Catholic Charities Responds to Tornado Victims

By Linda Busetti

An Asian woman stood on the sidewalk outside what was her home on Bay Ridge Ave. before a tornado hit Brooklyn, but could not enter the row house with the red sign warning “Unsafe!” on the door.

A blue plastic tarpaulin covered the damaged roofs of about 10 homes on the north side of the block between Third and Fourth avenues.

A week after the tornado of Aug. 8, the woman, who barely spoke English, and her husband were trying to find out when they could get back into their home. He showed ID to a police officer, who was patrolling in front of the homes awaiting safety inspections. He gained access to question a building inspector who was in the process of checking out a house two doors down for an Arab family. “Have you contacted your landlord?” the inspector asked the man. The woman watching seemed bewildered. Had the Red Cross helped her? Were they living with friends? She didn’t understand. She smiled weakly and said, “I have no English.”

If it was difficult for immigrants, it was also confusing for longtime residents. Frank Turlow, who was getting an estimate on damage to his late mother’s house on 58th St. in Sunset Park, was maneuvering through the questions of insurance and liability. An uprooted tree broke up the sidewalk in front of the house. To his understanding, although the sidewalk may be the City’s property, it is the resident’s obligation to maintain the sidewalk. So, Turlow planned to have the concrete repaired to avoid injury to a neighbor and any ensuing liability.

Linda Busetti Photos 

CHARITY AT HOME: As part of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens’ response to the Aug. 8 tornado, at left, Nina Valmonte, Robert Mundy and Jason Perez, attend a meeting of local agencies at the Disaster Recovery Center in Bay Ridge, helping to coordinate assistance to residents of damaged properties such as these row houses on Bay Ridge Ave.

Where are people supposed to go for emergency assistance and information when a disaster strikes?
Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens (CCBQ) was one of several agencies that responded in Bay Ridge by offering services through a Disaster Recovery Center set up at IS 30 Mary White Ovington School at 415 Ovington Ave. through Aug. 17. Also represented were the Human Resources Administration, Department of Homeless Services, the Red Cross, the mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, the New York City Clothing Bank, Tzu Chi, New York State Department of Insurance and the Department of Buildings. Services included health and housing referrals, case management, clothing, benefits and insurance information, and translation.

CCBQ helped staff the Disaster Recovery Center and in one day caseworkers Erin Carmen and Rudys Nieves saw 15 families out of the 34 seeking assistance there.

During an Aug. 15 conference call of agencies at the DRC, CCBQ officials were advised that about 260 residences in Maspeth had suffered major flood damage from the Aug. 8 storm. The consortium moved into action to assist homeowners dealing with resulting mud and mold.

Anyone looking for assistance in Brooklyn or Queens can call the CCBQ Tornado and Flood Help Line at 718-722-6040. Residents impacted by the storm can access information and referrals for services.

CCBQ has linked with Catholic Charities USA, its umbrella agency, for disaster assistance, according to Nina Valmonte, associate director for parish and community outreach and services.

Catholic Charities continues to offer assistance to storm victims through Our Lady of Angels Human Service Center at 336 73rd St. between Third and Fourth avenues, Monday through Friday. Catholic Charities and OLA have collaborated at the site for over 20 years, said Sister Ellen Patricia Finn, O.P., associate executive director of CCBQ.

Emergency food and clothing, limited financial assistance, advocacy for disaster-related benefits and other services are available. Sister Ellen Patricia explained that they refer people to other agencies, such as the Red Cross, which arranged for temporary housing in hotels.

Federal Emergency Management Agency teams toured Brooklyn on Aug. 13 to determine if the affected neighborhoods would be declared a disaster area. Sister Ellen Patricia said there may be more benefits available to storm victims if that happens.

About 51 families – a mix of Catholics and non-Catholics, renters and homeowners – sought assistance at the Human Service Center during the week after the storm. About 20 took advantage of the emergency food pantry. Donations to re-stock the shelves would be greatly appreciated, Nieves said. To contact the Human Service Center, call 718-680-6344.

Robert Mundy, associate director of CCBQ parish and community outreach services, explained the Department of Buildings procedures for residents to get back into their homes.

Yellow signs allow “Restricted Use” of some homes – going in or out for short times – while red “Unsafe” signs are often accompanied by white notices in stern red letters “Vacate” or “Desalojo.”

Owners of homes vacated by the Department of Buildings due to storm damage have to hire a registered architect (American Institute of Architects, 718-259-0070) or a professional engineer to assess the extent of damage and provide a “remediation plan.” Then an application must be filed with the Buildings Department for the repairs and a work permit is obtained. After the work is completed, the Buildings Department inspects the building and lifts the vacate order if it is deemed safe to occupy. (For more information, call Buildings Customer Service at 212-227-4416.)

Be Prepared

Sister Ellen Patricia said the tornado was a warning that neighborhoods need to be better prepared for possible disasters such as hurricanes or coastal flooding.

She said Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish responded quickly to the tornado in Sunset Park. Jason Perez, community project director for Brooklyn West, said that shortly after the tornado struck, OLPH opened up its facilities for the people who were displaced from homes on 58th St. They offered coffee and tea and, as the day went on, brought in pizza and soda until the Red Cross arrived at 3 p.m.

CCBQ would like to see parish clusters work together on preparedness planning, she said. One project would be assembling emergency supply kits or “go bags” (see sidebar) for every home.

Nina Valmonte will coordinate the training of emergency volunteers who will be responsible for evacuation planning within parish clusters. She can be reached at 718-722-6115.

“OLPH did a phenomenal job,” Valmonte said. She hopes that every cluster will assign someone to coordinate disaster response.

Perez and Mundy agreed noting that we are now in the “hurricane season” – Aug. 1 – Nov. 1. The last “catastrophic hurricane” hit New York City in 1938, Mundy said.

Prepare a 'Go Bag'

Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens recommends that every household prepare a “Go Bag” – items needed in case of a sudden evacuation. Make sure it is ready to go at all times. Pack in a backpack or small suitcase on wheels:

Copies of important documents (insurance cards, photo IDs, proof of address) in waterproof container.

Extra set of car and house keys.

Credit and ATM cards and $50-$100 in cash.
Bottled water and nonperishable food.

Flashlight.

Battery-operated AM/FM radio and extra batteries.

Medications and their dosages.

First-aid kit.

Sturdy shoes, lightweight raingear, and mylar blanket.

Contact and meeting place information and small regional map.

Childcare supplies.