Category Archives: Disaster Relief

Remembering Hurricane Katrina, responding to Hurricane Isaac

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Phyllis Freeman in Disaster Relief

After wreaking havoc across the Dominican Republic and Haiti, killing at least 21 people and forcing thousands to evacuate, Hurricane Isaac pounded the Gulf Coast with heavy rains and high winds on the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Phyllis Freeman, World Vision’s domestic disaster response director, remembers that fateful day seven years ago and shares her thoughts on our current response to Isaac....

Smiles, laughter in the midst of crisis

Posted on August 25, 2012 by Mariana Chokaa in Disaster Relief

World Vision’s Mariana Chokaa reports from Niger, a country left reeling from the drought and hunger crisis that has devastated Africa’s Sahel region. At a local clinic, where one might expect to encounter the desperation of malnourished children, she instead observes a downright cheerful atmosphere. What explains this? World Vision’s early interventions amid increasingly dire conditions have helped save lives....

Flooding in Philippines causes devastation

Posted on August 8, 2012 by World Vision field communicators in Disaster Relief

Eleven days of downpour has caused flooding in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. Sixty percent of the city is now under water, and streets have turned into waterways. Close to 1.5 million people are affected by this disaster. World Vision is on the ground, working to bring help to families in need....

You can help families in Alabama get back on their feet

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Laura Reinhardt in Disaster Relief

Last year, a series of destructive tornadoes ripped through the American South, devastating families and communities. This year, World Vision is organizing a series of mission trips to come alongside survivors as they continue to recover and rebuild. Laura Reinhardt reports on one mother in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who has already seen the compassion and generosity of others firsthand....

Before disasters strike

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Jeff Wright in Disaster Relief

There’s a common misconception that, whether we’re ordinary citizens or professional disaster-responders, we’re all helplessly at the mercy of unexpected, random disasters, both natural and man-made. The truth is, it’s rare for disasters to be totally random — and they’re almost never totally unexpected! Organizations like World Vision and professionals who engage in disaster response are increasingly investing time and energy into what we call “early warning/early action.” The more we can predict when and where a disaster will strike, the more we can prepare for it. And the more we prepare for it, the less traumatic and devastating it will be when it actually happens. There are a number of different tools we have available to assist in the...