The Beginning

Savage Freedoms Relief Operations began in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, a catastrophic event that devastated Western North Carolina in late 2024. It all started with Adam Smith, a former U.S. Army Green Beret and founder of Savage Freedoms. When the hurricane struck, Smith’s daughter and her mom became stranded in an isolated mountain community, with no assistance in sight as FEMA struggled to do anything and local authorities were completely overwhelmed.

Determined to act, Smith tapped into his network of amazing friends, securing a privately-owned helicopter to rescue his loved ones. What began as a mission to save his family quickly expanded when he realized the full scale of the disaster. Witnessing countless others trapped and desperate for help, Smith was joined by fellow veterans, volunteers, and resources under the banner of Savage Freedoms Relief Operations.

In the days that followed, the team grew into an agile, grassroots force—dubbed the “Redneck Air Force”—flying critical supplies into cut-off communities, conducting search-and-rescue missions, and restoring communication with STARLINK systems. Savage Ops became the lifeline for those forgotten by traditional disaster response, cementing its role as a symbol of resilience, ingenuity, and community-driven action.

Helene Facts

More than 40 trillion gallons of rain drenched the Southeast United States in the last week from Hurricane Helene and a run-of-the-mill rainstorm that sloshed in ahead of it — an unheard of amount of water that has stunned experts. That’s enough to fill the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium 51,000 times, or Lake Tahoe just once. (APNEWS)

-Over 1,400 landslides were documented across Western North Carolina due to Helene’s heavy rainfall.

• The Lake Lure Dam in North Carolina was overtopped, prompting evacuation orders.
• Approximately 6,000 miles of roads were damaged or destroyed in Western North Carolina.
• Over 400 roads were closed, with significant closures on I-40 and I-26 due to flooding and landslides.
• More than 1,000 bridges and culverts sustained damage.

Savage Ops Stats in WNC

• Over 1200 air Sorties in 25 days. 
• Thousands of ground missions
• An estimated 4+ million pounds of supplies received. 
• An estimated 3+ million pounds of supplies distributed. 
• The only volunteer organization to receive a FAA NOTAM declaring the temporary airfield controlled airspace our air traffic controllers were able to coordinate and run.    
• Over 2600+ volunteers