AMERICAN SAMOA: Tsunami Assessment Update
Filed under Assessments, Donate, Past News, South Pacific, USA, samoa, volunteer
We’ve been on the ground in American Samoa for one week and it’s been a busy one…
We’ve traveled to the affected villages and talked with village chiefs, mayors and residents. The highest concentration of damage from the tsunami is in the Village of Amanave (check out video) with around 75 homes destroyed or majorly damaged.
Given the pace of debris removal and clean up we believe that these phases will be completed in the coming weeks through local efforts. Then demolition of damaged but standing structures will begin after new permanent homes are built. Many are using the shell of their damaged homes in the interim as their primary dwelling until they can build a new home.
We’ve met with CRWRC, Mennonite Disaster Services, World Vision, Catholic Charities USA, American Samoa VOAD, and the American Red Cross to share information and talk about the recovery efforts underway and those in the planning stages. We spent a couple of hours Friday helping Catholic Charities and the American Red Cross distribute food and water in Amanave. Distribution sites strategically placed throughout the island have also aided in the collection of needs and data on the affected population.
There may be a need here for both short term and long term case management and project/workflow management, meaning tracking and managing rebuilds and helping individual households.
We’re also exploring the costs and logistics that would be involved with hiring skilled labor with the thinking that we could potentially hire some locals to act as construction managers for unskilled volunteers to be utilized in rebuild effort. The unknown at this point is exactly when the rebuild phase will begin.
We toured a potential volunteer housing site that the Mennonites and CRWRC may get off the ground, and could be open to others like HODR if we set up a project.
Lots going on, lots to keep figuring out. Keep following us on Twitter (HODRopsUSA) and www.HODR.org as we continue in the assessment.
In the meantime you can support our efforts in the Samoan Islands & our recently announced volunteer project in Indonesia in response to the recent earthquakes. If you’re interested in volunteering with us in Indonesia or a potential project in the Samoan Islands, email Tom at info@HODR.org and you can support our work with a donation to our South Pacific Disaster Recovery Fund.
VIDEO: American Samoa Tsunami, Life After Losing Everything
Filed under Assessments, Donate, Past News, South Pacific, USA, samoa, volunteer
This video was shot on 10/14/09 by the HODR assessment team in American Samoa, as Bill & Jeremey learn about the situation and needs of people affected by the 9/29/09 tsunami. This video shows an example of how some people are living post tsunami, now that they have lost just about everything.
More on our Samoan Islands Tsunami Assessment:
Photos
Video
More info
See daily updates from our assessment team on the ground on Twitter @HODRopsUSA
VIDEO: American Samoa Tsunami Damage, Village of Amanave
Filed under Assessments, Donate, Past News, South Pacific, USA, samoa, volunteer
The Village of Amanave on the island of American Samoa was struck by a tsunami on 9/29/09. This video was taken by the HODR assessment team on 10/14/09. Approximately 75 families were affected in Amanave.
More on our Samoan Islands Tsunami Assessment:
Photos
Video
More info
See daily updates from our assessment team on the ground on Twitter @HODRopsUSA
AMERICAN SAMOA: Tsunami Assessment Announcement
Filed under Assessments, Donate, Past News, South Pacific, USA, samoa, volunteer
Over the past couple of weeks the destruction that has hit the South Pacific has drawn worldwide attention. This string of disasters has devastated the Samoan Islands, the Philippines, and Indonesia with typhoons, earthquakes, and a tsunami.
In response to these events HODR has a team on the ground in the Philippines that is also monitoring the situation in Indonesia, and are now also heading to the Samoan Islands. On September 29 a powerful 8.0 earthquake created a series of tsunami waves that struck American Samoa and Western Samoa. Some of the waves are estimated to have been as high as 6 meters (more than 19 feet) high, and initial estimates show that as many as 15,000 people have been affected. Bill and Jeremey are en route and will arrive in American Samoa late on Sunday, October 11 to start the assessment.
HODR is launching an “assessment,” which to us is a fact-finding mission: What is the scope of damage on the ground? What are the needs of the community? Do the needs overwhelm the local ability to respond? Are there gaps in the response efforts that we can help meet through volunteer efforts or coordination services? Where can we be most effective? Answering these questions helps us figure out if, how and where we are needed most.
Stay in Touch
Follow our US Team in the Samoan Islands at twitter.com/HODRopsUSA
and International Team currently in the Philippines at twitter.com/HODRopsIN
Check back to www.HODR.org for updates and if you’re new to our site, take a look around at photos, videos and updates from past projects to get a true sense of the power of volunteers in disaster response.
