Hurricane Irma Program

OVERVIEW

Hurricane Irma made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with an estimated twelve inches of rain and a 10-foot storm surge on Cudjoe Key in the Florida Keys on September 10, 2017. The devastation was felt throughout the state of Florida.

• 73% of Florida homes and businesses lost power
• 65,000 structures experienced damage
• $50 million in damages were reported

Monroe and Miami-Dade Counties were the hardest with flooding, tornadoes, and sustained winds brining destruction to every community between Key West and North Miami. In April 2018, Compass 82 was awarded a FEMA-funded grant by Volunteer Florida to provide disaster case management (DCM) services to these counties.

Our first step in assisting this area was to connect and partner with local organizations such as Centro Campesino, Rebuilding Together Miami-Dade, and Habitat for Humanity (Middle and Lower Keys). Compass 82’s vast disaster experience coupled with these local entities’ specific knowledge of their communities helped to fast-track Hurricane Irma recovery efforts.

Next, Compass 82 launched an extensive case management system which oversaw the programs and staff of six separate agencies. Ongoing training and supervisor for all agencies insured all clients received a consistent level of service and support as DCM worked with them to create and execute individualized disaster recovery plans. DCMs guided families and individuals with our knowledge and expertise to ensure that all available long term recovery resources were accessed, helping thousands of residents reach a full recovery.

MAJOR INITIATIVE

HIFA

Compass 82 worked diligently with residents of Monroe and Miami-Dade Counties to assist with applications for the American Red Cross’ Hurricane Irma Financial Assistance (HIFA) program. This funding could only be accessed through a DCM, making our services vital to the clients in need of this assistance.

However, Compass 82 saw a systematic gap in an underserved populations’ ability to access the HIFA funding. In response, Compass 82 deployed a team of DCMs to three neighborhoods identified by local organizations, to hold Hurricane Irma Financial Assistance (HIFA) workshops. Many of these families had been unaware that they qualified for HIFA assistance. Following the success of Compass 82’s HIFA workshops, many Hurricane Irma survivors in both Miami-Dade and Monroe counties were considered fully recovered.

In total Compass 82, secured over $3,242,00 from the Red Cross for 661 families.

An Irma Success Story

“On September 10, 2017 our home was completely destroyed by hurricane Irma. This was our first experience with a natural disaster and we were left completely overwhelmed. It was with the assistance and guidance of Compass 82 that we have managed to make our recovery. Compass 82 helped us to make the transition when the FEMA housing program ended and we had the burden of a mortgage payment combined with a rent payment. They also provided a lot of emotional support.

We could not have made a recovery without them.

Sincerely,
Noelle Rose and Danny Kapson”