Disaster

A labor of love

Friday, June 27th, 2008

TERRA HAUTE, Ind. – Our volunteer teams had a great surprise today – they were featured on the front page of the local newspaper, The Tribune Star. Everyone was encouraged when they read about the gratitude of the community. (more…)

Volunteers in action

Wednesday, June 25th, 2008

TERRA HAUTE, Ind. – We started the week off strong with 27 volunteers on Monday. We ran 3 work crews cleaning and gutting homes. (Gutting is a term we use in disaster relief to describe the process of removing the sheetrock and insulation one foot above the water level in the flooded homes.) What a great week it has been, and it’s only Tuesday. (more…)

Turning Point: OBI links arms with city and county to aid in debris removal

Monday, June 23rd, 2008

What an awesome day – we’ve reached a “turning point.”

City officials have really started to turn to and rely on Operation Blessing. As we worked, we gained the respect and favor with the local government, emergency management officials and residents.
(more…)

No road ahead, turn around

Monday, June 16th, 2008

TERRA HAUTE, Ind. – On my first day out in the affected neighborhoods to do assessments with OBI’s construction foreman, I could not believe that after nine days there was still standing water, roads washed out with water still gushing over them and water still seeping up from the saturated ground. (more…)

Road to nowhere

Friday, June 13th, 2008

TERRE HAUTE, Indiana - Terre Haute, a French expression for “high land,” looked like anything but high as we, in a tiny red mosquito of a plane, flew above flooded fields, farms and ruined homes that would never dry out to be what they once were. (more…)

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