Hurricane Rita Response

Timeline

Japsper, Texas

September 20th - After monitoring the steady increase in Hurricane Rita’s strength and projected landfall it was determined that it was necessary to immediately evacuate the His Glory Search, Rescue and Aid Team Temporary headquarters in Dickinson Texas . The Director Randal Havard and Assistant Medical Chief Claudia Havard would pack up the essentials and temporarily relocate to the International Campus Headquarters in Lufkin Texas were the intensity of Hurricane Rita was projected to be less intense.

September 21st – September 24th - The Lufkin Campus and its residents prepared for Hurricane Rita making landfall with projected winds of a Category 2 Hurricane and potential tornado activity created by the hurricane. ALL Homeland Rescue Teams were up on High Alert to respond in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita.

September 22nd - After meeting with the director of His Glory SRAT the City of Lufkin Manager and Emergency Manager requested that His Glory SRAT deploy its Homeland Rescue Operations teams to the Lufkin area to provide search and rescue and in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Rita. Team Canada activated and prepared to respond to the Lufkin area.

September 24th - Hurricane Rita made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane and all His Glory S.R.A.T Homeland Rescue personnel remained on Alert but in safe locations to respond in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Rita making landfall. Once winds recede enough His Glory SRAT Homeland Rescue divison deployed a fixed wind plane to provide recon on the damage area.

At approximately 3:30 a.m. on September 24th the coast between Texas and Louisiana began taking a pounding from Rita’s Category 3 Hurricane winds, rain and storm surge. As the hurricane moved inland Angelina, Jasper, Sabine and Newton in addition to other Texas counties sustained significant damage.

September 25th - His Glory SRAT Director met with the Jasper City manager and Emergency Manager were His Glory SRAT Homeland Rescue was requested to Coordinator ALL Volunteer Search and Rescue in Jasper, Sabine, Newton and Harden Counties of Texas.

September 26th - His Glory SRAT Homeland Rescue was requested to in addition to Coordinating ALL volunteers search and rescue efforts was requested to coordinate ALL emergency food and supply distribution in Jasper, Sabine and Newton Counties of Texas. 4 U-Haul trucks from Nacogdoches Texas were brought in to move supplies to need locations through out the counties. At approximately 6:00 p.m. the Michigan 12 man Team arrived in the disaster area to assist with search and rescue and recon.