DRS – On September 14, Hurricane Florence stormed into North Carolina. Surges and intense rainfall created what is now thought to be the worst flooding event in East Coast history.
More than 100,000 homes are still without electricity. Property damage is conservatively estimated at $17 billion. Over 2,400 people are still in shelters, and 500 roads across North and South Carolina are still closed. Major flooding will continue throughout this week.
Repeat flooding is occurring due to river basins “double cresting.” Levels rose first from the rain in South Carolina, and then again as North Carolina rivers drain into South Carolina.
World Renew Disaster Response Services staff and volunteers are on daily coordinating conference calls, getting ready to help with clean-up as soon as the water recedes. Early assessment and rapid response teams will head to the damaged areas after an “all clear” is issued in the days ahead.
“World Renew DRS is well-positioned to help people affected by Hurricane Florence,” said Bob Laarman, World Renew DRS Director. “DRS has long-standing relationships with local response organizations in the flood areas, and we’ll connect with them in this response. World Renew’s mission is to engage with communities and neighborhoods that may be overlooked. In a disaster, some areas get a lot of support while others are desperate for help. Those overlooked areas are the ones where World Renew will work.”
One DRS partner in North Carolina reported they will not be ready until mid-October to receive help with clean-up because they are still in an emergency phase and not yet ready to host and coordinate volunteers.,
World Renew DRS provides volunteer labor and free recovery services in communities that are affected by natural disaster in the U.S. and Canada. World Renew prioritizes assisting disaster survivors who may “fall through the cracks,” such as the elderly, people who live below the poverty line, people with disabilities, and homeowners without insurance or in other circumstances that prevent them from recovering on their own.
World Renew DRS has a cadre of approximately 3,000 trained volunteers and is currently active in responding to 2017’s hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico, as well as wildfires on the West Coast and damage caused by Hurricane Matthew in Tarboro, North Carolina, in 2016.
Support World Renew DRS in responding to the needs of people affected by Hurricane Florence.
