Oct. 6 update:
Today, the IRR response team arrived in Newland, NC, and hit the ground running, collaborating with the local community. We supported a food and supply distribution center that serves approximately 100 families daily. Additionally, another group was deployed to multiple locations to conduct muck and gut work in homes affected by the recent events. We also successfully established our base camp for the week at a small campground outside of Frank, North Carolina. The team is ready to get some rest and start up again tomorrow!
Oct. 5 update:
The disaster response team set out at 4:00 AM this morning and traveled safely through the early afternoon. They were fortunate to pause for lunch at a home before continuing on their way. A special thank you to the Buxton family for graciously hosting us!
On Thursday and Friday, they did several interviews with local media before leaving Lincoln:
Oct. 3: original release
The Disaster Response Team from Union Adventist University has been invited to assist with clean up in Avery County, North Carolina as floodwaters recede in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The group will depart Lincoln at 4 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, and plan to return late in the evening of Sunday, Oct. 13.
The Disaster Response Team, or DiRT as it’s known on campus, is comprised of international rescue and relief (IRR) majors, alumni and faculty. By the beginning of their sophomore year, IRR students have already earned several rescue certifications and been trained as EMTs. They are taking 35 people for this deployment and will meet up with additional alumni already serving in the affected area with other groups.
The team will be serving throughout the mountainous area on the Tennessee border in Avery County. Their base of operations will be Newland approximately 70 miles northeast of Asheville. A small town with fewer than 1000 residents, Newland’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism, and just over a fifth of the population lives below the poverty line. There is dramatic footage available online of houses in Newland being swept away in the flood.
Teams from Union Adventist University have previously helped in the aftermath of many natural disasters throughout the country and around the world, including Typhoon Idai in Malawi, Hurricane Ida in Louisiana, Hurricane Ian in Florida and most recently tornadoes in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas and here in Lancaster County, Nebraska. The team’s work is wholly funded by donations to the university. This deployment is estimated to cost $12,000. If you would like to support this and future disaster responses, please donate using the form below.