Disaster Relief
Published:
November 16, 2021
Last updated:
March 30, 2026

Damage Beyond Repair

Disaster Relief
Published:
16 Nov 2021
Last updated:
30 Mar 2026
Key Takeaways
  • Our aim is to help families muck and gut existing structures, allowing them to rebuild the structure that they called home before a storm.
  • Demolition work requires painstaking removal and sorting of items into piles for reuse, removal, or recycling.

Our aim is to help families muck and gut existing structures, allowing them to rebuild the structure that they called home before a storm. Unfortunately, this is not always an option for some families in areas devastated by the strong wind and water of a hurricane.

When the damage is beyond repair, the only safe option is to completely demolish a structure from the top down. This allows the family to safely add a new home to the site where the former home existed.

Demolition work requires painstaking removal and sorting of items into piles for reuse, removal, or recycling. Where possible, our teams find creative ways to safely down structures with damage beyond repair and make light work of the task at hand. Check out the video below of AmeriCorps Team River 4 downing a wall in a very short amount of time!

#HurricaneIda #ida #hurricane #hurricaneida2021 #AmeriCorps #NCCC #service #volunteer #IOCC #NECHAMA

[video height="368" mp4="http://nechama.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/River-4-wall-removal.mp4"][/video]

Posts authored collectively by the NECHAMA team. NECHAMA: Jewish Response to Disaster is a leading national organization in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, guided by the Jewish value of Tikkun Olam.

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Join the Work

There are many ways to be part of NECHAMA’s mission. Whether you bring a group, volunteer as an individual, support the work financially, or partner with us, you are helping families return home and volunteering in a meaningful way.

Person wearing a blue shirt, gloves, and a blue face mask using a DEWALT cordless drill on a wall in a construction or renovation setting.

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Four people wearing blue shirts and hats using power drills on a concrete surface outdoors under a partly cloudy sky.

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Three women smiling and posing together in a construction or renovation setting wearing casual work clothes, safety goggles, and name tags reading Lucy, Rachel, and Robin.

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