Ready when he’s needed

Nick Clarke, a Laguna resident and Orange County Red Cross volunteer of four years, returned Sept. 3 from deployment in Lufkin, Texas, as part of the Hurricane Gustav Disaster Relief effort.

“It was a non-event for us in a way,” he said. “We anticipated a much stronger hurricane.”

Clarke is a volunteer for the Disaster Resources Human Services System, which responds to major national disasters like floods and hurricanes.

He and crew members from other Emergency Response Vehicles provide food, water and supplies to disaster victims and evacuees.

Gustav was the fourth most devastating hurricane to ever hit the U.S., according to the National Hurricane Center. The Aug. 25 tropical storm formed into a Category 3 hurricane that ripped through Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Cuba and the U.S., leaving more than 120 casualties and $20 billion in damages.

The NHC predicted Gustav would remain at Category 3 when it reached the U.S. on Sept. 1, it dwindled to a Category 1 along its northwest route through the southern states.

Clarke said the response to Gustav was an example of preemptive action on behalf of FEMA, state and local efforts.

“What we learned from Katrina is what can happen when you don’t pre-plan,” he said. “It is important to be prepared and on site before the disaster occurs.”

Clarke and his team aided about 500 evacuees who fled to Lufkin from danger zones like Baton Rouge and Houston days prior to Gustav’s estimated time of arrival.

Several churches served as shelters, where members cooked food for evacuees. Volunteers sought refuge at Harmony Hill Baptist Church, an experience Clarke said was unusual.

“We’re often away from our families two to three weeks at a time,” he said. “You never know what kind of conditions you’re going to get, but they’re usually pretty nasty in these situations.”

Clarke worked in a shelter in Dallas during Katrina Relief, and remembers it as one of his worst experiences.

“There were so many sick people and all kinds of problems.”

He said it’s important that the community understands what the Red Cross is all about, so they are inclined to help.

He said many people have the misconception that the organization is government funded.

“We’re [strictly] volunteer and funded 100% by donations. That’s why it’s so important that people donate — so that we have the funds to prevent incidents like Katrina from happening again.”

Clarke is supervisor of the Red Cross Disaster Assistance Team in South Orange County. A member of “partner services,” he serves as a liaison between government officials to coordinate efforts in the event of a large disaster. He also responds to emergencies like fires and earthquakes via the Emergency Operations Center.

He had to return home due to other obligations, while his crew was redeployed to Baton Rouge.

To learn about how you can help or to make a donation, visit www.redcross.org. It is suggested that check donations not specify a certain cause so that funds can be dispersed where there are needed most.