DISASTERRECOVERY

Answering the Call

The call for help can come at any moment from any corner of the country. When it does, Catholic Charities USA and its member agencies spring into action. As the official domestic relief agency of the U.S. Catholic Church, Catholic Charities provides critical support to devastated communities. Through hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and fires, our nationally recognized expertise and professionally trained staff bring immediate and long-term aid to rebuild lives and restore hope.

In 2022, the Catholic Charities network responded to 59 disasters, supplying everything from water, food and diapers to temporary housing and emergency funding.

Four Major Disasters

One of the most ferocious hurricanes of the past 100 years devastates Florida. Catastrophic flooding causes chaos in Kentucky. For the second time in five years, a major hurricane disrupts life in Puerto Rico. Flooding combined with decades of neglected infrastructure leads to the complete failure of the water system in Jackson, Mississippi. Learn more about the incredible impact the Catholic Charities network made in responding to four significant disasters in 2022:

Hurricane Ian
On September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian ravaged western Florida, killing 87. The CCUSA disaster team coordinated a multi-agency response. Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice established 12 disaster relief distribution sites and distributed more than 140 truckloads of food, water, tarps, generators, cleaning supplies, hygiene products, beds, kitchen supplies, ice and more. Catholic Charities agencies in Miami, Palm Beach, Central Florida (Orlando) and St. Petersburg also provided critical aid to survivors.

Eastern Kentucky Flooding
In and around Lexington, Kentucky, relentless rain hit in July 2022, sweeping victims away in flash floods, washing out bridges, destroying infrastructure and blocking roads. At least 43 people were killed. Catholic Charities of Lexington served flood survivors across 13 counties, providing temporary shelter, home repair supplies, rent or utility assistance, counseling and referrals for service. Staff continue to support long-term recovery in the impacted communities even as hundreds of families remain out of their homes.

Hurricane Fiona
In Puerto Rico, which was still struggling from Hurricane Maria, Hurricane Fiona took out power systems for the entire island on September 18, 2022. Most of the island’s residents were also left without running water, and many were in need of rescue after the storm washed out roads and bridges. More than 300,000 people received help, including food, water, clothing and others necessary supplies, from the Catholic Charities network.

Jackson Water Crisis
The catastrophe in Jackson, Mississippi, began with boil-water advisories and ended with the complete failure of the water system in early September, leading to dangerous and unsanitary conditions for the city. Without potable water for daily routines, residents were forced to turn to bottled water. CCUSA responded by sending thousands of bottles as well as cases of gallon water jugs, faucet water filters, canned and boxed food that requires no water to prepare, disinfectant and mops and other personal hygiene items. CCUSA also provided financial support to purchase water and other supplies locally.

Hurricane Ian
On September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian ravaged western Florida, killing 87. The CCUSA disaster team coordinated a multi-agency response. Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice established 12 disaster relief distribution sites and distributed more than 140 truckloads of food, water, tarps, generators, cleaning supplies, hygiene products, beds, kitchen supplies, ice and more. Catholic Charities agencies in Miami, Palm Beach, Central Florida (Orlando) and St. Petersburg also provided critical aid to survivors.

Eastern Kentucky Flooding
In and around Lexington, Kentucky, relentless rain hit in July 2022, sweeping victims away in flash floods, washing out bridges, destroying infrastructure and blocking roads. At least 43 people were killed. Catholic Charities of Lexington served flood survivors across 13 counties, providing temporary shelter, home repair supplies, rent or utility assistance, counseling and referrals for service. Staff continue to support long-term recovery in the impacted communities even as hundreds of families remain out of their homes.

Hurricane Fiona
In Puerto Rico, which was still struggling from Hurricane Maria, Hurricane Fiona took out power systems for the entire island on September 18, 2022. Most of the island’s residents were also left without running water, and many were in need of rescue after the storm washed out roads and bridges. More than 300,000 people received help, including food, water, clothing and others necessary supplies, from the Catholic Charities network.

Jackson Water Crisis
The catastrophe in Jackson, Mississippi, began with boil-water advisories and ended with the complete failure of the water system in early September, leading to dangerous and unsanitary conditions for the city. Without potable water for daily routines, residents were forced to turn to bottled water. CCUSA responded by sending thousands of bottles as well as cases of gallon water jugs, faucet water filters, canned and boxed food that requires no water to prepare, disinfectant and mops and other personal hygiene items. CCUSA also provided financial support to purchase water and other supplies locally.

Four Major Responses

Expansive Generosity

Since July 1, in-kind donations made to CCUSA for disaster relief and other humanitarian needs have been disbursed all over the country, nearing $8 million in total value.

Innovation in Disaster Response

As natural and manmade crises continue to pound communities across the U.S., disaster teams at Catholic Charities agencies must become more innovative and nimbler to continue to respond on the ground and in the moment. Every second counts when the lives of individuals and communities hang in the balance.

Over the next 30 months, a grant from The Rockefeller Foundation will fund eight disaster response academies in geographically diverse, high-risk regions around the country to train a cadre of 400 Catholic Charities disaster case managers (DCMs). These DCMs will be dispatched quickly and efficiently to the scene of a crisis through an app managed by the CCUSA Disaster Response Team. Working with local staff, DCMs will coordinate and provide immediate humanitarian services (food, water, shelter, etc.) as well as ongoing case management. They’ll also teach their own teams, at no cost to them, training more staff to respond to disasters. These trainings will build capacity exponentially and prepare Catholic Charities agencies to be ready for whatever crisis comes their way.

In addition, CCUSA continues to streamline the process by which it distributes disaster funds to local agencies. Designated cash gifts for humanitarian aid can be disbursed almost immediately, allowing agency staff to get assistance to those in need as quickly as possible when disasters strike.

The fishes and the loaves

As more than 400 cars waited hours in the heat, two days post-Ian, CC Venice staff at San Pedro Church, in hard-hit North Port, had nothing: Traffic and debris had tied up eight trucks of food, water and ice. Then, a miracle: An upscale local grocery redirected a full truck to them; every car left full. That night, the eight trucks arrived, and for more than one week, this site alone served 1,400 cars daily.

Agencies helping agencies

A team from CC Southwest Louisiana in Lake Charles filled a truck half full then drove to Lafayette, where CC Acadiana topped it off with supplies. That truck — nicknamed Big Joe, after St. Joseph, and purchased with long-term disaster recovery funding from CCUSA — formed a humanitarian convoy with a truck from CC Southwest Texas to deliver humanitarian aid to Florida after Ian.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES USA
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CATHOLIC CHARITIES USA
2050 Ballenger Ave, Suite 400
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-549-1390 | catholiccharitiesusa.org

© 2024 Catholic Charities USA.
All rights reserved.
Terms of Service | Privacy Policy