Tzu Chi and American Red Cross in
Texas Flood Relief
(Translated by Lei Sheu, Pittsburgh, PA)
On June 6, tropical storm Allison slammed
into Houston, causing serious damage in the area. Blowing for
several days, the storm caused thirty deaths and destroyed more
than 20,000 homes. Estimated damage has exceeded one billion
dollars. The Tzu Chi Texas office, working side by side with
the American Red Cross, organized volunteers to provide food
and water and to help clean up damaged hospitals and rest homes.
The storm swept twenty-eight counties in southeastern
Texas and forced eight hospitals in Houston to close temporarily.
On June 10, local TV news reported that more than fifty Tzu
Chi volunteers arrived at Hermann Children's Hospital to clean
up the hospital building. The American Red Cross, which set
up twenty-six shelters in the area, contacted Tzu Chi for help.
For a whole week, Tzu Chi sent thirty volunteers
each day to help the American Red Cross provide transportation
and deliver supplies. Tzu Chi also donated more than $20,000
worth of water, food, and local store gift certificates to victims
northeast of Houston.
On June 13, seven groups of Tzu Chi and Red
Cross volunteers went to seven disaster areas to deliver food
house by house; about 8,000 packs of food were passed out. "While
delivering food, we found that the residents in one of the apartments
were suffering badly," recalled Chen Shu-tzu, a Tzu Chi
volunteer, "Only two cars were left for more than a hundred
families in that building." One resident, Nicole, said
that since the storm, she and her family have had only crackers
and canned soup to eat. Another resident who is expecting a
baby at any time has to sleep with her one-year-old child on
the floor.
After the water receded, soaked carpets, furniture,
garbage, or even the bodies of dead animals were visible everywhere.
The victims, still in shock after the storm, recalled that the
water and electricity were totally shut down the night the storm
came. There was nothing they could do but watch the water rise
in their homes inch by inch. It was not until the next morning
that they were rescued by boats. Seeing the chaos of their houses
after the storm, they can only comment, "We're grateful
that we're all right."
