As the nation marks the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on August 29, forecasters are predicting this year’s record warm seas could trigger another devastating hurricane season. World Vision is prepared to respond to severe storms this year, just as we did in 2005.

August 2010

By Nathalie Moberg, World Vision U.S.

“Everything is in place for an incredibly active year,” Weather Services International Chief Meteorologist Todd Crawford recently told Reuters news service.

Even as hurricane season arrives, the battered Gulf Coast is reeling from high unemployment triggered by simultaneous blows: the struggling economy and the oil spill. Last month, Northrop Grumman Corp. announced it will close its shipyard just outside New Orleans, eliminating 5,000 jobs. Many jobs from various industries also have been cut due to the effects of the oil spill.

Meanwhile, the area still struggles to fully recover from Hurricane Katrina. World Vision has been there through hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike, and now we are assisting families in the aftermath of the oil spill.

Remembering Katrina

Five years ago, few families were prepared when Katrina unleashed its wrath on the Gulf Coast. Within hours, more than 800,000 residents were displaced as hundreds of thousands of homes were severely damaged or destroyed.

“My mind was not prepared for what I saw,” says Brock Elementary Principal Rose Smith, whose school in Slidell, La., was destroyed. “There was nothing left unturned.”

World Vision not only responded immediately to care for Hurricane Katrina survivors; we also stayed to help rebuild lives and homes. To serve fatigued families struggling to recover, World Vision opened a 40,000-square-foot distribution center where some $8.2 million in goods was distributed to more than 318,000 people in need.

Among those we served was Brock Elementary, which received school and classroom supplies so students could continue learning in modular facilities. Just on the edge of New Orleans, World Vision also provided life’s basics and funding so that Lovetouch Ministries could shelter homeless families. Emergency goods — food, water, toiletries, clothing, and portable toilets — were followed by school supplies, cleaning products, and building materials.

“A lot of organizations said they would help, but nobody came through like World Vision,” says Bishop Joan Powell, director of Lovetouch Ministries.

Ready to respond

As coastal areas brace for severe hurricanes again this year, World Vision is ready to care for those least able to care for themselves — often families in poverty. Emergency and rebuilding supplies are prepositioned at 10 sites nationwide, response plans are in place, and expert responders stand ready for deployment.

Phyllis Freeman, World Vision’s domestic disaster director, says, “Our North Texas facility in Dallas is on alert. If disaster strikes in the Gulf Coast, we are ready to quickly provide personal hygiene items, clothing, cleaning supplies, blankets, and building materials to children and families in the most vulnerable communities.”