For many Mississippians, helping those affected by Hurricane Sandy is an especially meaningful mission.  Our own recovery following Hurricane Katrina involved the countless contributions of volunteers, church groups, nonprofit organizations, and emergency teams from across the nation.  Now Mississippians are responding in kind – by taking an active role in disaster relief efforts to assist Northeast communities in need.

Mississippians to the Rescue

One of Katrina’s many lessons is the importance of disaster preparedness and having an efficient and effective response strategy.  As Hurricane Sandy headed toward the East Coast, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) responders worked in Maryland to provide logistics support and assistance with recovery operations.  MEMA also supplied specially trained swift-water rescue teams – created after Katrina – in anticipation of hazardous flooding.  Although Sandy would leave a massive swath of destruction, these cooperative partnerships across state lines played a crucial role in mitigating the storm’s impact.

Our state’s experience with severe weather has made the expertise of our emergency personnel a valuable asset.  An emergency management team with representatives from MEMA, the Commission for Volunteer Service, county governments, and local fire and police units continues to provide critical post-storm assistance in New Jersey.  Troopers from the Mississippi Highway Patrol’s special operations group and a team from the Mississippi State Department of Health are also there assisting with relief work.

Like the emergency teams, Mississippi’s utility companies quickly joined local crews in devastated areas to provide urgent support.  About 150 workers from Entergy Mississippi and 82 workers from Mississippi Power were among the tens of thousands of utility employees dispatched to restore power to approximately 9 million people.  Some Mississippi Power workers ended up helping communities that had sent aid to South Mississippi after Katrina.

Returning the Favor

The inspiring stories of communities helping communities continue to grow as Mississippians find diverse ways to lend a hand.  Church groups, businesses, and individuals are coordinating drives to collect food and clothing.  Fire departments that received help after Katrina are returning the favor.  For example, the Gulf Park Estates Volunteer Fire Department in Ocean Springs is donating a pumper truck it received after Katrina to the West Hamilton Beach Volunteer Fire Department in New York.

Other outreach efforts have concentrated on the needs of those still without power or forced from their homes because of the damage.  More than 100 staff and volunteers from the Red Cross Mississippi Region are working at shelters and distributing supplies in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.  Dozens of volunteers with the Mississippi Baptist Disaster Relief Task Force have mobilized to serve meals and help remove debris and fallen trees.

Policy Changes Ahead

At the federal level, the renewal of the National Flood Insurance Program and enactment of the COASTAL Act this year are important steps toward streamlining the recovery process after storms like Katrina and Sandy.  I authored the COASTAL Act to help eliminate disputes between wind and water insurance claims on total-loss properties that can cause unnecessary delays for homeowners.  The legislation, which stands for Consumer Option for an Alternative System to Allocate Losses, should be fully implemented in 2014.
 
As we gather with family and friends for Thanksgiving, our thoughts and prayers are with our East Coast neighbors coping with Hurricane Sandy’s devastation.  Despite the disaster’s harm, the spirit of giving that followed is certainly a blessing worth our thanks this year.