Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa Deploys Crew for Derecho Clean-up in Iowa
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In partnership with Volunteer Iowa and AmeriCorps Disaster Response Teams (A-DRT) Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa deployed a crew of five AmeriCorps members at the end of September to Cedar Rapids, Iowa and the greater Linn County. The Conservation Corps crew is serving a 30-day disaster deployment in response to the derecho, or “land hurricane”, that hit Iowa and other Midwestern states in August. The derecho had sustained winds for 35-40 minutes, which devastated trees, crops, buildings, and utilities in its path. Crew members are clearing downed and hazardous trees from impacted neighborhoods.
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Iowa Rivers Crew Leader, Calvin, is serving as the Chief Operations Officer – second in command – during this disaster deployment. “As the Chief Operations Officer I am in charge of organizing and scheduling out where each crew is going every day. I oversee and manage the overall well-being of not only Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa, but every AmeriCorps crew that is working under the mission assignment. I also implement strategies on how to get work orders completed efficiently,” explains Calvin.
According to Volunteer Iowa, there are currently 5 A-DRT teams, with a total of 31 members, based in Iowa, with work focused mainly in Linn County. Since they have been on the ground, through October 5, these A-DRT teams, including the Iowa Rivers crew, have:
- Served a total of 2,768.5 hours
- Cleared 1,851 cubic yards of debris
- Performed 47 damage assessments
- Removed 121 hazard trees
- Performed 82 wellness and safety checks
The Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa crew and other A-DRT teams are scheduled to remain in Linn County, Iowa through October 28, 2020.