Get Involved
If you’re interested in volunteering on a potential project, please email Tom at info@HODR.org.
You can also support these efforts by donating to our South Pacific Disaster Recovery Fund.
Thanks for your support!
-The HODR Team
National VOAD Welcomes HODR!
HODR has recently been welcomed as a member of National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD)! NVOAD is forum for organizations involved in disaster response to “promote cooperation, communication, coordination and collaboration” among agencies to serve disaster survivors and affected communities.
NVOAD membership is a major step in HODR’s growth and evolution. As a nationally respected coalition, NVOAD membership brings with it significant responsibility and a strong network of disaster response and recovery organizations.
Whether you volunteered with us for a week years ago or made a donation yesterday, everyone who has supported HODR should be proud that you helped us build and continue to build this organization into an innovative disaster recovery nonprofit that now officially stands as an NVOAD member alongside some of the best programs and organizations in the nation.
Thanks to National VOAD for acceptance as a member organization and thank you to all of our supporters!
For more info go to www.NVOAD.org
Updated Oct. 12: HODR Launches South Pacific Emergency Appeal
Filed under Assessments, Donate, Indonesia, Past News, Philippines, South Pacific, USA, volunteer
MEDIA RELEASE:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information please contact:
Beca Howard, Communications Manager
781.570.9412Beca@HODR.org
CARLISLE, MA, 10/12/09 — Within the span of five days the South Pacific was been devastated by a string of natural disasters. Hands On Disaster Response (HODR) is on the ground in Indonesia and the Samoan Islands, and has launched a fundraising appeal to support the recovery efforts. HODR, a recently accepted National VOAD Member, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that harnesses the power of volunteers to bring direct assistance to survivors of natural disasters both in the US and around the world.
The organization’s South Pacific Disaster Recovery Fund aims to raise $250,000 toward the recovery efforts following the recent series of disasters.
“There’s a tremendous amount of suffering in the South Pacific right now after the recent string of disasters. Fortunately, we have experience in two of the affected areas having run successful campaigns to address the needs in 2006 following a super-typhoon in the Philippines and an earthquake in Indonesia,” says Marc Young, International Operations Director for HODR.
HODR projects organize volunteer work to meet the unique needs of the community, and can include everything from debris removal to rebuilding homes and schools. On the organization’s 2006 deployment to the Philippines volunteers rebuilt and renovated elementary school and daycare facilities, built fishing boats to restore the livelihood of fishing villages, and dug out nearly 150 homes buried by the mudflows. HODR’s 2006 Indonesian earthquake response mainly focused on rubble removal and salvaging materials, which residents quickly used to rebuild.
South Pacific Tsunami
On September 29 a powerful 8.0 earthquake created a series of tsunami waves that struck American Samoa, Western Samoa, and a small northern island in Tonga. Some of the waves are estimated to have been as high as 6 meters (more than 19 feet) high, and initial estimates show that as many as 15,000 people have been affected.
Sumatra Earthquake
On September 30 a devastating 7.6 earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Sumatra and within 24 hours a second earthquake of magnitude 7.0 hit, causing further damage on the stricken island.
HODR assessment teams in both the Samoan Islands and Indonesia are meeting with local officials, visiting affected areas and evaluating the recovery needs in order to determine further involvement and the potential for volunteer projects.
For more information and updates visit www.HODR.org and follow the HODR field teams on Twitter:
Twitter@HODRopsINTwitter@HODRopsUSA
To support HODR’s South Pacific Disaster Recovery Fund please visit www.HODR.org/SouthPacific.
GEORGIA: Flooding Assessment Conclusion
After an extensive assessment of flood affected areas in Georgia we have found that the clean up/muck/gut phase is moving along rapidly and in most areas will be completed in the coming days.
Affected homeowners wasted no time and began piling damaged household items and building materials on the curb and into dumpsters provided by the counties. Local and National voluntary organizations have also pitched in, with groups like the Latter Days Saints organizing upwards of 930 volunteers during the first weekend post flood.
The Red Cross estimates that just over 2,500 homes suffered damage statewide across some 20 counties. The hardest hit was Cobb County with approximately 1,000 homes having suffered damage.
Our evaluation found that the current needs of those affected are being met and a HODR project is not needed at this time. We will continue to monitor the long-term recovery and keep a watchful eye for any needs that may surface in the coming weeks and months.
