• Volunteers from FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance unload water for people affected by Hurricane Ike at a Houston Point of Distribution.
    Farah Lalani | 25 October 2008 | Global

    Texas Jamat comes together in the face of a massive storm

    Volunteers from FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance unload water for people affected by Hurricane Ike at a Houston Point of Distribution. Courtesy of FOCUS

On 13 September, Hurricane Ike surged through Houston with destructive force. The Ismaili Council and Focus Humanitarian Assistance established a Crisis Response Team to ensure the safety of the Jamat, while also assisting relief efforts in the wider Houston community.

Young Ismailis from the Houston area help at a Hurricane Relief centre in Arcola, Texas. Photo: Naushad Kermally Young Ismailis from the Houston area help at a Hurricane Relief centre in Arcola, Texas. Naushad Kermally

The 13th of September 2008 was far from an ordinary Saturday in Houston. Hurricane Ike, a meteorological monster almost as big as the state itself, was headed straight for the Texas Gulf Coast. It had already taken lives and caused massive destruction in Haiti, Cuba and other parts of the Caribbean.

Ike made landfall in Galveston, Texas hours before dawn as a Category 2 hurricane with 110-mile-per-hour winds. The storm surge smashed thousands of homes, flooded Galveston and other coastal areas, shattered the windows of Houston's skyscrapers, cut off electricity to more than three million people and shutdown the heart of the United States oil industry for days.

“There was widespread damage throughout the city but the Jamat did not suffer from loss of life or injury,” said Dr. Amirali Popatia, President of the Ismaili Council for Southwestern United States. Although, he added, “there has been a significant financial impact on the city and the Jamat's residences and businesses due to property damage, along with loss of income.”

Preparations ahead of the storm

In advance of the storm, the Ismaili Council for Southwestern United States and Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS) – the international emergency relief agency affiliated with the Aga Khan Development Network – set up a local Crisis Response Team. The team ensured that all members of the Jamat from areas such as Clearlake and Beaumont had complied with mandatory evacuation orders that had been issued by government authorities. Seminars were organised in Jamatkhanas to provide information to those who did not have to evacuate, but who would still be affected by the hurricane. The team also setup 24-hour help lines to provide support to the Jamat during and after the storm.

Damage from Hurricane Ike in the home of a member of the Houston Jamat. Photo: Courtesy of the Southwest USA Ismaili Youth Club Damage from Hurricane Ike in the home of a member of the Houston Jamat. Courtesy of the Southwest USA Ismaili Youth Club

The Crisis Response Team tracked every family to ensure they reached their safe destinations. Host families were arranged for those who did not have anywhere to go, and the Houston Principal Jamatkhana was transformed into a safe haven – ready to accommodate displaced families.

“We are very fortunate that at a time like this we have so many Jamati members who are willing and eager to help,” said a member of the Crisis Response Team. “We were able to find a host family for every single evacuee.”

Crisis assistance extends beyond the Jamat

FOCUS volunteers distribute food to residents of a Houston apartment complex. Photo: Courtesy of the Ismaili Council for SW USA FOCUS volunteers distribute food to residents of a Houston apartment complex. Courtesy of the Ismaili Council for SW USA

As soon as it was safe to venture outside, members of the Crisis Response Team began assessing damage to Ismaili homes and neighbourhoods, while other volunteers extended assistance beyond the Jamat into the wider community. FOCUS partnered with the Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston and the City of Houston in delivering meals, water and ice to house-bound seniors, many of whom had been stranded for days without electricity or food.

“They were happy to see us and appreciated talking to us because they lived alone and had not talked to anyone for many hours,” noted one volunteer. “While we were there, we also did a quick assessment of their emotional well-being and ensured that they were safe.”

“When we returned home, it was sad to see that much of Clearlake was damaged…trees, lights, and poles were knocked down and many people's property had been damaged,” said one Ismaili evacuee from Clearlake. “My sister has not been to school for two weeks and we are worried that she may have to change schools since hers was badly damaged.”

FOCUS also provided large capacity trucks and volunteers for the transport of food items from the Houston Food Bank. “The Mayor of Houston, Bill White, was very pleased with our volunteers, and thanked everyone for their help and active participation,” said a FOCUS staff member.

Efforts continue in the aftermath

In the days following Ike, the Crisis Response Team continued to track evacuees by telephone, and fielded calls to the help lines. Volunteers from Beaumont and Nederland joined a community effort in Bridge City to help residents remove debris from their ruined homes.

Houston Mayor Bill White with FOCUS volunteers at a Houston Distribution Center, where volunteers picked up meals, ice and water for seniors at assisted living facilities, nursing homes and for those without means of travel. Photo: Courtesy of FOCUS Houston Mayor Bill White with FOCUS volunteers at a Houston Distribution Center, where volunteers picked up meals, ice and water for seniors at assisted living facilities, nursing homes and for those without means of travel. Courtesy of FOCUS

Younger members of the Jamat were also eager to get involved – Ismaili youth clubs created hundreds of paper fans inscribed with supportive messages and important phones numbers. These were distributed at Houston Points of Distribution (POD). Others helped in a variety of ways, from cleaning debris at local parks to assisting Houstonians register online with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“Times such as this bring out the best in our community,” said Dr. Amirali Popatia, President of the Ismaili Council for Southwestern United States. “Everyone – the Council, FOCUS, the Crisis Response Team, uniformed and non uniformed volunteers – all worked together in harmony to assist the Jamat and others in the wider community.”