Rutherford County Disaster training put to action in Trinity, Texas

Volunteers working in a Texas flooded home. Contributed Photo.

Six weeks ago nearly 200 volunteers from across North Carolina converged at Florence Baptist Church in Forest City for disaster training, preparing to respond to disasters across the state and nation. More than 50 staff members led the training workshops.

The event held April 19 and April 20 was a part of the North Carolina Baptist on Mission disaster training that is held several times a year at various locations across the state.

Today some of those same men and women are putting their training into practice, working in Trinity, Texas. Just two weeks ago storms and subsequent flooding of the Trinity River left homes and structures devastated in the area. Many are homeless.

Among those responding to the Texas disaster is Tom Hamrick of Forest City, who along with wife Karen Hamrick, helped coordinate the training at Florence in April.

The disaster team volunteers have been assessing the storm damage and then leading teams out to work in the Trinity areas. Work includes pulling out sheetrock and insulation in order for drying to take place. It is expected to continue for weeks.

Volunteers are digging mud from homes as they make preparations for the restoration.

Volunteers are helping to wash clothes for those who've been flooded out as well as offering shower facilities for the victims.

While in Texas, volunteers are stationed at Dorcas Wills Memorial Baptist Church.

From Texas, Tom said, "We have accessors and recovery teams out in the field with feeding, shower/laundry and administration on site.

"Our biggest jobs are from the flooding of the Trinity River... houses had as much as 4 feet of water inside the house," he said.

Hamrick is joined in Texas by about 50 other disaster team members from North Carolina.

Since the disaster training at Florence six weeks ago, the North Carolina disaster teams have also been in Rock Hill and Henderson, responding to victims of home evictions and storms. In conjunction with social services and emergency management, Baptists volunteers provided hot showers, laundry and meals.

Disaster training was also held in the New England states prior to the Texas disaster.

During the training at Florence, men and women attended sessions on the proper way to make repairs, how to use the available equipment such as chainsaws; food preparation and other areas of disaster response.

Some local volunteers, already trained in some disaster areas, chose to train for other scenarios.

"I was pleased with how the members of Florence stepped up to help with the training," Hamrick said of the local training efforts. "We had approximately 30 volunteers from Florence to do jobs like prepare meals on Friday night and Saturday morning for the staff, greeters to make sure the trainees could find their way around our church, those who parked cars, and those who provided security," he added.

Anyone interested in volunteering or making a donations to the NC Baptist on Mission can visit www.baptistonmisison.org.