SAN ANTONIO — Non-profits from across the nation including Texas are gearing up to provide disaster relief in areas hit hardest by Hurricane Ian, which as of Thursday has been downgraded to a tropical storm.
Texas Baptist Men (TBM) is one of the organizations enroute to Florida where strong winds and extensive flooding have destroyed communities.
“It’s one thing to see devastation on TV. It’s another thing to talk to a person who has just lost everything that they own,” said TBM Director of Communications John Hall.
The power of Mother Nature has revealed itself over the past 24 hours as beach cities and neighborhoods lay in ruin. More than 2.6 million Floridians are currently in the dark following the storm surge’s impact on the state’s electrical grid. Authorities estimate a substantial death toll arising from the storm.
Armies of TBM volunteers are trained and ready to respond in any capacity. Hall noted the organization has 191 pieces of equipment statewide to respond to natural and man-made disasters.
“Our first wave of units will be deployed on Friday. These will be going to the heart of where the hurricane made landfall. This is a very complicated situation response to something as large as this and we hope to bring a little order out of the chaos,” Hall said.
TBM’s mission of assisting disaster-ravaged communities dates back to the 1960s. The group has aided millions of people from around the globe and trained disaster relief organizations across the U.S.
TBM crews have provided humanitarian aid during Hurricane Katrina, California wildfires, and Russia’s war on Ukraine, which remains just a sample of the more than 50 years of work.
Hall said crews of men and women volunteers will wait until it’s safe before moving into Florida. TBM units are tasked with coordinating with local authorities on figuring out what the immediate needs are in terms of assistance.
“We’re there to deliver help, hope and healing. Practical help, hope for better tomorrows and healing for the longterm,” Hall said. “We can bring in chainsaw teams to remove downed trees. We can bring in flood recovery teams to cleanout flooded homes. We can bring in feeding teams to bring in hot and nutritious meals.”