Programs / July 12, 2021 - August 2021
2021 Michigan Flood Response
Event
During the overnight hours on Friday, June 25th, 2021 heavy rain fell across much of the state of Michigan. Communities in the Detroit, Michigan and surrounding Wayne County area had rainfall of more than 6 inches during the night and into Saturday morning. Excess water overloaded pump stations and flooded low-lying sections of freeways. These storms also caused power outages to approximately 40,000 homes and businesses. A state of emergency was declared for Detroit and Wayne county.
As storms continued through the weekend, excess rainfall continued to cause damage as water and sewage flooded basements. Record rainfall inundated systems that were not designed to handle the immense amount of water flowing into them. A state of emergency was issued for the Detroit and Wayne County area and FEMA began flood damage assessments on July 8th, 2021.
About our Response
On July 12th, 2021 a NECHAMA team departed from Minnesota headed to Detroit, Michigan to begin assessing the damage. The team will work closely with families to salvage personal belongings and remove damaged materials from homes.
As of August 23rd, 2021, our team of volunteers and staff assessed damage on 69 homes, completing muck and gut work in 48 of those homes. AmeriCorps Team Maple 1 joined our response, along with 21 volunteers from across Michigan and the country. Together, they completed 1,449.25 hours of donated labor. We have currently paused our program as of August 25th, with a goal of returning to help meet the immense need that still exists in the Detroit, Michigan area. Consider signing up to join our team of volunteers on the ground at a potential future date!
Interested in joining our team of supporters? Click the link below to make a donation or to start a fundraiser.
Volunteer
If you are interested in volunteering with NECHAMA, please take a moment to click on the link below to express your interest in volunteering. A representative of NECHAMA will then connect with you to provide the necessary paperwork to complete ahead of your trip, as well as provide details about accommodations and current Covid protocols.
Updates
Michigan Response Paused
At the current moment, we have paused our response in Detroit, Michigan to evaluate the longevity of the program. We are hopeful that we will be able to return in... Read More
Team Maple 1 Departs
Yesterday, August 15th, we said goodbye to the amazing AmeriCorps NCCC team Maple 1. The team joined our efforts in Michigan on July 14th. They spent a month assisting homeowners... Read More
Floodwater and Sewage- The Story of Ms. Damita (part 2)
Returning to the home of Ms. Damita on day two, our team continued to remove damaged items from her home. Around them, walls once covered in several feet of mold... Read More
© 2021 NECHAMA - Jewish Response to Disaster, Registered 501(c)3