Utah Conservation Corps Deploys Disaster Response Crews to North Carolina

Seventeen AmeriCorps members from the Utah Conservation Corps (UCC) from Utah State University deployed to North Carolina on October 19 to join ongoing disaster recovery efforts following Hurricane Florence, at the request of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that administers the AmeriCorps program.  

The UCC crew will be stationed in Rose Hill, North Carolina, where they will work alongside AmeriCorps Disaster Response Teams from around the country to lead muck-and-gut operations in Duplin, Jones, Onslow, and Pender counties. The team from UCC join more than 500 AmeriCorps members who have deployed to Hurricanes Florence and Michael response and recovery efforts in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida.  

As a member of the AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team, UCC is expertly trained to provide support for shelter operations, call centers, volunteer and donation management, muck and gut operations, blue-roof tarping, and debris cleanup, among other services. UCC has previously deployed to Texas after Hurricane Harvey, New York after Hurricane Sandy, and Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina.  

“Utah Conservation Corps is thrilled to be on the ground setting up operations for Hurricane Florence recovery,” said Chris Pruden, the UCC Operation Chief heading up the response work. 

Over the past year the UCC has responded to disasters Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico as an A-DRT team. The UCC sent a total of 48 AmeriCorps members and six staff members on these deployments that mucked and gutted 26 homes, suppressed mold in 16 homes, assessed 151 homes, tarped 51 homes, repaired 27 homes. removed 2,641 cubric yards of debris, removed 45 hazard trees, and completed a total of 117 work orders. 

The UCC, based out of USU’s Center for Civic Engagement and Service-Learning, was formed in 2001 with a mission to develop the conservation leaders of tomorrow through service and education. Since 2001, more than 1,400 UCC AmeriCorps members have served over one million hours creating or maintaining 3,442 miles of trail and 425 miles of fence, restoring 41,653 acres of public land and reaching 332,250 students with environmental education. 

More information on UCC can be found at http://www.usu.edu/ucc.