One week after Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida, Team Rubicon is expanding its disaster response operations in the state. As of October 5, the veteran-led nonprofit’s route clearance teams had conducted 37 route clearance events, moved 6,680 cubic yards of debris, and removed 131 obstructions across the state.
As of October 5, more than 70 deaths have been attributed to Hurricane Ian and countless homes were heavily damaged or completely destroyed. At peak, 25% of the state experienced power outages during the storm; a week after the hurricane nearly 300,000 customers remained without power, according to the Florida Department of Emergency Management.
While insurance company CoreLogic estimates insured losses from Hurricane Ian to land somewhere between $28 billion and $47 billion in Florida alone, that doesn’t include the billions of dollars in uninsured losses residents in the state will also face.
One week out, roadways remain covered in debris and home owners and residents are faced with extensive damage and flooding, and the overwhelming question of where to turn as they try to recover. To assist the survivors of Hurricane Ian, Team Rubicon has been expanding operations in multiple counties in Florida.
Currently, 67 Greyshirts are deployed in Charlotte County where they are clearing debris, mucking out flooded homes, performing chainsaw operations, and tarping roofs. Another 25 Greyshirts are currently deployed to Lee County and eight are on the ground in Polk County. The veteran-led disaster response organization hopes to deploy more than 300 volunteers to Florida to assist with Hurricane Ian disaster relief over the next month.
