Harvey

A few years ago it was Ike.  Then Sandy.   Now Harvey has drawn me away from the comforts of my home and presented me with an opportunity to serve.  These are not new friends, but storms.  Big storms.  So big that they have been added to the list of hurricanes that have been declared 'natural disasters.'

For the past 15 years I have been a member of a Federal Disaster Medical Team.  Under the direction of the US Department of Health and Human Services, these teams are deployed in response to natural disasters.  Each team has a roster of 50 persons with specific skills.  Team members include doctors, nurses, pharmacists, paramedics, logistics and communication specialists and a chaplain.  That's what I do.  I take care of the other team members so they can do what they do well, provide care for the storm victims.

Harvey's winds have decreased significantly, but now is when the flooding begins.  Typically the flooding is what causes the most damage and requires a prolonged response from teams such as ours. The flooding threat is anticipated to last for 5 days.

Many thanks to Laura Hamrick and the leaders at Central UMC:Monroe for their leadership in my absence.