Disaster Response – Making a Difference

The federal government has declared a major disaster for Louisiana, allowing the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide federal disaster assistance in recovery efforts in the areas affected by two days of severe storms and floods, according to the office of Gov. John Bel Edwards on Sunday (March 13).

By Wilborn P. Nobles III, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

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on March 13, 2016 at 6:43 PM

In mid-March, severe storms and heavy rains caused flooding that the locals believed crested about mid-night.  Many went to bed believing their preparations were sufficient to meet the 100-year flood level requirements.  They did not know that a bubble of water was building and in the next 6 hours the floodwaters would rise another 6 feet in what they call the 1,000-year flood level. Many awoke to several feet of water in their homes and scrambled for survival.

Westside Baptist's Mobile Kitchen Unit
Photo by Louis R. Price

David and Pattie beside recovery unit

The Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) organization trains volunteers to perform “Clean Out” actions necessary to save the structure and treat it for mold growth.  The Clean Out teams are supported by other volunteer teams who provide assessment, chaplain counseling, food preparation, shower/laundry services, and command and control for the assigned area.  Local churches sponsor a specialty team and gather funds to build the mobile assets required for that specialty.  Westside Baptist Church in Natchitoches, LA sponsors a cooking team unit and maintains a mobile kitchen that was deployed to another parish, but returned to the church where the team could use the fixed facilities to support the local Incident Command and teams deploying from this location.

Pattie and I suited up in the protective gear we carry in an action packer marked “Disaster Response” and navigated to the home where the Virginia Southern Baptist Disaster Response (SBDR) team led by Bonnie Perry was assigned.  We have performed flood “Clean Outs” before, but nothing this drastic. Bonnie and husband Carl drove the response truck and trailer unit that has everything needed to perform Clean Outs. Let me walk you through a typical day.

Incident Command
Photo by Louis R. Price

Volunteers sleep on cots in the Westside Baptist Church activities center where the Incident Command center for this area is located.  Pattie and I are thankful to have our motorhome to sleep in our own bed. The local cooking team prepares breakfast that is served at 06:30 in the activities building.  Dave, the Incident Command Director, meets with Bonnie to get our work orders.  We load water and lunches in the unit and convoy to the first home.  I use my Jeep to scout ahead and make sure the roads are passable and radio back the best way to bring the unit onto the job site.  

Group and owner gathering for prayer 

Once everyone is there, Bonnie meets with the owner and we gather to pray with them.  Our team is working well now and we all know what we need out of the unit and where to stage it.  First out are demolition tools like power saws, sledgehammers, crowbars and wheelbarrows to haul stuff out.  We suit up with masks, goggles, gloves, knee pads and heavy boots for protection.  When necessary, we put on a full protective suit. Bonnie and the owner decide how far up from the floor the water was and how much wet material we need to remove.  Once the height is determined, we measure and chalk line all the walls while others are already removing loose debris and
making three piles: save, trash and burn.  We use the small oscillating saws when we can for cutting the chalk line since they do not generate as much dust as a circular saw.  As we cut, others are right behind to pull away the dry wall and wet insulation.  We try to pull all the nails and staples as we go so no one gets snagged and it is ready for reconstruction.  Someone is always sweeping.  The kitchen and baths are where the sledgehammers come in handy, as we must tear out the cabinets to get to the wet stuff behind them. Sinks, showers and commodes are removed and can be saved in some cases for reinstallation.  Others, we must cut apart to get them out of the house.  What we can't get up with the brooms, we vacuum with wet/dry vacs.  

Measuring the cut line
Photo by Louis R. Price

Carl making a cut
Photo by Louis R. Price

Pattie and Linda breaking out drywall

Ready to Rebuild

Once everything is down to the studs, we roll in the pressure washers to wash the mud and mold off the studs and floors using brooms and squeegees to push the water out doors or to the wet vac.  Once it is clean, we spray the studs and floors with ShockWave.  ShockWave is a concentrated formula that will disinfect hard, nonporous surfaces, and also sanitizes porous and semi-porous surfaces.  While a couple folks spray ShockWave, the rest of the team is cleaning our equipment and loading it back in its proper place in the unit. Before we depart, we provide the owners with a copy of the New Testament where each of us has signed it and given them a particular verse to look up and read for comfort and inspiration.  We pray with them and then we are off to the next house or back to Westside Baptist Church.  When we return to the church, the chaplain, shower and laundry teams are there and greet us like rock stars.  They serve us with smiles and encouragement as they get us clean and ready for the next day.  Love these brothers and sisters!  At 6:30 dinner is served and the cooking team never disappoints us. We had many local homemade Louisiana dishes like jambalaya and meat pies. After dinner, we discuss the events of the day with the Incident Command Director (ICD) who asks if we need anything. Sometimes equipment is broken or worn out. A list is made and somehow the parts we need are there for us the next day. The ICD or the chaplains close us in devotional and prayer requests.  We are in bed worn out by 9 pm.

Teaching the next generation
Photo by Louis R. Price

It is hard and dirty work, but rewarding.  The average age of the volunteers on our team was 72.  Pattie and I are 53 and referred to ourselves as the “Youth Group” of the team.  However, on a few occasions, local youth and college students served during their Spring Break. Although they were not trained, we gave them some on site training and watched over them carefully to keep them safe. It was a blessing to have them with us and see young people willing to sacrifice to help others.

After two weeks, Pattie and I said our goodbyes, cleaned our equipment and loaded it away, and rolled out to a nearby state park where we could just sit and rest our aching muscles.  We saw the new teams headed into Natchitoches Parish to take our place and prayed for their safety and success.

Thanks for keepingupwiththejonesrv!

For more information on the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief organization, go to http://www.namb.net/disaster-relief/