Mennonite Disaster Service announced in mid-December its Hurricane Ian work is transitioning from early response to long-term recovery in southwest Florida.
Larry Stoner, who directs regional operations for MDS for the eastern part of the U.S., has been part of the team assessing damage and determining where MDS will work.
“We are now moving from early response — tree removal, muck-outs and debris cleanup — to home repairs and new builds,” he said.
Ian devastated parts of Florida in September, killing at least 92 people in that state.
One house Stoner visited along the Peace River had been deluged with 6 feet of water.
“Another group helped gut it, and now the single lady that lived here for 35 years wants help to move back in,” he said, adding this situation is emblematic of the jobs volunteers will be doing for months to come.
One family had worked for a decade to remodel their home. “They were almost finished when Hurricane Ian destroyed it,” Stoner said. “We hope to build a new house for this family.”
After assessing damage and working with local partner organizations and emergency managers, MDS set up a base camp for volunteers at Pine Creek Chapel Mennonite Church in Arcadia, about an hour east of Sarasota.
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