Dear Friends and Partners,

Over the past several days, extreme rain has led to catastrophic flooding in 37 Texas counties. In the town of Wimberley, 25 miles southwest of Austin, the Blanco River rose more than 33 feet in just three hours. In Houston, flash flooding early this week has already affected hundreds of homes, and the city remains in a state of emergency as rain continues to fall.

The situation is still developing, and my team in the Disaster Services Unit is working closely with our federal, state, and local partners including Texas Emergency Management and One Star Foundation, the state's lead agency on volunteer management.  Texas Emergency Management Officials are urging those wishing to volunteer to connect with the Volunteer Reception Centre’s (VRC’s) located in Hays County (information below). Affected citizens who need volunteer support are also encouraged to contact the VRC to register for assistance.

To ensure your efforts to assist are maximized, I recommend reviewing FEMA’s tips on how to volunteer and donate responsibly and remember, confirm what is needed before you take action!

See you out there,

Kelly DeGraff, Senior Advisor for Disaster Services
Corporation for National and Community Service

Flooding in Texas

In coordination with OneStar Foundation, the State Emergency Management Agency, and Texas VOADs, more than 40 national service members have responded to the flooding across Texas. 

National Service Response

• 28 AmeriCorps members with Texas Conservation Corps deployed to San Marcos, TX to support two Volunteer Reception Centers.
• 12 South Central Texas Senior Corps RSVP volunteers are serving with Salvation Army food service operations.
• Austin - Travis County Senior Corps RSVP volunteers are supporting Texas Search and Rescue teams. 
• AmeriCorps Disaster Response Teams (A-DRTS) including AmeriCorps NCCC and Saint Bernard Project remain on standby to support pending requests. 

All requests for volunteer assistance are being funneled through OneStar Foundation, the state lead for volunteer management.

AmeriCorps has stood up two Volunteer Reception Centers:

• Wimberley Volunteer Reception Center
  Cypress Creek Church
  211 Stillwater, Wimberly, TX 78676 

• San Marcos Volunteer Reception Center
  San Marcos Plaza Park
  206 N. CM Allen Parkway, San Marcos, TX 78666

Flooding in Oklahoma

Following additional severe weather and flooding throughout the state of Oklahoma, the Governor issued a State Disaster Declaration for 44 counties.

 National Service Response

• An AmeriCorps NCCC team deployed to the American Red Cross supporting disaster assessments and logistics for previous storms has been extended until Friday, June 5. 
• The CNCS Oklahoma State Office and Senior Corps RSVP program are coordinating with the State Emergency Management Agency to support any other unmet needs. 

May 27, 2014

• Flooding in Texas
• Flooding in Oklahoma
• Make A Plan
• Resources

Make A Plan

Your family may not be together when a disaster strikes so it is important to plan in advance: how you will get to a safe place; how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what you will do in different situations. Read more about Family Communication during an emergency.

Ready.gov has made it simple for you to make a family emergency plan. Download the Family Communication Plan for Parents and Kids (PDF) and fill out the sections before printing it or emailing it to your family and friends.

You should also inquire about emergency plans at places where your family spends time: work, daycare and school, faith organizations, sports events and commuting. If no plans exist, consider volunteering to help create one. Talk to community leaders, your colleagues, neighbors and members of faith or civic organizations about how you can work together in the event of an emergency. You will be better prepared to safely reunite your family and loved ones during an emergency if you think ahead and communicate with others in advance. Read more about school and workplace plans.

Have a plan for traveling between work and home, and other commonly visited locations, in case of an emergency. Download theCommuter Emergency Plan (PDF).

Resources

New Disaster Events

For information on new disaster events, please visit FEMA’s daily situation report.

CNCS Disaster Services Knowledge Network
This online network provides a place to share what works at the intersection of disaster services and national service.

Disaster Preparedness
To learn more about how to prepare your family and community, please visit Ready.gov. 

Disaster Distress Helpline:
1-800-985-5990

The Disaster Distress Helpline provides 24/7, year-round crisis counseling and support. The Helpline is staffed by trained counselors from a network of crisis call centers located across the United States, all of whom provide:

• Crisis counseling for those who are in emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster
• Information on how to recognize distress and its effects on individuals and families
• Tips for healthy coping
• Disaster-specific resources and referral information.