, 60 consistent volunteers, who will be up to 100 by this weekend, are running missions to help stranded, isolated, and hurricane-impacted residents in Western North Carolina There is an immediate need of $65,000 that will go towards chainsaws, fuel, and other supplies, with the eventual goal being $1,000,000, which will go into rebuilding roads and bridges in Western North Carolina.

The team is doing incredible work. For example, there’s an IV bag shortage and they were able to secure 10,000 IV Bags even before FEMA was able to, as FEMA is managing relief in multiple geographical areas impacted by multiple hurricanes.

Equip Aerial Recovery Volunteers to Rebuild Western North Carolina After Hurricane Helene

• GoFundMe 
• Updates on Instagram

As a seasoned expert in the short-term rental industry, Alex Jarbo owns 16 successful properties and founded Open Atlas, an investment and management firm dedicated to developing and acquiring distinctive short-term rentals worldwide. Over the past seven years, Alex has coached over 5,000 students and provided personalized guidance to more than 300 individuals, helping them build thriving vacation rental businesses. He is the lead writer on short-term rentals for BiggerPockets, a real estate investing community, where his blog posts have reached over 500,000 readers in the past year. Alex's ambitious goal is to develop or acquire 1,000 unique micro resort units within the next five years.

Prior to his entrepreneurial journey, Alex served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 4.5 years as part of the Honor Guard in Washington, D.C. He holds an MBA specializing in Real Estate Development and is completing a Doctorate in Business with a focus on Leadership.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The unexpected impact of Hurricane Helene on inland areas, such as Asheville, North Carolina, including severe flooding, which has not been seen in over 100 years.
• The initial lack of communication and awareness about the severity of the storm, including the loss of cell phone reception, and the overwhelmed 911 emergency system.
• Alex and his wife turning their bed and breakfast property, Engadine Inn and Cabins, into a base for relief operations.
• The partnership with Aerial Recovery Group, a nonprofit organization specializing in disaster recovery, and how they joined forces to respond to the crisis.
• How relief efforts have evolved quickly, starting with an initial team of 8-10 volunteers, then 50, and with expectations the team will soon grow to more than 200 people.
• The diverse range of missions conducted by the relief team, including aerial rescues, road clearing, food and supply delivery, and medical assistance.
• The involvement of diverse helpers, including ex-special forces personnel, general contractors, electricians, and even local Amish taking horses into areas inaccessible to vehicles.
• The challenges faced by the local community, such as the collapse of Asheville's water system and the destruction of key infrastructure, including concrete and gravel factories.
• The fundraising efforts initiated by Alex and his team to support the relief operations, with a goal of raising $1 million.
• The focus on acquiring essential equipment, like heavy-duty chainsaws and communication gear, to enhance the efficiency of rescue and recovery operations.
• The potential long-term impact of these private relief efforts, emphasizing speed and flexibility, in responding to community needs.

Help Equip Aerial Recovery Volunteers to Rebuild Western North Carolina in the Aftermath of Hurricane Helene

• GoFundMe 
• Updates on Instagram

Connect with Alex: 

• LinkedIn
• Engadine Inns and Cabins

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Special thanks to Alex for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA ’01