FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WZTV) — Thursday marks a somber anniversary for the Midstate. It was on this day in 2010, the area received 13 inches of rain in 48 hours. That disaster left tens of thousands without electricity and forced emergency responders to rely on small, gas generators to power disaster relief centers.
Disasters exacerbate disparities. From Hurricane Katrina to the pandemic to Hurricane Ida, food insecurity is perpetuated by New Orleans’ high rates of poverty and vulnerability to extreme weather events.
We sat down with PV Magazine to discuss the Maui wildfires, decarbonizing disaster response, and duck curve financing.
When fires devastated communities on Maui in August, we watched in horror as the news traveled across the Pacific, reports growing deadlier and more devastating by the hour. Never having been to Hawai’i, we began to strategize about how we could help.
Early this spring, a series of tornadoes devastated several communities in rural Mississippi. We joined forces with local partners requesting emergency power: Delta Health Center in Rolling Fork, the Fannie Lou Hamer Center for Change in Eupora, and the Zion Baptist Association in Winona. These hubs would go on to serve as foundations of recovery and resilience in their communities.
Tucked away in the hills of the Russian River Valley near Cloverdale, CA, the Northern Sonoma County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a shining example of effective use of cleaner energy in disaster response. The team of industrious firefighters stores, maintains, and frequently deploys one of Footprint Project’s solar trailers to emergency sites and shelters.
From FOX8 local news in New Orleans
A few months ago, long before a tropical depression that would become Hurricane Ian formed in the Caribbean, the United Methodist Committee on Relief decided to invest in resilient power solutions for their disaster response teams.
Three Sonoma County fire stations are now equipped with a new emergency response tool: mobile generators powered by the sun.