“We got a phone call at 10 pm Saturday night from our United Methodist partner in North Carolina. They asked us if we could send volunteers to help with clean up after Hurricane Matthew flooded the area last week,” said World Renew DRS Regional Managers Rick and Bonnie Wiersma. “The community needs help; now we need volunteers to provide that help.”
Hurricane Matthew left a path of destruction and heartbreak along the southeast coast of the United States last weekend. The huge, slow-moving storm caused massive flooding that killed 21 people, forced hundreds of thousands of residents to evacuate, and left countless homes in ruin.
Coastal communities in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina were hardest hit. Search and rescue teams have been working tirelessly to find missing and stranded residents, and are providing emergency food, water, and shelter to those who need immediate assistance after the storm.
“When a hurricane of Matthew’s size travels north on the Eastern Seaboard, there is likely to be a huge amount of damage,” said World Renew DRS Director Bob Laarman.
“World Renew Disaster Response Services (DRS) is committed helping people in North America recover from disasters, especially people who are elderly, disabled, low income or otherwise without adequate insurance. This kind of commitment takes time, and DRS is in it for the long haul. We want to make sure that people who are at risk don’t fall through the cracks.”
World Renew DRS is currently connecting with local and national disaster response partners to coordinate recovery efforts. DRS early response coordinators will next meet with communities to set the stage for the World Renew’s long-term response. This includes clean-up services, unmet needs assessments, home reconstruction, and other recovery services.
“In North Carolina, the flood water hasn’t crested yet,” the Wiersmas said. “Once it recedes and the search and rescue work draws to a close, DRS can send in volunteers to get a better idea of how, when, and where we can help.”
