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Millions Remain Without Power from South Carolina to Maine
As communities along the East Coast begin to pick up the pieces in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene’s devastation, AmeriCares has responded to an urgent request in rural Virginia near Richmond, with a rush delivery of water for hurricane survivors.
When the Virginia Department of Emergency Management sent the request, AmeriCares immediately contacted partner Nestle Water North America to schedule the delivery of two truckloads of bottled water to fill this vital resource gap. Power is not expected to be restored in these rural communities for the next three weeks, rendering electric well pumps unusable and cutting off access to clean water for thousands of families.
“More than one million people remain without power in the state, and many local communities who depend on wells for their drinking water,” said Terry Raines of the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. “Without power, these people are now without water.”
In North Carolina and Virginia, where the hurricane made landfall on Saturday, AmeriCares and Nestle Waters North America are delivering more than 120,000 bottles of water for families affected by severe flooding and major power outages. In North Carolina, bottled water will be delivered to food pantries serving communities still coping with heavy flooding.
Before, during, and after the storm, AmeriCares Emergency Response team reached out to partners in 8 states to assess potential needs and establish response plans. With over 2.5 million people still without power from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to New England, and millions more facing a long recovery process, AmeriCares is mobilizing resources to deliver immediate and longer term support. Read more about our new grant program to support U.S. disaster relief.
From Outer Banks in NC to Small Towns in Vermont, Irene Leaves Destruction
Irene made landfall in North Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane on Saturday, August 27, battering coastal communities as it pounded its way northward, unleashing torrential rains and damaging winds up to 85 mph. A state of emergency was declared in 9 states as hundreds of thousands evacuated their homes. The 500-mile-wide system was downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it reached New Jersey, but its ferocious wind and rain caused massive flooding and widespread destruction.
Major flooding has devastated rural areas in Vermont and upstate New York, particularly in the Catskills and Adirondacks. A number of small towns in Vermont and New York were completely cut off by the floods from as much as 11 inches of rain.
Though some communities are still bracing for a wave of secondary flooding, state and local agencies have been able to respond to urgent needs. We will continue to reach out to partners in hard hit communities and stand ready to respond to requests for hurricane relief.
Support AmeriCares storm relief efforts as we help victims of Hurricane Irene
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