Harvey Flood Relief in Texas

IsraAID has been working in Houston since Hurricane Harvey hit last year. As part of IsraAID’s ongoing response effort, we’ve dedicated ourselves in Houston and Harris County to a project helping to identify vulnerable populations and higher risk communities/households, as a priority for recovery and preparedness.

Using relevant and updated data regarding households in a community can lead to a more efficient, cost-effective and larger-scale recovery.

Two communities have been identified to be part of our pilot project, Gold Meadows in Houstonand Parkway Forest Home Association in Sheldon ISD, which is part of Harris County.

In the coming months, teams of data collectors, both from the community and outside of it, will conduct a social vulnerability assessment as developed by Tulane University and IsraAID. This assessment will feed-in to a larger model interlaying environmental hazards and physical structure vulnerability with the social vulnerability assessment, allowing us to assess vulnerability overall on a household-level.

This model will also paint a picture of a community resilience as a whole and help us to identify the gaps we have to address in order to increase it.

Building the capacity of the community to prepare and respond to events is a key element in community resilience. Once data collection and mapping are complete (around October), the situational analysis can direct plans and activities for future disasters.

These include pre-impact activities that establish a state of readiness to respond to an extreme event that could affect the community, which will be facilitated by IsraAID and local actors. In addition, the complete mapping would play a pivotal role in post-disaster activities as well.

We’re committed to building the strength and resilience of communities affected by Hurricane Harvey as they rebuild and grow. Thank you for your support!