Monroe County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (MoCOAD) announces that services may be available to individuals who sustained damage after the flash flooding of December 21, 2013.
At present, the Monroe County Chapter of the American Red Cross has 16 open cases ranging from major to mostly minor flooding in Ellettsville, Stinesville, and Bloomington neighborhoods. Most needs so far are for temporary shelter, assistance with security deposits and other relocation needs, or replacement of damaged and uninsured household items. Relief agencies have spent $8,000 so far, with more needs still outstanding. Help may also be available for cleanup, assistance for pets, case management of long term needs, and mold mitigation, which will become a significant issue for many of these families.
Anyone needing help who has not yet contacted a county agency can call the Monroe County Red Cross at (812) 332-7292. Additionally, the Salvation Army has furniture, appliances and clothing available to any affected families.
Anyone wishing to help should take non-cash donations of furniture, appliances, household items and clothing to the Salvation Army of Bloomington, designating them for local flood relief. Any monetary gifts can be sent to the United Way of Monroe County at 431 S. College Ave., Bloomington, Ind., with a notation that the gift is for the Flood Recovery Fund.
The mission of Monroe County Community Organizations Active in Disaster is to enhance the county’s ability to mitigate, prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from large-scale disasters. This is accomplished through communication, education, and resource coordination among the county’s government agencies and social service and disaster relief organizations.
For further information, contact Beth Gazley, MoCOAD’s communications coordinator, at (812) 855-1464 or visit www.monroecountycoad.org.