Hurricane Ida caught a lot of people by surprise in 2021, as it turned out to be the second most devastating hurricane in the United States. The storm originated from a tropical wave in the Caribbean Sea on August 23rd and reached Louisiana by August 29th as a category four storm.
Ida accelerated and caused tornado outbreaks and catastrophic flooding as it moved inland. The storm became classified as a post-tropical cyclone as it entered Northeastern states. Pennsylvania alone endured at least seven tornados and devastating flooding. Hundreds of families had to evacuate their homes, and it happened fast!
Desiree Nicholls and her nephew were one such family. By the time they realized the area creeks were rising, the water had already risen to the level of their front door. They only had time to gather their pets, their six foster kittens, their credentials, and a laptop. Desiree recalls wading through 4 feet of water as they evacuated her home with only the clothes on their backs and no food or supplies.Desiree works for the U.S. Customs Department and lives in Hatboro Township near the Pennypacker watershed area, which includes 50 miles of creeks that were no match for the speed and volume of Ida’s rainfall. The relentless rain caused severe flooding at a pace that no one expected.
It took Desiree a couple of days to find long-term housing and alternative foster care for the kittens. She eventually connected with the American Red Cross to access additional disaster relief services and remembers one special Red Cross volunteer named Donna, who went out of her way to assist Desiree with a required home assessment for FEMA eligibility.
After living in hotels for more than four months, Desiree is happy to be back home but is still navigating repairs, sorting through the few possessions that survived the flood, and making long-term housing plans. Desiree recalls her experience with the Red Cross as a “phenomenal experience.” She’s very thankful to the Red Cross volunteers, the local police officers, and the rescue workers that helped her and her neighbors through the emergency.
During the aftermath of Ida, more than 3,000 Red Cross volunteers from all over the country worked tirelessly to provide disaster relief services such as emergency lodgings, food, basic necessities, and financial assistance to more than 12,000 storm victims.
Each year the American Red Cross depends on its volunteers to provide disaster relief services for more than 60,000 emergencies. Learn how you can become a volunteer and help people in your own community.
Written by Terri Seydel