[aviation news]
Operation Airdrop, the nonprofit, Texas-based organization focused on providing relief by airlifting essential supplies to communities affected by natural disasters, has “boots in the air” to assist those impacted by the devastating flash floods in the Lone Star State.
Founded in 2017 in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, the organization uses volunteer pilots and privately owned aircraft to deliver vital supplies to areas where ground transport is not possible due to storm damage.
On Monday morning Russ Keith, executive director of Operation Airdrop, took to social media to thank the pilots who started bringing in supplies on Sunday to Burnet Municipal Airport (KBMQ), mustering at the Commemorative Air Force building.
Supplies are also being collected in the Dallas area at Addison Airport (KADS) at the Million Air FBO. As it was still raining, pilots were arriving IFR.
“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support,” said Matthew Brantner, director of development at Operation Airdrop. “This is a coordinated, community-driven mission to reach those who are still without basic resources, and we are committed to meeting those needs swiftly.”
Current high-priority needs are as follows:
- Chain saws
- Mops and brooms
- Clorox bleach
- Work and rubber gloves
- Sponges and rags
- Contractor trash bags
- Squeegees
- 5-gallon buckets
- General cleaning supplies
- Bug spray
- N95 masks
- Kitchen gloves
- Shovels and hand tools
- Rubber boots
- Sports drinks
The list of needed donations changes daily.
Operation Airdrop relies on volunteer pilots and drivers for ground-based transportation, and people with skills in asset allocation logistics, supply coordination, and outreach are also welcome. Financial support remains critical to sustain supply missions and logistics.
Donations can be made here.
On Monday, day two of operations began with packing up supplies to help with the recovery and rescue efforts in Kerr County, Texas, an area commonly known as the Hill Country. that was devastated by flash flooding in the early hours of the Fourth of July. The area is known for its outdoor recreation and frequent flash floods, but this event, according to state officials, was unprecedented. Heavy rains caused the water in the Guadalupe Rivers and creeks in the upper Guadalupe basin to rise as fast as 30 feet in one hour.
One of the worst-hit areas was a property known as Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp in Hunt, Texas. The flooding hit in the middle of the night when hundreds of girls and camp counselors were asleep.
As of publication time, a total of 81 people were reported dead, of which 28 are children. At this time 10 girls and one camp counselor are still missing. Over the weekend there were harrowing stories of people being rescued by boat and helicopter. Some were stranded in trees some 15 miles from where they were swept up by the floodwaters.
Video of the flooded region documents cars and houses being carried downstream by the torrent. Photographs of the area show walls made of smashed vehicles, buildings, and trees pushed high on riverbanks, strewn with clothing, household goods, and toys. Kayaks have been found in treetops.
The Camp Mystic survivors told of being woken in the middle of the night by the sounds of the water rushing into their cabins and the buildings being struck by debris in the water. Some of the structures were pushed off their foundations and carried downstream. Some girls escaped by going out the windows of the cabin as they filled with water.
Helicopters and drones, along with people on foot and horseback, continue to look for survivors.
The National Weather Service issued several warnings of “life-threatening flooding” along the Guadalupe River through alerts before the high waters hit. However, it has not been determined if low staffing levels at forecast offices affected the dissemination of the warnings or if the people who received them took them seriously.
More than one resident commented that the area is prone to flash floods, which raises the question of whether warning fatigue played into the number of people caught by surprise.To watch the mission in action, there is a recent video (below) of a relief plane arriving at Burnet Airport.
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