Team Arrives to Assess Igor’s Wrath

A Christian Reformed World Relief Committee Rapid Response team that will likely grow to more than 20 workers has arrived in Catalina, Newfoundland, to assist with clean up and repair among 80 to 90 damaged homes after the remains of Hurricane Igor swept over the province in lateSeptember.

The team, comprised mostly of volunteers from congregations in the CRC’s Classis Eastern Canada, will be joined by a second group that arrives on October 11, says Tony DeWeerd, CRWRC-Disaster Response Services' Regional Program Manager for Eastern Canada.

CRC members from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island were recruited by Dick Van Oord, CRWRC-DRS' Area Manager from Fredericton, New Brunswick.

"CRC congregations in the region are sending volunteers and local churches will help with housing and feeding them," says Wayne de Jong, Director of Disaster Response and Rehabilitation , based in Burlington, Ontario. He added that additional housing for volunteers in the area during the month of October is still needed.

CRWRC managers will continue to work with other organizations in the next few weeks to determine whether more work teams will be deployed to meet longer-term needs.

DeWeerd says he has been in contact with other relief organizations and provincial representatives since the tropical storm lashed the northern Atlantic Coast 10 days ago. He is has been traveling through the storm-affected areas.

This week, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams surveyed damage to homes and infrastructure in the area and, according to news reports, the province will receive federal assistance.

The vicious tropical storm brought powerful winds and torrential rain through the scenic coastal area, flooding homes, washing out roads and bridges, and stranding thousands of residents in dozens of communities.

The Bonavista Peninsula and the town of Catalina were in the hardest hit areas, with some locations getting 240mm or 8.45 inches of rain in less than 24 hours. Debris, fallen trees, and erosion are widespread.

CRWRC is collaborating in assessment and response to damage from tropical storm Igor with Samaritan’s Purse, Mennonite Disaster Service, and the Salvation Army. The Canadian Red Cross is delivering water and supplies to those who are marooned.

To support CRWRC's response in Newfoundland*, donate online: US | Canada
*select "Hurricanes 2010" from the Disaster category