Early assessment volunteers Pat and Rich Grasman topped off their gas tank last Friday morning in Camden, New Jersey, before they entered the Atlantic City area.

As they drove on, the couple found themselves in familiar territory although they had never been to Atlantic City before. Passing by closed casinos, deserted streets, and the occasional blinking traffic light, World Renew Disaster Response Services (DRS) volunteers like the Grasmans deliberately work their way into destruction that others have fled.

Early assessment volunteers Pat and Rich Grasman topped off their gas tank last Friday morning in Camden, New Jersey, before they entered the Atlantic City area.

As they drove on, the couple found themselves in familiar territory although they had never been to Atlantic City before. Passing by closed casinos, deserted streets, and the occasional blinking traffic light, World Renew Disaster Response Services (DRS) volunteers like the Grasmans deliberately work their way into destruction that others have fled.

With Hurricane Sandy hitting a week ago and two more Nor’easters expected in the area after Wednesday, Atlantic City residents are bracing for another round with the elements. Superstorm Sandy destroyed hundreds of homes, caused power and transportation outages for millions, and killed 110 people in the U.S. alone.

The Grasmans are in New Jersey as DRS volunteers to help determine where the greatest needs are and to begin to point survivors toward the resources that are available to them. The person-to-person information they gather also helps World Renew and other volunteer and government organizations launch a coordinated response to disasters like Sandy. Here are the stories of just a few of the folks they encountered on their door-to-door survey of Sandy survivors.

“Many of the homes looked deserted, but we found one homeowner who said that the houses in her neighborhood are year-round homes (not vacation homes). Most of the residents had evacuated,” Pat Grasman said. “The woman said that there was four feet of water in the lower level of her house during the storm. Although the water had been pumped out, drying, mold removal, and repairs were needed. She was already working with a builder to start the reconstruction process.”

The Grasmans found that many evacuated homeowners were making their way back to their property from emergency shelters to see how their belongings had fared, even though the area was still under a “boil water order” and the sewer system was flooded. The fast moving water and debris destroyed some of the homes as well as their contents, coating the structures, garages, and vehicles with slimy mud and seaweed.

“Some of the evacuees came home to properties were burglarized,” Rich Grasman said, “and local law enforcement officers were helping those homeowners make a report. A resident named Dimitrios (photo, with Pat Grasman, above) returned to find that the storm surge had pushed a portion of the oceanfront boardwalk into his garage, flooding their furnace, freezer, and a rental property.”

As early assessment volunteers for World Renew DRS, the Grasmans provided homeowners with information on reporting damage and contacting government agencies for assistance, and ministered to stunned and shocked survivors who are at a loss for what to do next.

Next, the Grasmans made their way north to Tuckerton on the New Jersey Turnpike where they spoke with a small business owner who had built an addition that was above flood level onto her business after it went underwater during a storm surge in 1992. Sandy pushed four feet of water into her property despite the flood-proofing.

“In Tuckerton a lot of trees were down, and it was clear that homes and belongings were water-damaged,” the Grasmans said. “At one point, the road was shut down because 32 homes were completely destroyed, and the entire town was without power or water, and many were without heat.”

As early assessment volunteers for World Renew DRS, the Grasmans provided homeowners with information on reporting damage and contacting government agencies for assistance, and ministered to stunned and shocked survivors who are at a loss for what to do next. State officials reported over the weekend that in some areas, home reconstruction will take a year or more. World Renew DRS will use the Grasman’s and other volunteer feedback to gauge areas where our expertise in long-term disaster recovery and rebuilding is most needed: those we help are like the people mentioned in this article who are uninsured, elderly, disabled, or don’t qualify for other assistance.

There are also many Reformed and Christian Reformed churches in the New York and New Jersey area. Pat and Rich arrived at the Reformed Church in Manahawkin, New Jersey, to find congregants working with members of the local Parent-Teacher’s Associations to assemble buckets of cleaning supplies to donate to returning homeowners. World Renew DRS partners with the Reformed Church in America in disaster response across the continent.

“Pastor Phil and his wife Carol welcomed us warmly and opened their home to us overnight,” the Grasmans said. “Pastor Phil is a member of the Emergency Management Team in the Manahawkin area, and a HAM radio operator who helped get people to shelters as they were set up.” The couple continued their journey north the following morning, gathering information and ministering to Hurricane survivors they encountered along the way.

Please continue to pray for Hurricane Sandy survivors as they struggle to recover in the coming weeks and months. Two additional storms and cold weather are expected later this week. Also pray for the Grasmans and other World Renew DRS volunteers who give their time, energy, and skills to help survivors, and thank God for churches, pastors, and individuals who are selflessly helping others in the name of Christ despite their own losses.

Please give today to help Hurricane Sandy survivors through World Renew’s Hurricanes 2012 Response.

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