Observation: Me, Blair, and Aranda S. spoke on our experience volunteering with Dr. De Luca at the Mendez Middle School Family Resource Center in Dove Springs 3 weeks after the flash flooding happened in our social justice class the other day.
Articles on the flash flood---
http://www.utexas.edu/ssw/featured/dove-springs-flood-relief/
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/07/flash-flood-austin-residents-killed-displaced/3459181/
http://www.kvue.com/news/Dove-Spring-230283821.html
http://www.kvue.com/news/local/FEMA-to-survey-flood-damage-231065561.html
Many thoughts comes to mind when thinking about this flood.
1) A lot happens outside of the 40 acres that the majority of us students might not know about, especially if we are out of town students.
2) 1,200 homes were destroyed in the Halloween flooding that happened and some areas like Onion Creek rose to 11 feet of water in under 15 minutes and peaked 41 feet, sending walls of water into surrounding neighborhoods.
3) While volunteering at the makeshift donation center the Family Resource Center put wonderfully together I still could not wrap my mind around how that area was underwater just three weeks ago let alone what kind of damage was done to hundreds of families lives.
4) Much of the Dove Springs area consist of Hispanic residents that only speak Spanish. The area is a low income area and residents and the community expressed concerns related to those who had the fear of retribution because of the legal status as residents.
5) Austin declared the flood as a state of disaster, but funding has come very late (trouble finding sources, but a professor told us that evaluations are just now being made to see if it was a disaster level event.. rumors are saying that it is just under from officially being a federal disaster)
As I observe how effects of the flooding that happened on Halloween in the city of Austin particularity Dove Springs and Onion Creek, I come to understand a bit more how disasters effect the entire community in ripple of ways.
Individuals and families are affected from their homes being damage or destroyed, personal belongings destroyed, injuries sustained, and psychological trauma endured from events like the flash flooding that happened in Austin.
Organizations, communities, churches, schools, law enforcement all attempt to come together and bridge resources to support the victims of these events. They are taxed with financial need, commitment, energy, volunteers, and time to help in the rebuilding process that comes after the strike of a disaster.
The local government and sometimes federal government or large organizations like the Red Cross are forced to respond to the needs of the community and consider the actions that need to be done to bring aid to the victims of these disasters.
It's crazy to see the effects that an event can have on a community and what that can do to cripple as well as bridge the community together. It is crucial that people come together in the face of adversity to heal the wounds of all that are effected. Furthermore these events make it unimaginable to think of the effects that Typoon Haiyan will have and has had on the Philippines thus far.
Without the values of empathy, compassion, justice, and love its inevitable and guaranteed that we will fall when we forget to think about others and the needs of our brothers and sisters around the world.
Articles on the flash flood---
http://www.utexas.edu/ssw/featured/dove-springs-flood-relief/
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/07/flash-flood-austin-residents-killed-displaced/3459181/
http://www.kvue.com/news/Dove-Spring-230283821.html
http://www.kvue.com/news/local/FEMA-to-survey-flood-damage-231065561.html
Many thoughts comes to mind when thinking about this flood.
1) A lot happens outside of the 40 acres that the majority of us students might not know about, especially if we are out of town students.
2) 1,200 homes were destroyed in the Halloween flooding that happened and some areas like Onion Creek rose to 11 feet of water in under 15 minutes and peaked 41 feet, sending walls of water into surrounding neighborhoods.
3) While volunteering at the makeshift donation center the Family Resource Center put wonderfully together I still could not wrap my mind around how that area was underwater just three weeks ago let alone what kind of damage was done to hundreds of families lives.
4) Much of the Dove Springs area consist of Hispanic residents that only speak Spanish. The area is a low income area and residents and the community expressed concerns related to those who had the fear of retribution because of the legal status as residents.5) Austin declared the flood as a state of disaster, but funding has come very late (trouble finding sources, but a professor told us that evaluations are just now being made to see if it was a disaster level event.. rumors are saying that it is just under from officially being a federal disaster)
As I observe how effects of the flooding that happened on Halloween in the city of Austin particularity Dove Springs and Onion Creek, I come to understand a bit more how disasters effect the entire community in ripple of ways.
Individuals and families are affected from their homes being damage or destroyed, personal belongings destroyed, injuries sustained, and psychological trauma endured from events like the flash flooding that happened in Austin.
Organizations, communities, churches, schools, law enforcement all attempt to come together and bridge resources to support the victims of these events. They are taxed with financial need, commitment, energy, volunteers, and time to help in the rebuilding process that comes after the strike of a disaster.
It's crazy to see the effects that an event can have on a community and what that can do to cripple as well as bridge the community together. It is crucial that people come together in the face of adversity to heal the wounds of all that are effected. Furthermore these events make it unimaginable to think of the effects that Typoon Haiyan will have and has had on the Philippines thus far.
Without the values of empathy, compassion, justice, and love its inevitable and guaranteed that we will fall when we forget to think about others and the needs of our brothers and sisters around the world.
Comment #23
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I don’t know if I’ve just been living under a rock or what but this is the first time I’m hearing about this. It definitely isn’t an excuse, but I think it’s easy for students to forget that there’s a world outside of Austin and the classes that we’re taking. I’m extremely disheartened to hear about this story and hope that all those affected are receiving the help they need.