REACT Team Assist during Historic Flooding
During the night time hours on September 1, 2021 Members of Richmond County’s REACT Team #6269 quickly went into action assisting others during the Historic Flood. Three days earlier Hurricane Ida made landfall just south of New Orleans, Louisiana as a Category 4 Hurricane. After causing major wind damage to the regions and crippling the power system. After landfall Hurricane Ida turned towards the northeast as it moved across the interior of United States. After much weekend over land the once hurricane had turned into a tropical depression as it approached the New England Area from the southwest. However, a approaching cold front coming out northwest forced the tropical depression into a narrowing band of heavy rain that started to fall over the New Jersey and moved into Eastern New York. With heavy rain band setting up and continue to rain over the same area for hours quickly many places started to flooding. With in hours over 9.5″ of rain had fallen and started to flood roads, streets, and houses.
As the water started to rise, Richmond County REACT quickly began assisting others in need. Using the Broadnet GMRS Repeater System and its multiple linked repeaters a net controller in a different region that was not experiencing the flooding quickly and effectively established communication between React Members and non-members both operators on the same Repeater system. The REACT Team acted quickly and decisively to assist others in need.
Selfishly and without hesitation REACT Team Members started to assisted friends, neighbors and strangers alike, all while experience flooding in their own residencies too. Through the night constant radio contact was kept will all members while the traveled through the flood waters and provided others with assistance.
The REACT Team in Richmond County, New York, and members of REACT Intl. throughout the world are dedicated and trained volunteers that are always on standby ready to assist during a disaster or emergency.