Author: duvaldisasterrecovery

Here is the NFLTRO’s concluding report which briefly details all that was accomplished thanks to your generous support. 

Established a few short months after Hurricane Irma hit northeast Florida, the NFLTRO evolved from being a collaborative for some thirty organizations working together to assist families impacted by the storm to the final safety net available to 101 families who had no means or ability to repair their severely damaged homes.  It’s called a “concluding” report because there are still a few homes in the queue for repairs which we fully expect to complete by the end of June.

Along the way many lessons were learned and while we have been lauded for our ability to grow the initiative from the “ground up,” with the wherewithal to assist a significant number of residents in such a timely fashion, had such an organization and/or process already been in place our effort could have been far more impactful sooner.  To that end I would encourage you to pay particular attention to the paragraph titled The Future of Response and Recovery so as to familiarize yourself with the good work John Sapora is leading in the establishment of a standing entity called Community Organizations Active in Disasters or “COAD.” 

Speaking of learning, I jumped into the fray of all this right on the heels of my retirement from WJCT in January of 2018.   What I brought to the table paled in comparison to those who for years, as either professionals or volunteers, have passionately given of their time and talent in the caring and support of others. As you might well expect, the first few months were most demanding as we struggled our way through the formation process. Having the ability to engage Raelyn Means as our Administrator certainly made my role going forward much easier. Throughout the report we acknowledge the many organizations and individuals who helped make this such a successful endeavor.  I want to add my personal thanks to each and every one of them as well.

Thank you again. Not only for your generosity but the expression of confidence it represented in appreciating our ability to complete this very important work. 

Michael T. Boylan

Chairman

Northeast Florida Long Term Recovery Organization

The Northeast Florida Long-Term Recovery Organization was recently recognized by the Northeast Florida Regional Council (NEFRC) with the 2020 North Florida Regional Award for Excellence in the Quality of Life Category. The NEFRC awards these honors each year to recognize the best projects and the brightest leaders in the Region.  Due to the ongoing pandemic, the awards were presented in a virtual format at a NEFRC Board of Directors meeting earlier this month.

This award is a testament to the continued collaboration among numerous partners as the NFLTRO continues to repair homes and provide families with a safe, sanitary and secure home that will withstand future impacts. Through its Unmet Needs Roundtable which is supported by numerous charitable and corporate organizations, the NFLTRO has repaired 84 homes to date at a cost exceeding $1 million. The long-term recovery organization continues to strive toward its goal of completing 100 home repair projects by June 2021.

For more information on the Regional Award for Excellence winners, please visit https://www.nefrc.org/2020-regional-awards-for-excellence.

Jacksonville, Florida – September 7, 2018 – As the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Irma’s impact on Northeast Florida approaches, community organizations throughout Duval and Nassau counties are continuing to help thousands of individuals and families who are struggling to recover from the storm.

While for most people in the community the hurricane is a distant memory, efforts by various organizations to identify the ongoing need for recovery suggest there are at least a thousand families in need of help rebuilding their homes and lives. Working together through a collaborative called the Northeast Florida Long Term Recovery Organization (NFLTRO), nonprofit and faith-based organizations and volunteers are sharing information, aligning efforts and working together to get resources and assistance to those in need. The collaborative includes nearly three dozen different agencies.

“The efforts of these organizations and individuals over the last year has been nothing short of heroic,” said Michael Boylan, Chair of the NFLTRO. “Yet they need increased community support to reach all of the families who will require help getting back on their feet.”

Identifying the families and the specifics of their needs was a first focus for the NFLTRO as the emphasis of the community shifted from hurricane relief to long-term recovery. Volunteers from World Renew Disaster Response Services were brought to the area earlier this year, going door to door in harder hit neighborhoods to help begin to assess remaining needs for long-term recovery. The assessment of damage totaled nearly $4 million and is suspected to only be a fraction of the total cost of the storm.  Some cases are concentrated in areas where flooding was severe; others are scattered throughout the county. Families in need of long-term recovery are predominantly elderly, disabled, and low-income families with children.

The impact of Hurricane Irma was more severe than any storm in recent memory. For example, there were just over 3,500 claims to FEMA in Duval County made during Hurricane Matthew in 2016; for Hurricane Irma, FEMA registered more than 112,000 claims.

For families trying to recover, the collaborative work of the NFLTRO partners can make all the difference.  “I could go on about our communications and their encouraging words and how much it meant to me,” said one homeowner in a recent email of thanks.  “I wanted someone to know how wonderfully tireless and dedicated they are to what they do.”

How to help

To donate or volunteer: Find a list of partner agencies at DuvalDisasterRecovery.org.

To become a partner agency or to list your organization’s resources in the Disaster Response & Recovery database, go to DuvalDisasterRecovery.org or call 904-748-9723.

The Northeast Florida Long Term Recovery Organization (LTRO) is a collaborative network governmental, business, faith-based and nonprofit organizations working together to assist in the recovery of individuals in Northeast Florida affected by disaster.

Hurricane Irma – September 11, 2017 – Jacksonville, FL

Purpose of the Northeast Florida LTRO

The Northeast Florida LTRO is a collaborative network of governmental, business, faith-based and nonprofit organizations working together to assist in the recovery of individuals in Northeast Florida affected by disaster.

Northeast Florida LTRO will help coordinate the long-term recovery for individuals following a disaster, and, based on resources and needs, provide additional long-term assistance to individuals affected by the disaster who do not have adequate personal resources for basic needs as a result of the disaster. This is accomplished as outlined in Article 9 Section 2 and Article 14.

Northeast Florida LTRO through its members provides spiritual, emotional, physical and financial resources to those affected by the disaster regardless of race, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, disability or religious preference.