After Disaster Our Greatest Resource is Each Other

The Disaster Services Corp., SVDP-USA is fueled by Vincentians from around the country, however we also rely on the kindness and giving from monetary donations. To support our efforts please visit our donations page and help us grow our impact in those communities most vulnerable. Please consider supporting our relief efforts HERE

2021 bore witness to a host of destructive storms, including Category 4 Hurricane Ida, which touched down this past Sunday and has completely decimated the Gulf states. Hurricane Ida is Louisiana’s most powerful storm ever, with sustained winds of 150 mph. Ida hit on the 16th anniversary of the historically devastating Hurricane Katrina which led to the deaths of more than 1,800 people in the region. We are getting devastating reports from Mississippi, Alabama, and anticipate severe flooding as far north as West Virginia.

In addition, we are currently responding to the deadly floods in Tennessee that killed at least 20 people last weekend. The floods arrived with shocking speed and force. Record rainfall, at times exceeding three inches an hour, swelled rivers and creeks in Middle Tennessee last Saturday, destroying homes, cutting off power and cellphone service and washing away bridges. Among the dead are 7-month-old twins, a 15-year-old girl, an Army veteran who died after helping his wife and daughter escape, and a well-known Vincentian.

In the United States, we have witnessed that disasters often affect individuals living below the poverty level the hardest. Economically disadvantaged survivors are the least likely to have a job to return to, suitable household, fire or flood insurance, a stable income or savings in the bank. What was already a tenuous situation then, becomes even more perilous when disaster strikes. DSC works with these vulnerable communities and will not abandon them in their most critical time of need. 
 
Disaster occurrence is inconsistent and unpredictable; our support must always be there, far after the news cameras leave. DSC asks for donations for these three critical areas. Please consider contributing anything you can! 
 
Active Disaster Assistance– When disaster strikes, DSC provides emergency assistance to Americans across the nation. Through DSC’s Rapid Response Teams, Parish Recovery Assistance Centers (PRACs), and House in a BoxTM programs, DSC provides immediate food, shelter, clothing, medical and other critical needs. Your funds make this possible.  

Louisiana - Hurricane Ida: Currently, we are working with the Archdiocesan Council of New Orleans and other Councils across Louisiana to conduct needs assessments, raise funds, mobilize resources, and provide a variety of support services.

Tennessee - Flooding: DSC is actively responding to the historic Tennessee floods where we are conducting preliminary damage assessments and beginning to mobilize resources for families across the state such as Walmart gift cards, hygiene kits, clothing, and furniture.

Texas Winter Storms: We are still assisting disaster survivors across Texas and Oklahoma from the Winter Storms. We are providing various forms of assistance from plumbing repairs to hygiene kits to meet the basic needs of the survivor. In addition, we are working with partners to deliver health and nutrition to those most at risk. 

California Wildfires: DSC is on the ground working to support families impacted by the Dixie Fire as more evacuation orders and warnings were issued this week. The fire has burned 777,741 acres and is 48% contained. 
 
Unmet Needs from 2020 Disasters – Right now, Disaster Services Corporation (DSC) is continuing to assist families from the 2020 disaster season who were thrust into “situational” poverty as a result of record-breaking hurricane season’s sudden and dynamic forces. Disaster survivors from Florida to California lack basic needs and DSC will not abandon them.  Through the generosity of our donors, we have been able help survivors pay utility bills after severe storms and provide deposits for renters who have been forced to move as their landlords would not make the needed repairs on storm damaged apartments. But the unmet needs of the survivors of the 2020 Fall Hurricanes, 2021. Severe Winter Storms and now record flooding in Tennessee and the record-breaking power and strength of Hurricane Ida far exceed our available funding.   
 
Funds to Prepare Councils for Hurricane Season – DSC is visiting communities in the Gulf Coast to help train and prepare them in advance of the 2021 Hurricane Season. Before funds are made available through major disaster contracts with the federal government (notably FEMA) and state governments, DSC needs funds to provide training and some operations that may not be readily reimbursable. DSC is in need of additional funds to achieve a constant state of operational readiness.  
 
Together we can band together with our resources to make a great difference in the lives of our neighbors. Please consider a gift today. You can give to www.svdpdisaster.org or send funds payable to the Disaster Services Corporation SVDP USA and marked “Disaster Fund”. 
 
Thank you for keeping Disaster Services Corporation SVDP USA, and our ability to help in times of disaster, strong throughout the year. 

Contact us to learn more about our recovery programs around the United States.