FLORIDA RELIEF HURRICANE MICHAEL RESPONSE UPDATE (January 2019)
CURRENT ACTIVITIES (RESPONSE STAGE) ● Chainsaw work: debris removal of blocking, hazardous or potentially hazardous trees and limbs ● Debris removal: exterior, non vegetative debris removal within 50 feet of home ● Residential flood cleanup: assessment, mucking and gutting, personal item salvage, and mold sanitation DISASTER PROFILE Hurricane Michael slammed into Mexico Beach, Florida as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained wind speeds of 155 mph - only 2 mph shy of a Category 5. With record-breaking wind speeds, Michael is both the strongest storm to make landfall in the continental US (since Hurricane Andrew in 1992), and is the strongest storm to ever hit the Florida Panhandle. Tracking across the Southeastern United States, winds plunged 1.4 million residents into complete darkness in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Communities across the region are devastated, and multiple towns in the Panhandle are destroyed beyond recognition. The overall death toll stands at 45 (35 in Florida alone). OUR WORK Assessing the immense and widespread destruction of the storm, our team identified a need for tree work, debris removal, mucking and gutting, and mold sanitation. Prioritizing the most vulnerable populations, we have deployed chainsaw and gutting teams to primarily rural communities in Bay and Calhoun Counties. The majority of our efforts are focused just outside of Youngstown, FL.