MDS Early Response Teams clean up debris in southwest Florida left in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
Getting the work done
Getting people back home. That’s the reason MDS transitioned from early response to long-term recovery in southwest Florida, two months after the Category 4 Hurricane Ian made landfall. Larry Stoner, MDS regional operations coordinator, who has been part of the MDS team assessing damages and determining where MDS will work, explained the shift in MDS’s focus. “We are now moving from early response—tree removal, muckouts, and debris cleanup—to home repairs and new builds,” said Stoner. Volunteers will help bring hope to people who cannot recover on their own for reasons beyond their control. During the past two months, Stoner has met many hurricane survivors—and those encounters put a human face on the needs in Florida. He visited a house along the Peace River that Ian had deluged with six feet of water. “Another group helped gut it, and now the single lady that lived here 35 years wants help to move back in,” Stoner said, adding that this situation is emblematic of the types of repair jobs volunteers will be doing for months to come.
The path to recovery – from early response to the long haul – after Hurricane Ian strikes Florida
4
behind the hammer
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online