Disaster Date:09/27/2022
Arcadia, FL
Hurricanes
What Happened
Hurricane Ian struck Florida on September 27, 2022, as a Category 4 hurricane. With the wind speed of just short of a Category 5 storm, Hurricane Ian was the fifth most powerful storm to ever hit the country. This hurricane was the deadliest hurricane to strike the state of Florida since the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. Hurricane Ian caused catastrophic damage. Damage was mostly from flooding from rain and storm surge. Of course, a lot of damage was caused by the intense wind. Millions were left without power.
Volunteer in Arcadia, FLWhat MDS Is Doing
MDS volunteers will be focused on repair and rebuilding work.
Location
Arcadia is located within DeSoto County in southwest Florida. The town has a population of about 7,700 people. The climate is generally hot and humid in the summer and warm, drier in the winter. In 2004, Arcadia was heavily damaged by Hurricane Charley in which MDS also responded to the same area. Arcadia sits in the middle of Florida cowboy country, and it is a place where the Old West meets the Old South. It is also known for its peaceful orange groves, streams built for canoeing and woods made for camping.
Stories from the Field
Weekly Reports
This week we welcomed a group of 10 young people from Lancaster County, along with their two drivers who also joined our work crews. We also welcomed two year-long crew leaders, Jack Odhiambo and Inkosiinhle Ndlovu-Mathuthu, who spent the month of...
There was no fooling around in the Arcadia MDS Unit on April 1! Instead, 15 young men from southern Indiana spread out among several job sites and quickly went to work. At Mr. Smith’s home they completed the crown molding, installed door frames,...
Our time here in Arcadia is winding down for the long term volunteers. Paul and Lisa Schamback have served as project director and office manager from January 3 through March 30. Emma and Don Yoder have served as cook and assistant cook for that...