“One of the most significant challenges related to long-term recovery efforts caused by flooding is that once the water subsides, roads and neighborhoods dry up and the sun shines once again, in many ways, the community forgets there was a flood. Everything looks fine; everyone returns to their normal routine. However, in several of our neighborhoods throughout Washington County, things are not ‘normal’ even today,” states Martha Bray, Chairman of the Delta Force Disaster Recovery Committee, the all-volunteer community based recovery committee for Washington County. “Our clients are still trying to repair the immense damage to their homes allowing them to rebuild and restore their lives in a safe, secure and sanitary environment.”
The Delta Force Disaster Recovery Committee was formed to “bridge the gap” between immediate relief and long-term recovery needs of the residents in our community following the floods in March 2016. The committee’s mission is to serve the long-term recovery needs of qualified residents impacted by natural disasters, both current and future. Since that time, the committee has met on a weekly basis to review qualified cases, monitor progress on repairs and renovations, discuss funding opportunities and coordinate interested volunteers to assist with current cases. To date, thirty-seven (37) homes have been completed repaired and renovated with eight more in various states of estimation and repair. According to Stephanie Patton, Publicity Chairman, “Long-term recovery is just that … long-term. The availability of funding has been a paramount concern since our inception, as that has been the driving force determining how quickly we’ve been able to move forward with helping our clients in their repair and renovation needs.”
The establishment of the Washington County Disaster Recovery Fund, affiliated with the Community Foundation of Washington County, has allowed the committee to work to raise the needed funds to serve their friends and neighbors throughout Washington County. Through funding and grants from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), the American Red Cross, the United Way of Washington County, Delta Ag, US Gypsum, Presbyterian Disaster Services, Planters Bank of Leland and the Brent Family Foundation and many other individuals, faith-based organizations and corporations, Delta Force has invested over $250,000 into the community through the purchases of materials and supplies along with needed professional labor, when skilled volunteers were not available.
Bray says, “We were seeing the light at the end of the long-term recovery tunnel from 2016 and then on February 22, 2018, a second devastating flooding event occurred in our county, with sixty-four (64) residents reporting damages to the Washington County Emergency Management Services Department, primarily in Leland and Hollandale. Delta Force Disaster Recovery is currently working to respond and serve these new clients in an efficient and timely manner.”
In the wake of this most recent flooding event, Delta Force Disaster Recovery has received funding support, in partnership with Washington County, from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) allowing the purchase of needed materials and supplies for the repairs and renovations to assist new 2018 qualified clients. However, resources will be needed for funding to hire approved vendors to perform needed specialized services, like plumbing, electrical work, roofing work, and in the absence of skilled volunteers, professional contractors to ensure the work is done correctly and completed allowing the clients and their families to move forward in their recovery progress and return to a state of healthy living in their own homes. Partnerships and collaborations are vital to our continued success and our work through the Washington County Disaster Recovery Fund will only serve to strengthen our community as a whole.
Volunteers are needed to assist with the continuing repair and renovation required to bring cases to completion. There are opportunities for a large variety of skill levels, so if you, your business, church, sorority or fraternity and/or civic organization is interested in helping with this important work in service to our community, contact Delta Force Disaster Recovery at 662-687-1117.
Your support will be vital to these efforts. To join in the long-term recovery efforts for our home community, please visit the Foundation’s secure website at www.cfwashco.org to give on line. You may also send your donation to the Community Foundation of Washington County, P.O. Box 5910, Greenville, MS 38704. Be sure to include the Washington County Disaster Recovery Fund in the memo line. All donations are tax-deductible.
