Communications Partner Update - Hurricanes IAN and Fiona

[Kevin_McCoy]

I came back from volunteer leave, just in time for the mobilization of resources for HUR Ian. I am not on the job myself, but wanted to give you an update based on what I know.

From as far away as El Paso we sent Emergency Response Vehicles before the storm.

Humberto Flores El Paso Red Cross volunteer departing for FL

As part of the pre-positioning effort we sent

• Emergency Response Vehicles

• Cots, Blankets, comfort kits for 60,000 potential shelter residents

• Moved tens of thousands of relief supplies, clean up kits, ready meals etc.

• Hundreds of type O blood products

and a Staff of more than 700 trained disaster workers. Since landfall that number now stands at 1,300 with operations also in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia.

Even before the storm we had about 13,000 folks in shelters.

Robert Franks in a shelter in FL with volunteer Cynthia Matt

Those were folks that were in mandatory evacuation areas or folks like Robert who needed safe power.

That was a real concern and even by the evening of the 28th there were 2 Million customers without power and 2.5 Million by the next morning

Power Outage Map - 09-28-22 21:00 CDT

As I write this there are still about 1.17 Million without power in FL alone.

And there were a lot of shelters:

The shelter population peaked at about 34,000 folks Midnight on the 28th.

Dropped to 10k on the 29th, and was 3700 last night. Folks do want to get home, if local officials say it is safe. But many homes are destroyed, and flooding is still and issue. So these shelters will be open to help them.

Open Shelters Today -

You can find open shelters with the Emergency App or via https://www.redcross.org/get-help/disaster-relief-and-recovery-services/find-an-open-shelter.html

Shelters also are service centers, so anyone impacted by the storm can stop by for information, a hot meal, charge their phone, pick up relief supplies, get help replacing prescription medications, eyeglasses or critical medical equipment like canes and wheelchairs. Licensed Mental Health and spiritual care volunteers are also available for folks that need help coping.

ERVs are roving in clean up areas to provide meals and clean up supplies to those that need them, and we feed folks like line men and first responders as well.

Pets are a big part of sheltering. Many folks consider them family.
Here Richard Reich of Tampa Florida takes care of Pepe the cat. His dog was also at the shelter.

Next up is detailed damage assessment in the areas that are safe to access.

Partners

Obviously this is a huge disaster and it is taking a lot of folks to work a problem of this magnitude, government, churches, businesses…

But one I want to single out is Anheuser Busch, they paused beer production and sent 350k cans of water to us ahead of Hurricane Ian, to help us be ready.

PUERTO RICO

Lest we forget it is only 8 days since Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico. As I write this 160,000 customer are still without power.

My friend and colleague Marco Banda of San Antonio TX helps in the Estero Community in Puerto Rico

No power, no running water, and flood damage are a bad combo. Marco is one of 280 trained Red Cross workers on the job.

On my last check in we had

• Distributed 18,000 relief items
• provided 25,700 meals and snacks
• Preliminary Damage Assessment showed around 400 homes with major damage or destroyed.

Looking back to look forward.

You may recall that Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017. Well we worked with local officials, several partners, and contributed a grant of $1.5 million to put solar generating stations on 160 schools. These panels were designed to withstand hurricane force winds. Many of those schools ended up being shelters in Hurricane Fiona! The systems were speced at 50kW, 10 year life, Hurricane force winds, uplift, and resistance to flying debris.

Solar Panels for one of 160 schools.

Resiliency can pay dividends.

Questions welcome.

Thank you for being our good partner in disaster response!

Best

Kevin McCoy

Lead Disaster Services Technology Tactical Winlink TXRCHOU-DST

Digivol / @KF5FUZ TXRCAUS-DST

American Red Cross

[Kevin_McCoy]

Just an update to highlight some of the disaster partners we are seeing engaged on Hurricane Ian:

Phil Crocco AG5TD has shared on this group his deployment with Salvation Army.

Salvation Army team from Texas serving folks at a distribution site in Ft. Meyers.

And you are probably aware of the deployment of Texas Task Force One to Fl for Ian Response.

I want to highlight another Volunteer Organization Active in Disaster that is doing fantastic (and volume) work, and has a large contingent from TX - Texas Baptist Men & The Disaster Relief Ministry of the South Baptist of Texas Convention.

Southern Baptists of Texas Disaster Relief Volunteers prepare meals at McGregor Baptist Church in Ft. Myers FL. yesterday (10/4)

These mobile kitchens are cooking tens of thousands of hot meals each day! Red Cross in partnership is delivering these meals via Emergency Response Vehicles to hard hit communities where clean up and repair are in progress. And we are delivering them to the 2,600 folks still taking refuge in shelters. This work starts well before dawn.

One of the Mobile Kitchens in action - one of 9 Kitchen / feeding sites

Red Cross Hurricane Ian Disaster Snapshot Update:

> 300k customers still without power (as of 10/5 05:00 EDT)
> 1500 trained Red Cross Disaster Responders
80 Emergency Response Vehicles delivering clean up supplies & meals
20 Open Shelters
>2600 Still in Shelters
206,000 meals and snacks provided

Other partners deserving mention include:

• NAACP: Supporting Feeding Operations, and
• Save the Children - Providing support for children in the shelters

Any job of this size has many moving parts, and many partners/roles needed to meet humanitarian needs.

.gov, .com, .org in cooperation.

Best

Kevin @KF5FUZ

(attachments)

[Kevin_McCoy]

A quick Red Cross update:

Cape Coral Florida, Red Cross & Southern Baptist Volunteers load hot meals into an
Emergency Response Vehicle

• 1,600 Trained Red Cross responders

• 120 Emergency Response Vehicles

• 100,000 Emergency Supplies [mostly comfort and clean up kits]

• 601,000 Meals & Snacks

That meal count would not have been possible without the amazing Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief Kitchens and volunteer staff.

We have about 15 Red Cross shelters still open with a population > 1,500 total. Most non-red cross shelters have closed and we are showing that shelter population to be roughly 40.

Best

Kevin @KF5FUZ