Dana Armstrong
We’ve all heard stories of people coming together during a disaster. Stories like these draw us to disaster news – and hopeful images like a man holding a puppy above flood waters, energetic volunteers stacking sandbags. Stories like these also leave us wondering if we’d tap into our own “inner heroes” in this situation.
I think we definitely would rise to the occasion when disaster strikes (it’s the basis for the Seattle Emergency Hubs – the all-volunteer organization that I’m part of). This month, I was inspired to find and share some of the more interesting stories of “disaster compassion” that I could find.
Hurricane Harvey: Monster Trucks and the “Cajun Navy”
2017’s Hurricane Harvey caused record flooding in Texas and Louisiana, and help came from some unexpected sources.
Volunteers associated with a Dallas racetrack donated five 10-foot-tall monster trucks to help Houston area efforts. The trucks carried first responders to the places they needed to go, helped rescue stranded people, and towed stuck vehicles, per ABC News. If you think about it, monster trucks are perfectly suited for flood rescue, since they’re high off the ground and designed to ride over (and handle) nearly anything.
In a separate Harvey effort, a loosely organized group of Louisiana volunteers known as the Cajun Navy (no relation to the U.S. military) mobilized to help Texans, using “bass boats, airboats and other small recreational vessels” to reach evacuees, per the New York Times. They brought their boats over on trucks and trailers and then navigated the flooded streets looking to help, with the boat pilots using primitive phone apps to navigate and walkie talkies to communicate.
The Cajun Navy initially emerged from Hurricane Katrina rescue efforts and is still active in rescue today, calling itself the “original grassroots disaster response team.”
From a Small Canadian Town to Broadway: a 9/11 Story
In 2014, I visited NYC’s 9/11 Memorial and Museum. I expected to be horrified and feel solemn and chilled as I had during an earlier visit to the Holocaust Museum. Instead, I was unexpectedly moved to tears, frequently, by the exhibits focusing on people’s kindness and strength during and after the event. The museum emphasized Americans’ generosity, and I appreciated this sensitive approach to a devastating subject.
And this generosity wasn’t limited to Americans: when U.S.-bound airplanes had to land in Canada after 9/11, they touched down in a small Newfoundland town named Gander, with a population of a mere 10,000. Gander and neighboring communities suddenly needed to make room for 38 planes and 7,000 stranded passengers – and all their unexpected needs, including meals, pet care, baby food, and more.
The area sprung into action, with town governments closing schools and pausing nonessential jobs – essentially turning every resident into a potential volunteer. And the locals hosted with unparalleled generosity: hosting the passengers in their homes, cooking for them, and even providing entertainment, including concerts and bowling.
Per 911memorial.org, “Area pharmacies filled prescriptions without cost, banks of free public telephones were installed so visitors could call home, and donations of toiletries, clothing, and food flowed in. Much of the food was stored at the Gander Community Centre’s ice rink, turning it into ‘the largest walk-in freezer in the country.’”
Although this effort may seem extraordinary to us, a local newspaper reporter said, “For us, it was just every day. You don’t turn your backs on people in need.” As the mayor of nearby Appleton said in a 2017 interview, “There is goodness in the world that floats to the top in times of disaster.”
The response from the residents was so heartwarming that it inspired a Tony award-winning Broadway play, “Come From Away.” It didn’t hurt the story that two of the airplane passengers fell in love during their stay.
Unusual Rescuers in a Japanese Earthquake
On March 11, 2011, Japan experienced a devastating 9.0-magnitude earthquake near the eastern Tōhoku region. Residents experienced prolonged blackouts, water outages, and fuel shortages. Government workers were slow to reach the affected areas.
Help arrived from an unexpected source: Japan’s organized crime syndicate, the Yakuza. Per Reuters, Yakuza groups sent trucks from Tokyo and Kobe to evacuation centers laden with food, water, blankets, and toiletries. In many cases, the article said, the Yakuza were first on the ground! Yakuza know “what it’s like to have to fend for yourself, without any government or community support, because they are considered outcasts,” the article said.
Another tale I didn’t know from that same quake: About a month after the quake, a campaign of “jishuku” (voluntary self-restraint) emerged in the country. Per the New York Times, even in unaffected areas of Japan, people not only made cutbacks in power usage (an effort to conserve power due to the closing of the Fukushima nuclear plant – a contribution that did help cancel some planned blackouts) but they also abstained from “seasonal pleasures”: cherry blossom viewings and fireworks festivals were canceled, graduation ceremonies were deferred, and even consumerism took a hit. Per the story, jishuku was a way for an entire country to express solidarity in a time of crisis.
A Local Effort Goes National: ‘Shopping Angels’
Jayde Powell was a pre-med student at the University of Nevada during the COVID-19 pandemic when her mother asked her to call older neighbors to see if they needed help, per a CNN story. She went beyond that, enlisting members of her medical fraternity to shop for and deliver groceries to at-risk older people with limited options. The effort grew and after a local TV interview, her “Shopping Angels” effort went viral, birthing similar groups throughout the United States.
Volunteer Angels used phones, text, and Facebook to reach people in need. Per CNN, “Some clients give their angel a shopping list, budget and money to cover the purchase. Other clients purchase their groceries online, and a shopping angel does the pickup.” Powell also created a GoFundMe page to help people who could not afford groceries.
I hope that these stories will inspire you to help others if a disaster comes – as we frequently say in the Hub, you have more to offer than you know! Community support, which often springs up organically, is invaluable after a disaster. Please tap into your inner hero, if the time comes to do so.
As always, this column is part of Madison Park Emergency Hub’s outreach effort. We’re an all-volunteer organization focused on neighbors helping each other after a disaster, and we’d love to have your contributions. To get on our mailing list, mail me at madparkhub@gmail.com.
Save the Date for practice drills at the Madison Park Hub (you’ll find us near the tennis courts) on Saturday, Aug. 16 or at Madison Valley’s Hub (in the MLK FAME parking lot) on Saturday, Sept. 20. All are welcome! You’ll get to see what we do and how you can both help and get help in a serious emergency.