LUTZ – Hurricanes Debbie, Helene and Milton may have left Florida a year ago, but the destruction and disruption to daily living still linger.
The Salvation Army continues its care and ministry through long-term recovery groups assembled to restore normalcy and quality of life to afflicted communities.
“The Salvation Army always integrates recovery into our disaster preparedness plans, so we not only respond rapidly to emergencies, we also arrive planning to stay involved long after the initial crisis passes,” said Steven Hartsook, Florida divisional director of emergency disaster services. “We know that for those traumatized by devastation and loss, recovery takes many months and sometimes years.”
After early season Hurricane Debbie (Cat 1) hit Florida’s Big Bend on Aug. 5, 2024, Helene (Cat 4, Sept. 26) and Milton (Cat 3, Oct. 9) made landfall just two and a half weeks apart at the peak of the season. Of Florida’s 67 counties, 52 were impacted and included in the federal disaster declaration for Helene and Milton, prompting the formation and activation of long-term recovery groups across the state. Currently, nearly 40 long-term recovery groups are operating in Florida. Some are newly formed. Others have years or even decades of experience.
Using a case management approach, long-term recovery groups connect organizations to pool resources in obtaining materials, labor funding and other resources. Addressing unmet financial, physical, emotional and spiritual needs, long-term recovery groups help community members bridge gaps to make their lives whole again.
According to Hartsook, The Salvation Army participates in long-term recovery groups to support unmet financial needs, and due to the generous support of donors responding in one of the state’s greatest times of need, the organization has an allocated budget of $3.75 million for Florida recovery efforts from the 2024 storms.
“When the cameras point elsewhere and others move on with their lives, The Salvation Army will still be there, restoring hope to storm survivors and those in need,” he said.
On the web: salarmyeds.org
