DALLAS (Dec. 19, 2018) – Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster response organization, is continuing to serve residents and communities impacted by Hurricane Michael in the Panama City, Fla. area. Team Rubicon has been providing hurricane response and recovery support in Florida since October 14.
Working in conjunction with state and local authorities, Team Rubicon volunteers have been conducting damage assessments and providing route clearance services; chainsaw and heavy equipment operations; debris removal; home muck-outs; and spontaneous volunteer management to help affected communities stabilize, recover, and get on the road to rebuilding.
To date in Florida, Team Rubicon volunteers have completed 310 work orders and contributed 48,710 work hours – assisting 824 individuals and delivering $1,405,380.92 in volunteer labor value and community cost-savings.
“Hurricane Michael struck the Florida panhandle with intensity and some of the strongest winds this area has seen in decades,” said William Porter, Manager of National Planning at Team Rubicon. “Our teams were on the ground in the immediate aftermath conducting route clearance to re-open communities for first responders, and have been serving in Florida ever since. While we have made significant progress helping impacted residents, there is still a lot of work to do. We look forward to continuing to serve those affected by this storm.”
Team Rubicon boasts an 85,000-strong, highly skilled volunteer force that helps communities stabilize and recover after a devastating disaster. Since its inception following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Team Rubicon has responded to 310 disasters, including Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.
Through a strong communications infrastructure supported by our cutting-edge technological solutions, Team Rubicon volunteers efficiently and effectively respond to natural disasters and help families return to their homes as soon as possible. By giving military veteran volunteers the opportunity to continue their service through disaster response, Team Rubicon provides them an avenue to gain a renewed sense of purpose, community, and identity.