We would like to thank our friends at Habitat For Humanity and the Georgia State Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (GA VOAD) for their assistance and information sharing.
The Greene family of Roswell, GA also deserves a BIG HODR thank you for their Southern hospitality and tremendous support of our efforts in Georgia.
Please stay tuned to www.HODR.org and twitter.com/HODRopsUSA for the latest on what we’re up to.
GEORGIA: Flooding – HODR Sends Advance Team
As the flood waters begin to recede in Northern Georgia, Hands On Disaster Response is sending an Advance Team to the affected area to gather information and speak with local officials and responding agencies to determine how to best fill the needs of the affected communities.
Over the course of the past weekend heavy rains pounded the usually dry Northern portion of the Georgia, dumping up to 21” of rain in some areas. The continued rains caused Governor Sonny Perdue to declare states of emergency in 17 counties. Georgia Emergency Management estimates that 2,000-3,000 homes have been affected at an estimated damage of $250 Million. As of Thursday September, 24, FEMA declared Individual Assistance in four of the affected Metro Counties and local officials are working to get additional federal assistance declared in the coming days.
HODR’s Advance Teamwill be working with local partners to ascertain how to best engage in local recovery efforts. For the most up to date information and photos from the team, follow us on Twitter at HODRopsUSA. If you have any connections in the Atlanta area that may be of use to our team, please email us at info@HODR.org.
-The HODR Team
NEW YORK: Project Gowanda Final Report
AUGUST 19 – SEPTEMBER 7, 2009
On Sunday August 9, 2009, flash flooding damaged over 400 homes in Gowanda, NY, and severely affected the surrounding counties. The volunteer presence was strong, however there was a strong need for coordination of volunteers and groups. In order to relieve this burden on local officials and support the on-going recovery efforts in place, HODR lent our expertise in volunteer coordination and project management to the flood recovery efforts.
The Impact of Coordination
Upon receiving the designation from Cattaraugus County Emergency Management and the Village of Gowanda to be the official coordinating agency for volunteers and voluntary agencies we quickly established an operations center at the New Gowanda Fire Hall known as the Tri-County Recovery Coordination Center (TCRCC). The TCRCC served as a flood recovery hub for residents, volunteers and assisting organizations.
The TCRCC hosted interagency coordination meetings that brought organizations together to more efficiently meet the community’s needs, referred flood-affected residents to recovery resources and launched a referral helpline, and plugged volunteers
into the efforts by supplying them with organized clean-up work. We also set up a volunteer and workflow database, tool bank and trained local groups in coordination.
FEMA Declaration
On September 2, 2009, after receiving calls from county and state emergency management personnel that additional damage and needs figures were imperative to support Cattaraugus County’s application for FEMA individual assistance (IA), the HODR coordination team stayed on the job well into the night compiling needs assessment information from our database system. HODR’s database and grasp of the community’s needs provided a view from the ground level that helped secure the IA declaration. Individual Assistance declarations open up potential SBA loans and FEMA grant money to qualified residents that were affected by disaster.
Transition & Teamwork
HODR worked with representatives from the United Methodist Committee of Relief (UMCOR) and Church World Services (CWS) to
help facilitate their efforts to form a Long Term Recovery Committee (LTRC) for the area, a community-based group that will address unmet needs during the long-term recovery phase post disaster.
HODR transitioned full-time operations of the TCRCC over a span of several days to the local Gowanda chapter of Love INC, a spin-off organization from World Vision, and the LTRC.
Click here for an article about the area’s long term efforts and how HODR’s work will have a lasting impact on the area’s recovery.
-The HODR Team
NEW YORK: US Senator Schumer Visits HODR
Monday, August 24, 2009 –
This afternoon US Senator Charles Schumer of New York visited the HODR-run Tri-County Recovery Coordination Center in Gowanda, NY. Amidst Senator Schumer’s tour of the flood damage and affected areas in Gowanda and Silver Creek, a press conference was held at the Tri-County RCC.
Following the press conference the Senator visited with HODR staff and coordination crew, thanking HODR for our efforts.
Thank you for your visit Senator Schumer!
Click here for more photos of the Senator’s visit and our work in Gowanda.
US Senator Charles Schumer thanks HODR’s Bill Driscoll Jr. and Jeremey Horan (black shirts) for HODR’s efforts at the Tri-County Coordination Center in Gowanda, NY.
