Disaster
In a few minutes, your life can be torn apart. Winds, rain, waves or shaking can take away everything you love. Or over a few months or years, your home can become unsafe.
We walk with our neighbors through every stage of the disaster cycle. CWS programs help people prepare for the worst, making plans and gathering supplies. When an emergency happens, we team up with other responders to meet immediate needs. And when the time is right, we shift our focus to long-term recovery. When people are forced from their homes, we work hard to make sure they have safe and dignified lives.
The road to recovery and safety may be a long one, but no one should walk it alone.
When the Land turns to Liquid
A 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, in September 2018. It triggered tsunamis and a phenomenon called liquefaction, when the ground literally turns to liquid. It moved entire villages, swallowed houses and destroyed infrastructure.
We immediately began to mobilize a response. Soon we were delivering water to thousands of families each day, distributing critical supplies and promoting hygiene among displaced families. As weeks turned to months, we focused on helping families build transitional shelters, build or repair water systems, and build sanitary bathrooms.
Latest Updates
Hurricanes Eta and Iota in Nicaragua
In early November 2020, Hurricane Eta slammed into Nicaragua’s Atlantic coast. Two weeks later, Hurricane Iota struck the same communities. These back-to-back blows destroyed homes, crops, animals and livelihoods. CWS and our partners have worked with communities in the area for years. We support the food security and community development work of trusted local organization Accion Medica Cristiana, or AMC. …
A year after Tropical Storm Imelda, a new roof means peace of mind in Houston
I felt scared that I was going to lose everything. And when water started to come into one of my daughters’ rooms from both the roof and the floor, she started to cry. I then began to fear for my family’s life. I had to run to other parts of the house to check other areas where the water was …
UPDATED Emergency Appeal: Hurricanes Eta and Iota in Central America
Appeal Code: 628M This Appeal is an update to our Emergency Appeal, issued on November 9. Situation Two weeks after Hurricane Eta’s destruction, Hurricane Iota hit many of the same communities across Central America. Both storms made landfall as Category 4 major hurricanes, and Iota slammed into Nicaragua’s Atlantic Coast just 15 miles south of where Eta struck. It brought …