Nechama-Jewish Disaster Response

NECHAMA'S MISSION IS TO BRING COMFORT TO PEOPLE IMPACTED BY NATURAL DISASTERS BY EQUIPPING AND LEADING VOLUNTEERS IN ASSISTING COMMUNITIES WITH DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE AND RECOVERY NATIONWIDE.

DISASTER RESPONSE:TEXAS - WINTER STORM URIFEBRUARY 2021 - MARCH 2021WINTER STORM URI WAS A MAJOR WINTER STORM THAT OCCURRED FROM FEBRUARY 13, 2021 TO FEBRUARY 17, 2021. IT HAD A WIDESPREAD IMPACT ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, NORTHERN MEXICO, AND PARTS OF CANADA. THE STORM RESULTED IN OVER 170 MILLION AMERICANS BEING PLACED UNDER VARIOUS WINTER WEATHER ALERTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. AS A RESULT OF THIS STORM, POWER BLACKOUTS OCCURRED FOR OVER 9.9 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE U.S. AND MEXICO. THE MOST NOTABLE BLACKOUT WAS THE 2021 TEXAS POWER CRISIS. POWER BLACKOUTS CAUSED A LOSS OF HEAT, LEADING TO WIDESPREAD DAMAGE CAUSED BY FROZEN AND BURST PIPES. ADDITIONALLY, FROZEN AND BURST PIPES LEAD TO WIDESPREAD LOSS OF DRINKING WATER. BY FEBRUARY 21, THE DEATH TOLL FROM THIS STORM HAD RISEN TO AT LEAST 82 PEOPLE, INCLUDING 70 PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES AND 12 PEOPLE IN MEXICO. DAMAGE FROM THIS STORM IN TEXAS ALONE IS EXPECTED TO REACH BETWEEN $10 BILLION TO $20 BILLION.NECHAMA JOINED INTERNATIONAL ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHARITIES (IOCC) WITH COORDINATING MUCH NEEDED PLUMBING SUPPLIES. THE TWO TEAMS ASSISTED TWO HOMES THAT NEEDED ASSISTANCE WITH MUCK AND GUT OF THEIR FLOODED STRUCTURE. IN ADDITION TO THE ON THE GROUND ASSISTANCE PROVIDED WE ALSO PROVIDING REMOTE SUPPORT. NECHAMA VOLUNTEERS ANSWERED PHONE CALLS FROM FAMILIES IMPACTED BY THE STORM, COLLECTING INFORMATION OF NEEDS IN ORDER TO GET ASSISTANCE TO THESE FAMILIES.DETROIT, MICHIGAN - FLOODJULY 2021 -AUGUST 2021DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS ON FRIDAY, JUNE 25TH, 2021 HEAVY RAIN FELL ACROSS MUCH OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN. COMMUNITIES IN THE DETROIT, MICHIGAN AND SURROUNDING WAYNE COUNTY AREA HAD RAINFALL OF MORE THAN 6 INCHES DURING THE NIGHT AND INTO SATURDAY MORNING. EXCESS WATER OVERLOADED PUMP STATIONS AND FLOODED LOW-LYING SECTIONS OF FREEWAYS. THESE STORMS ALSO CAUSED POWER OUTAGES TO APPROXIMATELY 40,000 HOMES AND BUSINESSES. A STATE OF EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED FOR DETROIT AND WAYNE COUNTY.AS STORMS CONTINUED THROUGH THE WEEKEND, EXCESS RAINFALL CONTINUED TO CAUSE DAMAGE AS WATER AND SEWAGE FLOODED BASEMENTS. RECORD RAINFALL INUNDATED SYSTEMS THAT WERE NOT DESIGNED TO HANDLE THE IMMENSE AMOUNT OF WATER FLOWING INTO THEM. A STATE OF EMERGENCY WAS ISSUED FOR THE DETROIT AND WAYNE COUNTY AREA AND FEMA BEGAN FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS ON JULY 8TH, 2021.ON JULY 12TH, 2021 A NECHAMA TEAM DEPARTED FROM MINNESOTA HEADED TO DETROIT, MICHIGAN TO BEGIN ASSESSING THE DAMAGE. THE TEAM WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH FAMILIES TO SALVAGE PERSONAL BELONGINGS AND REMOVE DAMAGED MATERIALS FROM HOMES. AS OF AUGUST 23RD, 2021, OUR TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF ASSESSED DAMAGE ON 69 HOMES, COMPLETING MUCK AND GUT WORK IN 48 OF THOSE HOMES. AMERICORPS TEAM MAPLE 1 JOINED OUR RESPONSE, ALONG WITH 21 VOLUNTEERS FROM ACROSS MICHIGAN AND THE COUNTRY. TOGETHER, THEY COMPLETED 1,449.25 HOURS OF DONATED LABOR. ST. CHARLES PARISH- HURRICANE IDASEPTEMBER 2021 - ONGOING ON AUGUST 29, 2021, HURRICANE IDA MADE LANDFALL TWICE ALONG THE LOUISIANA COASTLINE, FIRST NEAR PORT FOURCHON AND THEN TWO HOURS LATER IN LAFOURCHE PARISH. THIS STORM HIT LOUISIANA AS A POWERFUL CATEGORY 4, WHERE IT BROUGHT LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE, CATASTROPHIC WINDS, AND DANGEROUS RAINFALL AND FLOODING.THE STORM CAUSED WIDESPREAD LOSS OF POWER THROUGHOUT LOUISIANA FOLLOWING THE COLLAPSE OF A TOWER CARRYING KEY TRANSMISSION LINES. THE ESTIMATED REPAIR TIME FOR THIS MAIN TOWER WILL BE SEVERAL WEEKS, LEAVING THE STATE WITHOUT POWER DURING A TIME OF OPPRESSIVE HEAT.THIS STORM TESTED THE UPGRADED LEVEES, FLOODWALLS, AND FLOODGATES INSTALLED FOLLOWING WIDESPREAD FAILURE AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA STRUCK NEW ORLEANS SIXTEEN YEARS AGO. UPGRADES TO LEVEES IN THE WESTERN SUBURBS HAD RECENTLY BEGUN AND STORM SURGE FROM IDA QUICKLY ROSE ABOVE THE LEVELS OF EXISTING LEVEES, LEADING TO FLOODING IN THE SUBURB OF LAPLACE.AS THE STORM MOVED OUT OF LOUISIANA, SEARCH AND RESCUE EFFORTS WORKED TO FIND AND LOCATE SURVIVORS. ROADS WERE CLEARED OF DEBRIS TO ALLOW SEARCH AND RESCUE PERSONNEL TO PASS, FUEL WAS IN SHORT SUPPLY, AND SUPPLIES WERE ONLY AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AS CASH ONLY DUE TO LACK OF ELECTRICITY.OUR LOUISIANA PROGRAM IN RESPONSE TO HURRICANE IDA BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2021 AND IS ACTIVE IN THE ST. CHARLES PARISH AREA THROUGH 2023. OUR TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING ALONGSIDE INTERNATIONAL ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHARITIES (IOCC) PROVIDING MUCK AND GUT, TREE WORK AND DECONSTRUCTION OF TRAILERS. IN 2022 WE WILL TRANSITION TO A HYBRID MODEL THAT PROVIDES RESPONSE WORK AND BEGINS TO MAKE HOME REPAIRS.

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS:IN AN EFFORT TO HELP AFFECTED-COMMUNITIES AND NATIONAL AND LOCAL PARTNERS, NECHAMA OFFERS PREPAREDNESS TRAININGS AIMED AT IMPROVING THE DISASTER RESPONSE SKILLS OF LOCAL VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF.