Spartan Village residents receive help

NORFOLK, Va. - Floodwaters from recent heavy rains destroyed several Norfolk homes and left residents high and dry. But a week later several are stepping up to help.

"Sometimes you just have to wait be quiet and let God talk to you," Lonxena Hankins told WAVY.com.

On Thursday night Hankins saw her prayers answered.

"We're going to be able to not only put sheetrock back in your homes but we're going to also be able to give you brand new carpet and put the carpet back in your homes," said Jody Herrington, US Disaster Relief Director for Operation Blessing.

The faith-based group delivered the news to Spartan Village residents and as the blessings poured in, the thanks poured out.

"It's a God send; that's a God send," said Jerome Alston.

"This really really is a blessing," added Hankins.

Last week, residents watched nearly everything they'd worked for wash away.

Operation Blessing immediately responded, pulling out sheetrock and carpeting so the homes could dry.

"If they hadn't stepped up to the plate and the aftermath...people probably would've been killing each other," Alston.

Despite having done so much already, they felt the need to do more.

"To have people really appreciate us genuinely for what we do it makes everything we do worth it," Herrington said.

Thursday night's cookout was a chance for residents to relax and forget their troubles, if only for a moment.

"It was rough out here at the time and it's rough now but it's getting better," added Alston.

If you feel like you'd like to do something to help, Operation Blessing is looking for volunteers Monday through Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., the more volunteers they have the sooner they can restore everyone's homes.

 

Emergency response teams set up by the city of Norfolk have been put to work in the community and spent the day Thursday responding to immediate needs, while also creating a plan for longer term measures.

Emergency response teams went door to door to make contact with each of the households affected. The teams included staff from Human Services, Codes, Neighborhood Preservation, Office to End Homelessness, Public Works, and the City Manager's office.

Of the 71 units in Spartan Village, 62 were inhabited and 8 were vacant and boarded up prior to the storm, according to a city news release. Staff members attempted to talk with occupants and inspect each of the 62 inhabited homes. At 18 dwellings no one was home; efforts to contact them will continue. Of the 44 remaining units, 18 were deemed safe and 26 units had safety issues, varying from exposed water in electrical outlets, to damaged flooring and walls, to mildew growth and nauseating smells.

As a result of the contacts, two families were provided with hotel vouchers so they could move out, and eight were provided with food purchase vouchers.

The city has released these Additional Emergency/Immediate Efforts:

• Medical Attention: In the course of yesterday evening's contacts several youth were noted to have pre-existing inhalation related illnesses and at least one senior citizen required help beyond the storm related issues, and medical referrals and assistance were provided.
• Trash and Debris Removal: Public Works will continue to pick up debris and provided additional dumpster service, as always after major storms, until no longer required.
• Community Donations: The City Manager's office is assisting with volunteer and community donation programs to augment the efforts of Operation Blessing and others.
• Last Resort Fund: A small special emergency assistance fund of $15,000, to offer a program of "last resort" (when all other established human service program funding options or private options have been exhausted) is being established with guidelines to cover costs such as emergency shelter, food vouchers, immediate purchases of essential merchandise related to safety and health of families.

Interim Plan

• Building and building systems: The City plans to work with NRHA through the existing Rehabilitation Program to provide additional general fund money for modest grants and loans for hardship cases. This assistance will focus on homeowners. In the case of rental properties, the City will facilitate between landlords and tenants to have the landlords address the property concerns.

Long Term/Permanent Plan Follow Up

• Under the Revised Flood Plain Coastal Hazard Overlay Districts and New Flood Insurance Rate Maps (just adopted by City Council yesterday); this area has been determined to be in a flood zone. As such, it will be difficult to receive any federal funding for rebuilding homes.
• We reviewed our storm water systems. The system appears to have been in good working order and was just overwhelmed by the deluge of water over a very short period of time.

If you'd like to help the Spartan Village residents you may email Nikki.riddick@norfolk.gov or call 664-6510.