The Value of Disaster Response

Economists have determined that the work of Disaster Relief (DR) volunteers is worth $28 per hour. 

This is important because each county can include DR hours into their total loss for reimbursement from government emergency declaration grants. Ohio DR does not receive any of the grant money. 

However, the value of Disaster Relief is worth much more to the people DR helps.

In August Ohio DR deployed multiple teams to the Cleveland area after four tornadoes tore through Bay Village and northeast to Euclid. Deployed DR teams included the feeding unit, chainsaw recovery unit, chaplains, assessors, shower unit, incident command, and a heavy equipment unit from Kentucky DR.

While in Bay Village we met Mike and Susan. Their property took a direct hit from one of the tornadoes and the damage was extensive. 

On Sunday I met with Susan to assess the damage and determine if we could help. The damage was so extensive I wasn’t sure we could help, but I wrote up a work order and let her know that if we had time, we would do as much as we could.

Ohio DR volunteers completed more work that week in Cleveland than we ever thought we could.  That level of completion would not have been possible had it not been for Kentucky DR loaning us a wheeled loader and an operator. 

The wheeled loader, affectionately known as “Kermit,” has the capacity to lift 2000 pounds and requires less physical labor from our volunteers.

Our team moved so much debris with the loader, that one county worker who was picking up the wood debris we moved to the street in Brook Park, asked, “When are you guys going home?” 

On Thursday afternoon we returned to the home of Susan and Mike. They had received estimates from commercial tree companies to remove the trees and brush for $30,000 and their insurance was only going to cover $3,000. With most commercial insurance, if a tree hasn’t fallen on your house or out building, insurance will not cover the cost of removal.

The team got to work cutting their way through limbs and tree trunks. While they were working to clear the yard, Mike came home early. As he watched the team clearing his yard bit by bit, DR Chaplain Terry Smith struck up a conversation with Mike. He shared that during 2024 one of his sisters had passed away and the other had back surgery and was paralyzed. 

Mike grew up Catholic and said that experience turned him off to religion and to God. But through his conversation with Terry and the work of the Holy Spirit, Mike determined that it was time to let all that go and turn his life over to Jesus.

Mike prayed to receive Christ in his driveway standing next to the DR chainsaw trailer

Mike prayed to receive Christ in his driveway standing next to the DR chainsaw trailer. Mike’s assignment was to tell his wife, who was Baptist and has been trying to get Mike to go to church.     

The value of the work completed by Ohio DR at Mike and Susan’s house was enormous. The team completed so much work in one afternoon that the $30,000 bill decreased to less than $5000.

The value of Mike’s profession of faith and new life in Christ is priceless.

Thank you so much for supporting the work of Ohio Disaster Relief. It takes all of us volunteering, praying, and funding this work so more people like Mike can experience the value of a life changed through Jesus Christ.