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ARCAN News
Recovery, Inspiration and Caring for the Workforce - 20 Years After Hurricane KatrinaAs reported by the American Red Cross, the largest single disaster relief effort ever undertaken by the organization was the response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In addition to killing so many people, the storm left millions homeless. Hurricanes Rita and Wilma followed soon after, worsening the devastation. We asked Jack Herrmann, Senior Director, Client Care in Disaster Cycle Services, what people should expect with the heightened retrospective news coverage around Hurricane Katrina and 9/11. He said, “Not all disasters are the same. A reaction can be triggered by some disasters and not others. No matter how seasoned you are, you may not be immune to the psychological challenges caused by the next disaster or seeing news reports of a crisis years ago. There may be delayed affects. Be open to this, especially around anniversary dates.” “For example, I realized one year after 9/11 while having coffee on my porch that it felt like a fog just lifted from my brain,” Jack remembered. “I’d been walking around like this for a whole year after experiencing the trauma of others through my volunteer and professional work without really realizing it.” One thing Jack is most proud of in all the years he’s been responding to disasters is the experience he acquired that enabled him to develop a disaster mental health course and implement it across the state of New York… “Therefore, expanding the DMH capacity of the state. This includes training mental health responders in how to work with families when the authorities are identifying or have identified their deceased loved ones through DNA samples.” More | Red Cross News
Red Cross Movement working tirelessly in Caribbean after Hurricane Melissa causes catastrophic damage More than a week after Hurricane Melissa unleashed catastrophic devastation in the Caribbean, the humanitarian response continues. From the coast of Jamaica to the eastern mountains of Cuba, the global Red Cross network is working around the clock to help the hundreds of thousands of people impacted by the deadly storm. For the people who lived through Hurricane Melissa, it was a storm like no other they had ever experienced. From day one, Jamaica and Cuban Red Cross teams have been working tirelessly on both islands. Some of these volunteers have seen their own homes destroyed, yet they continue to support those in need. JAMAICA The damage in Jamaica is devastating. Melissa collapsed roads, flooded bridges, destroyed buildings, and wiped out fishing areas and crops across the island. Thousands are still without power, and telecommunications remain unstable. People can’t get fuel and there is a risk of a food crisis developing with acres of farmland destroyed and markets closed. New hazards are emerging such as sinkholes and homes originally unaffected now being found underwater. "The devastation we’ve witnessed on the ground is on a scale we have never seen before - entire communities battered, lives uprooted, and livelihoods washed away,” said Yvonne Clarke, Director General of the Jamaica Red Cross. “Damage to housing and infrastructure is extensive and thousands have limited access to food and water.” |
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