My mother’s friend lost her entire world in the flooding that came on the heels of Tropical Storm Irene. The home she shared with her husband outside of Prattsville, New York was lifted off of its foundation and pushed roughly a quarter mile away from where it was built. The house was located, but as her friends, family, and volunteers began to dig out her front door she found her former life buried in nearly 6 feet of mud and sludge. As they began to sift through the silt and debris for any salvageable piece of their former lives, her husband excitedly unveiled a disposable razor, as if that inexpensive union of metal and plastic proved that they had not in fact lost everything. The truth is, they might as well have.
Prattsville was one of many areas of the Northeastern United States absolutely hammered by violent winds, biblical rains, flash flooding, mudslides, power outages, and other natural disasters during the last week of August and first week of September, 2011. In Irene’s wake, Bridges were torn asunder, dams spilt over, whole towns evacuated and razed, and some 140,000 acres of farmland in New York State were left in ruins, all but destroyed. In Windham, New York septic systems mixed with the flood waters to create conditions dangerous to breathe in, in some cases causing an illness that people were calling “airborne bronchitis.” Vermonters throughout their state required food, water, and supplies to be airlifted in for weeks because of the amount of damage to navigable roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. Strangely, my Facebook newsfeed on August 27th sounded much less bleak.
As Irene appeared to leapfrog over New York City for Upstate, Vermont, and New England, Facebook and Twitter began to buzz with boastful tall-talk, labeling the storm underwhelming at best and a hype-fueled media circus at worst. “The last flood of that caliber was in the 1930s people were saying,” explained my mother from our unscathed back porch in suburban Columbia County, New York. “A long, long time ago. People just didn’t believe the meteorologists.” Unfortunately, these people simply have no idea of the true emotional, fiscal, and physical cost of this situation.
Meanwhile, the powers that be are playing politics with people’s livelihoods. New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) has petitioned Congress to give New York State $1 Billion, while Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has asked for $5.8 Billion to be allocated for FEMA and other clean-up and disaster relief expenses. These calls were met with immediate opposition by Representative Eric Cantor (R-VA) and other Tea Party Congressmen and Women who flatly asserted that they will not pledge “two cents” toward FEMA, the American Red Cross, or any other hurricane relief efforts without immediate cuts being taken from elsewhere. One contributor on National Public Radio called for not only their jobs but for charges of treason to be brought against the recalcitrant Congresspeople. Other elected officials have continue ongoing efforts to plan bipartisan approaches to providing aid and helping those in need. While their debate continues, vulnerable lives hang in the balance.
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
DONATE to the Northeastern NY Chapter of the American Red Cross. http://www.redcrossneny.org/general_calltoaction.asp?CTA=5&SN=9823&OP=9826&IDCapitulo=9SZH1HW02Z Not from the Northeast? Find your specific chapter of the Red Cross here: http://www.redcross.org/where
VISIT the Network For Good website, a list of charitable organizations Huffington Post calls “an online hub of charities, nonprofits and volunteers,” and donate to those you believe will actually “do the most good.” http://www1.networkforgood.org/HurricaneIrene?source=AOL&cmpgn=NEWS
VOLUNTEER at the Rotterdam Junction Volunteer Fire Department Relief Fund, in Windham, or anywhere else that needs cleaning-up. These areas are also in dire need of clothing, food, water, and supplies (especially things like batteries). You can also volunteer for the American Red Cross at http://www.redcross.org/en/volunteer (although this last option might take bit to process and would probably not get you in the field immediately).
REGISTER online for disaster relief if you or one of your loved ones were evacuated and require assistance. Check out http://www.diasterassistance.gov or call the toll-free registration number at 1-800-621-3362
In short, just realize that a world exists outside of your neighborhood, borough, state, and country. People are in need in your backyard and people are in need in a country you wouldn’t be able to find on a map. People are still realing from the insufficient response Americans met Hurricane Katrina with. Some continue to live in dingy, mold laden homes some 6 years after their FEMA checks were issued, while others have long since forgotten about the plight of those too poor to pack up and move away from the levees that were intended to keep them out of harms way in the first place. Can our music save their lives? Probably not. But when those that govern fail to act, I can’t help but feel an obligation to stay informed and attempt to make a difference however we can. My mom donated an entire set of plates, dishes, and utencils that her friend accepted with tear-filled eyes. What can you afford to part with?
Be generous, stay safe, and love always.
EDIT: The Gap in Crossgates (Albany/Guilderland, New York), Saratoga, and Colonie Center (Colonie, New York), is accepting clothing and monitary donations for the Gilboa Conesfield school district (near Prattsville) whose students lost everything due to Irene. Bring something and get 25% off anything in the store until the end of the week (Friday, September 16, 2011). My roommate Tom will be at Crossgates volunteering or working most of that time. Checks can also be made out to “Rebuild Gilboa” and dropped off at any TD Bank in the Capital Region. Support!
