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CWS Appeal Update: 2006 Fall U.S. Disaster Response

December 7, 2006

In the last two months, CWS has responded to a number of storm emergencies on the continental United States, as well as to an earthquake on Hawaiian Islands, requiring the attention of a number of long-term recovery organizations over the next year and necessitating the deployment of CWS Disaster Response and Recovery Liaisons (DRRLs) in affected areas, including New York, Texas, New Mexico, North Carolina, Alabama, Hawaii and Washington.

Additions to the appeal:

Washington State Flooding: Heavy flooding in Washington where 25 counties have been included in a request for a federal disaster declaration. Greatest damage has been reported in Lewis, Pierce, King and Snohomish counties. A total of 882 single-family homes were affected, including 104 destroyed, 206 sustaining major damage and 572 minor damage.

North Carolina Tornado: Eight people died in a mid-November tornados that hit Riegelwood, N. C.. A federal disaster declaration has not been issued for that emergency.

CWS Response:

CWS issued this appeal on Nov. 11 to support long-term recovery organizing, the community capacity building work of its Disaster Response and Recovery Liaisons (DRRLs), and grants to at least six long-term recovery organizations in the affected states.

The original appeal included: October flooding in upper New York state as result of rapid snow melt; September flooding in El Paso, Texas; September flooding in Belen and Hatch, New Mexico; October earthquake in Hawaii; and November tornadoes in Alabama.

North Carolina: The appeal is being expanded to include work in North Carolina, where Charles Moeller, CWS DRRL and chair of the North Carolina Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NCVOAD) reports progress made by local church and community groups in responding to the Riegelwood tornado. Moeller reports that there is "very strong local church involvement," as well as a range of other community groups.

Washington: Molenaar is working with the Washington Association of Churches (WAC)'s Faith Based Disaster Recovery Network, which is serving as an umbrella for emerging county wide faith-based/long-term developments.

Media Contact:
Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676;
Jan Dragin, 781-925-1526;

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