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
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
Hurricane Harvey survivors continue to face a mountain of cleanup. Rapid Response teams are cleaning up and the Loaves & Fishes Food Kitchen is providing hot meals for homeowners and volunteers. We are grateful for the 100-plus volunteers a day that are helping clean out houses by removing mud, sheetrock, drywall, and waterlogged belongings. … Read more
Rapid Response helps with flood cleanup As Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recorded history, barreled toward Florida, people around the world earnestly prayed. Our Rapid Response staff, already overwhelmed with the Hurricane Harvey project in Texas, braced themselves for the worst and prepared for another large disaster. The state ordered… Read more
UPDATE: The Florida Rapid Response team has set up a base near Jacksonville, as well as in Orlando where several hundred houses are flooded. Our generator trailer with 21 generators is being used in Georgia where the power is still out. We are also researching the flooding in Charleston, South Carolina, and plan to investigate… Read more
The track of Hurricane Irma keeps looking more devastating as it approaches Florida. This powerful storm is predicted to hit west of Miami on Sunday morning with winds up to 155 mph. Severe flooding is predicted in Florida and Georgia. CAM’s Search and Rescue teams are traveling south so they can respond immediately after Hurricane… Read more
As Hurricane Irma pummels small islands in the Caribbean and churns its way toward the U.S., CAM is preparing to respond to what will likely be another catastrophic disaster in our homeland. South Florida, where CAM had its first disaster response project in 1992 after Hurricane Andrew, may take a direct hit from what is… Read more
Rapid Response teams help homeowners begin the long road to recovery Our Rapid Response cleanup teams are beginning the immense task of helping homeowners to get started cleaning up their homes. Volunteers and staff are tarping damaged roofs, removing soggy drywall, and spraying for mold that quickly develops in flooded homes. The teams aren’t yet… Read more
CAM teams request prayers as they respond Rains are subsiding in Texas, and cleanup is about to begin. We hope to have our first local volunteers on the ground by Thursday. Rapid Response teams from other states are prepared to join our Texas team to help with this massive project in the coming weeks. “We… Read more
CAM teams continue rescues and research There is no relief in sight for the people of southeastern Texas as torrential rains and disastrous flooding continue to slam the state. “This is a flood of epic proportions,” reported Chris Troyer, our Rapid Response team leader in Texas. At least nine people have died in Houston, including… Read more
Hurricane Harvey blasted onto the coast of Texas on Friday night, August 25, bringing with it one of the worst flooding disasters in recent U.S. history. As much as 30 inches of rain have fallen in parts of southeastern Texas—nearly the amount that falls over an entire year. Although some homeowners have already reported waist-deep… Read more
Navigating around closed roads, rising waters and torrential rains, our disaster relief teams continue to actively research the flooded areas of southeast Texas and prepare for long-term involvement in Hurricane Harvey’s aftermath. “It’s a disaster,” said Chris Troyer, Texas Rapid Response team coordinator. “Lots of wind damage. Roofs that should be tarped. A lot of… Read more