Preparing for the storms

Natalie Selensky, News Writer

Fr.Richmond and Xavier students clean up derecho damage at St. John XXIII Parish. Photos by Nick Ireland

After what some call the “wildride” that 2020 was, everyone learned to start expecting the unexpected. New volunteering training that focuses on disaster response is being hosted in Iowa. These events are being organized by Iowa Homeland Security, Volunteer Iowa and United Way of East Central Iowa. One was held on September 9 in Benton County wherepeopleweretaughthowto prepare and respond to disasters. Sessions will also train participants to assess damage from disasters in order to seek more national help. The main goal at the training is to prepare others to help people who would be affected by disasters in the community. Records will be kept of who participated in the training and will be added to Volunteer Iowa’s database. Volunteer Engagement Manager at United Way of East Central Iowa, Kayla Paulson, is one of the people in charge of this event. She stressed the importance of having these sessions “When people are like, ‘Oh, if there is another disaster,’ I am like, ‘oh, that is not if, it is when.’’ We have about one a year in our community,” Paulson said. Paulson also added that the event will be important for those in rural parts of communities affected by disasters. She says that it is valuable to know how to utilize one’s resources in the best way possible. Xavier senior and Cedar Rapids, Iowa citizen Ava Challenger experienced the August 2020 natural disaster that the derecho was first hand. The 140 mile per hour storm destroyed 65% of the city’s trees along with the storm, making a calculated $7.5 billion worth in damages across states affected. Challenger saw the community struggling after the storm. “In my neighborhood, there are a lot of older couples. After the storm, they could not get out to see the damage, clear the debris from their yard or get gas for their generators. I think the disaster training will be great for Iowans so that there will be a team that is well trained in how to help these people,” Challenger said. One cannot prevent natural disasters but one can learn how to be ready for them. For more information on how to get involved with disaster relief, visit https://www.uweci.org/get- involved/individual/disaster/.