Archive for the ‘Events’ Category

NECHAMA NAMES BILL DRISCOLL JR. AS NEW DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND VOLUNTEERISM

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

Press Release

EDEN PRAIRIE, MN., Nov. 1 – NECHAMA – Jewish Response to Disaster, a voluntary organization that provides cleanup and recovery assistance to communities affected by natural disaster, has named Bill Driscoll Jr. as its new Director of Operations and Volunteerism. Driscoll brings with him six years of experience in disaster response and recovery management. Most recently, Driscoll served as the US Operations Director for All Hands Volunteers, Inc. where he led the expansion of US programs for All Hands.

“NECHAMA is extremely fortunate to have a person of Bill’s considerable skills and expertise join us as we enhance and expand our ability to help underserved survivors of natural disasters throughout the Continental U.S.,“ said NECHAMA’s Executive Director, Jim Stein. “Bill joins NECHAMA at a critical time as it continues to grow in its ability to respond to disasters and become a truly national organization.”

Driscoll said. “I am honored and excited to be a part of NECHAMA. Having partnered alongside NECHAMA, during previous disaster responses, I am keenly aware of their strong ability to engage volunteers of all faiths to make a difference in the lives of people affected by disaster.”

Driscoll, a native of Milton, MA, holds a degree in Communication from Boston College.

Flood & Tornado Update 4/11/11

Monday, April 11th, 2011

Well, spring is certainly upon us now meaning tornadoes are suddenly very prominent. There were multiple severe weather issues over the weekend in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. I had previously reported that NECHAMA was heading to Mapleton, Iowa where a tremendous amount of damage occurred. We were asked not to report until we are requested. The folks in the stricken areas are aware that NECHAMA is available as soon as they need us. We will keep you updated on potential deployments to either Iowa or Wisconsin.

This week is Severe Weather Awareness Week! Check out the Minnesota Department of Public Safety website for additional information and tips.

In flood news, the Red River in Moorhead and Fargo has crested and has been dropping since Saturday evening. As of now, the damage has been very limited and the community is not in need of our assistance. Dan Hoeft and Chad Ostlund will be in Fargo tomorrow to do some flooded structure training and we will further assess the situation. There are still some areas to the North of Fargo and Moorhead that are in danger however. Everything else in the Twin Cities area seems to be lower than originally expected.

We will keep everyone updated daily through this blog and on Facebook and Twitter.

Flood Update 4/8

Friday, April 8th, 2011

The Red River is expected to crest this weekend so until that happens, we will all be waiting to see what happens. Here are a few pictures, courtesy of Fox News, of some homes in the Moorhead area that are very close to the water and another picture of the Red River in Moorhead. As of now, these homes are still remaining dry.

http://yfrog.com/h8t1jxbj
http://yfrog.com/h8a5prtj
http://yfrog.com/h2vixrzj

Dan Hoeft, NECHAMA Operations Manager and Chad Ostlund, NECHAMA Operations Coordinator, will be heading to Fargo next Tuesday to assist in training for people in the area. They will have direct reports from the scene at that time, including pictures.

All else remains the same as of today. Stay tuned.

Flood Update 4/7

Thursday, April 7th, 2011

Not too much to report today but there are new crest levels expected in the Fargo/Moorhead areas at a height between 39-40 feet. This level is a bit lower than was previously expected. Crews have finished sandbagging in Fargo and volunteers are finishing up in Moorhead as well. This level is based on forecasts through Sunday evening.

On a lighter note, the snake that went missing from the Bronx zoo a few weeks ago has a new name. Mia – certainly makes sense to me!

Flood Update 4/6

Wednesday, April 6th, 2011

MNDOT and MSP will close both directions of the Stillwater Lift Bridge spanning the St. Croix River at 9 a.m. Friday, April 8 due to high water.
In addition today, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has declared a state of emergency for the 46 counties in Minnesota impacted by Spring flooding. What this means is that counties can receive immediate help when they ask for it and it allows the Minnesota National Guard to provide assistance in preparing for the floods.
Moorhead, MN Mayor Voxland wants to remind everyone that “this river is just as dangerous now as it was in 2009 & 1997″ when speaking about the Red River. Teams continue to sandbag and prepare in the Red River Valley right now. The river continues to rise and there is a possibility of some rain this weekend so we are hoping that this does not affect river levels.
Stay tuned for additional updates.

Flood Update 4/5

Tuesday, April 5th, 2011

Fargo and Moorhead are at the center of the flood watch currently. The Red River continues to rise and is currently at 28.32 feet. Experts are predicting it to climb to somewhere between 39 and 41 feet. The record flooding of 2009 brought it to 40.82 feet. Residents in Moorhead had sandbags delivered to their homes and neighborhoods starting this morning and efforts are continuing throughout the week to build dikes. We will keep you up to date with what is happening there.
In the Twin Cities metro area, things remain the same with second crests expected over the next week. Large ice chunks were moving quickly down the Mississippi River this morning and the thaw continues and hopefully will not cause too many problems.

Stay safe out there!