Our DRS rebuilding projects are in full swing at a record number of disaster locations. Staff and volunteers are busy rebuilding and remodeling houses for disaster survivors in various states as well as Puerto Rico.
Did you help cleanup or rebuild after the terrible damage caused by Hurricane Harvey or the other hurricanes of 2017?
The devastation . . . is breathtaking. Electric poles are lying on the ground and miles of power lines, like snarled fishing line. Vehicles are huddled under fallen roofs or surrounded by debris, ready to be dug out and evaluated for damages. Trees are lying everywhere. Acres of trees are snapped in pieces. Roofs have gaping holes and siding has been shredded. Water, once taken for granted is rationed carefully. Food is appreciated like a small savings account.
Water-damaged houses. Torn off roofs. Trees strewn across the yard. These sights leave many devastated homeowners with overwhelming questions: What steps should I take next? How will I clean this by myself?
Hurricane Michael roared ashore on Florida’s panhandle as a category 4 storm. In the final hours before landfall on October 10, the hurricane rapidly intensified. The catastrophic storm caught many by surprise. Winds of up to 155 mph obliterated houses, ripped off roofs, splintered trees, smashed power lines, and left homeowners reeling in the aftermath. In some places, entire blocks were nearly wiped out.
Florence cleanup underway in the Carolinas Monday, October 3, 8:03AM Floodwaters have gone down in most areas and Rapid Response volunteers are cleaning up flood-damaged homes at the following locations. Trenton, North Carolina: A Rapid Response base has been setup in Trenton. From this base, staff and volunteers are reaching into the towns of Trenton… Read more
Hurricane Florence made landfall on the North Carolina coast on September 14 as a category 1 storm. The storm moved slowly across the Carolinas dumping a deluge of heavy rain. Swansboro, North Carolina, received 34 inches of rain, breaking the all-time record for North Carolina. Before Hurricane Florence hit the coast, CAM team members headed… Read more
As Hurricane Florence makes its way toward the East Coast, CAM team members are ready to take action as soon as possible after the storm. Florence has downgraded to a category 2 storm, but is still serious and could bring catastrophic flooding in the days to come. The hurricane could bring as much as 30… Read more
Mirana* will not soon forget the events of September 20, 2017. It was the day Hurricane Maria ripped across the island of Puerto Rico and destroyed her home. With few other options, Mirana collected pieces of wood and blocks from the rubble to build a tiny shelter for herself and her mentally challenged daughter. Before… Read more
Disaster Response Accident Update
On Tuesday, February 6, around 5:30 p.m., a volunteer work crew was returning to the Christian Aid Ministries Disaster Response base in Lumberton, North Carolina, when they were involved in a serious traffic accident. Two volunteers were killed and two others seriously injured.
Josiah Miller, age 47, and Kevin Yoder, age 18, died in the crash. Both were from the New Order Amish community in Hustonville, Kentucky. Josiah leaves behind his wife Susan and 10 children, 8 still at home…
CAM Rapid Response Team Researches Ways to Help Two days after mudslides plummeted down hillsides of Southern California, the search for survivors continues. At least 17 people are dead—including four children—and more than a dozen people are still missing. Hundreds have been rescued already. Our California Rapid Response team is researching ways to help in… Read more
Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc on the island of Puerto Rico on September 25, ripping roofs off concrete houses, flattening wooden structures, and bringing heavy flooding. Much of the island is still without power, phone service, or running water. “There are so many needs, I don’t even know where to start,” said Leroy Heatwole, a Rapid… Read more
Forty people have lost their lives and hundreds more remain unaccounted for in California’s deadliest wildfire in state history. Sixteen fires are still blazing in various parts of the state. The fires have consumed thousands of homes and businesses and burned more than 221,000 acres. As of Monday, 75,000 people remain under evacuation orders. Earlier… Read more
Nearly two weeks after Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory in the Caribbean, the island is still reeling. “Puerto Rico is in survival mode,” reported Rapid Response team member Leroy Heatwole who is helping to assess damages. Most of the island of 3.4 million people is still without power or phone communication. In… Read more
CAM Rapid Response team members are in Puerto Rico investigating damages to see how we can best help. Before leaving, the team had spoken with a mission pilot who was the first to land in the capital city San Juan after Hurricane Maria. “The needs are unbelievable,” the contact said. “The news isn’t getting the… Read more