Appeal code: 628S
November 10 update: Hurricane Nicole made landfall in Florida as a Category 1 storm last night. CWS and our partners are assessing needs and will respond as needed. We may launch an updated appeal to reflect both an expanded response to Hurricane Ian and any new response plans that arise from Hurricane Nicole. Look for an update at the end of this month.
Situation
On September 18, Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico after reaching Category 4 status. The hurricane led to torrential rains and flooding in the Dominican Republic, the Turks and Caicos Islands and eastern Canada. According to Politico, the official death toll in Puerto Rico stands at 29 people. President Biden recently visited the island and announced $60 million in aid.
Shortly after Hurricane Fiona, Hurricane Ian made landfall in Cuba as a category 3 hurricane on September 24. The result was extensive flooding and power outages throughout the entire country. Shortly after, the hurricane increased intensity making landfall in Florida as a high-end category 4 hurricane on September 28. At a death toll of 101 people (92 in Florida, 5 in North Carolina, 3 in Cuba and 1 in Virginia), the hurricane is the deadliest Florida has seen since 1935. In addition to the devastating cost of life, the cost of damage is estimated to range from $41 billion to $70 billion.
CWS Response
In response to both Hurricane Fiona and Hurricane Ian, we will continue to distribute CWS Emergency Cleanup Buckets, Hygiene Kits, School Kits and Blankets. To date, we have shipped over $1.5 million in supplies. We expect this amount to double as the recovery phase begins and as the urgent need for supplies continues in these regions.
We are working with our Florida State partners, national and local disaster relief organizations to determine which counties continue to require assistance. We remain committed to ensuring that the needs of vulnerable populations and those not eligible for FEMA assistance are addressed, and that everyone has access to available resources. As noted by the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, “recovery is never quick.” CWS supports CDP’s request to consider the long-term needs of those affected by Hurricanes Fiona and Ian. We recognize that the impacted communities’ needs include building infrastructure, finding long-term housing solutions, supporting mental health for the layered trauma caused by the storm and creating a sustainable future following the disaster.
Recovery for affected communities will be a long term process which requires a long term, dedicated response. We will continue to support our local partners and long term recovery groups (LTRGs) as they form and we will monitor unmet needs as they develop.
We are making a broad Appeal for hurricane season 2022 and we ask that you consider funding response, recovery and long term recovery with “geographically flexible support to include areas where the spotlight does not shine as brightly.”
Budget
Shipping and Restocking of CWS Kits and Blankets: $400,000
Staffing: $50,000
Long term recovery support: $200,000
TOTAL: $650,000
How to Help
To support CWS emergency response efforts, donations can be made online or sent to Church World Service (P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515). Please designate “2022 Hurricane Season.”
Explore cwskits.org to learn about assembling and shipping CWS Kits to stock our shelves so that we can respond when the call comes following this or a similar disaster in the future.