Texas Interagency Interfaith Disaster Response
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6 July 2007
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Update on Marble Falls
The rain and consequent flooding has been incredible in Marble Falls, in Burnet, Llano, and Williamson Counties. The emergency response has been strong, and the willingness of Central Texans to respond has been wonderful.
The sound of chain saws is constant. Debris removal is essential, and Marble Falls has set up three sites for folks to deposit debris as they cl ean up their homes and property. Tuesday the Marble Falls water system was back up and running, and Thursday the Home Depot, the distribution point forwater, discontinued this service. However, there remains a concern for all households that have private wells. All wells need to be tested before drinking from them; the Texas Agricultural Extension Service can provide well water testing kits.
The Family Service Center, in cooperation with the City of Marble Falls, set up a Phone Bank to take calls from flood victims and providers. They were initially providing this service from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. each day and receiving approximately 50 calls daily. TIDR supported this emergency service with 17 volunteers from the Austin area. The emergency hotline is no longer available; all those in need are being referred to the direct phone line at the Family Service Center (830.693-0700). TIDR volunteers have also provided administrative support to the Center. Catholic Charities has provided Case Management as families come into the Center for assistance; they have also provided gift cards to families in need.
The American Red Cross continues to provide assistance to victims in Burnet, Llano, Travis and Williamson
Counties. Victims have received prompt attention at the Disaster
Assistance Center in Marble Falls. With your help, TIDR has been able
to provide volunteers to
support the Red Cross as well. As of Thursday, July 5th, 171
households had been assessed by the American Red Cross in Burnet
County, Llano, and Williamson Counties; 358 mental health contacts were
made; 8,051 snacks were provided, and 1,245 clean-up items had been
distributed. Red Cross disaster relief services will move
from the Marble Falls Elementary School to the Family Service Center on
Monday, July 9th.
A Long Term Recovery Committee (LTRC) was formed on Thursday, July 5, 2007. Frank Goldsmith,
a resident of Marble Falls and pastor of Koenig Lane Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) in Austin, was elected as the acting Chair of
that committee. Goldsmith was co-coordinator of TIDR in its early
formation with current Executive Director, Amy Elder, and brings his
skills and experience in long term recovery to this group. The LTRC will hold a meeting on Saturday, July 7, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. in the St. John's Parish Activity Center in Marble Falls.
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One Family's Story
In
my travels around Burnet and Llano counties, I found one family that
for the first time in their lives was experiencing what it means to
live through a disaster. The family does not live in a flood
plain; their home is on a gentle slope that leads down to Lake LBJ. However when 11 inches of rain fell in a short period of time, their home became a barrier
to the torrents of water. The water could not get around their
home quickly enough and found ways under the walls and through doorways
and into their newly carpeted home. They have no flood insurance.
When a representative
from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and I arrived, we walked into a
home that was in disarray. Furniture, clothing, books, papers,
etc., were all carried from the back of the house and piled into the
living and dining rooms to keep them dry.
Hardware stores had long run out of sand, so the family had bought
Kitty Litter, wrapped in black plastic wrap, to place on the outside of
the home to keep the water at bay. Pumps to drain water had been
borrowed and purchased; plastic piping ran from the pump around the
side of the home to try and move water away from the house.
They
were still going to work each day and said everything was "fine."
Carpet had been ripped up, fans were blowing, belongings were stacked
on every surface, and life was "normal." But life wasn't normal...
In the words of a family member, "Thank
you so much for your work and the relief that you have sent. ...Also,
your words of advice were priceless. It is so hard to wrap our
minds around the amount of damage and the long-term effect on our
house. Thank you for bumping us into reality a bit. We are
so grateful that you are blessed in this ministry at this time."
The
great gift of TIDR and other faith-based disaster recovery
organizations like the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the Week of
Compassion of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), is that we
can quickly assess situations and make a call to the faith community to
find help for a family in crisis. Such organizations offer the
quiet support of a listening ear, they understand the cycle
of disaster, and they have resources to address some emergency
needs. So, on this day one family found some support and now know
that they can call on TIDR and the faith community as they continue the
recovery process, which could last weeks or months in their situation.
I
thank you for your support of TIDR and your own faith community-so that
together we can continue to provide assistance to those who live
through disaster.
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Thanks to Our Volunteers
With
your help, TIDR has supported the American Red Cross and the Family
Service Center Phone Bank for Disaster Recovery in the Marble Falls and
surrounding area's flood recovery. As the communities that have
been affected by the flooding transition from response to recovery,
TIDR will look for ways to support with volunteers as they are
needed. When additional help is requested we will send out
another edition of our newsletter to solicit your help. For those
of you who have already given of your time, skill, and energy-thank you!
TIDR
has been asked to provide a volunteer to answer phones at
the Marble Falls Family Service Center each day next week. If you
are available for a full or half day shift any day Monday through
Friday, please contact Marianne at 512.458.8848.
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DONATE to Help Flood Victims
TIDR
is accepting donations to continue providing assistance to the recovery
effort in Burnet, Llano and Williamson Counties. Please mail
checks to TIDR, 5207 Airport Boulevard, Austin, TX 78751. For
more information, please contact TIDR at (512) 458-8848.
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