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ECHO after Hurricane Irma - Good news and Bad news

Danielle Flood September 11, 2017

Let’s start with the good news – there’s a lot of it.  Most importantly, everyone on staff with ECHO-Florida is safe!  ECHO buildings were spared any serious damage – over and over, huge trees fell right next to buildings without damaging them!  In addition, all of the animals on ECHO’s Global Farm made it through alive and, with the complete loss of electricity, ECHO’s investment in a propane-fueled backup generator for the Seed Bank is paying off.

We are SO grateful to God!  Given the intensity of the storm, this is amazing.

The bad news is real, but pales in comparison.  At least 32 major trees and bamboo clumps were snapped-off or uprooted by Irma’s winds.  Plantings in the research plots and sections of the Global Farm were shredded.  Sections of fencing were destroyed.  Power will remain out for days to come.  The costs to ECHO will likely reach $100,000.  This is a lot, but much less than we had feared!

You have been so supportive in the lead-up to this storm.  We want to thank you for praying with us and sending words of encouragement.  Here’s what we will need over the next couple of weeks:

1.Continued prayer for our staff team as they clear trees and debris, repair, and replant -- for safety (lots of chain saw work will be required!), grace-giving/receiving, and hope in the face of lost research initiatives, etc.;

2.Volunteers who can help with tree and debris removal; and,

3.Special gifts totaling $100,000 to cover the costs of responding to Hurricane Irma and enabling ECHO-Florida to quickly get re-focused on our global mission.

4.Collective expressions of thanksgiving for the “relatively” modest destruction from Hurricane Irma.  It could easily have been so much worse!

IF you want to volunteer and can get here within the next few days please e-mail Heidi at HVeres@echonet.org or go to www.echonet.org and click on “Get Involved” where you can sign-up to volunteer.  We’ll be back in touch right away.

IF you can help with our recovery from Hurricane Irma, please go to www.echonet.org, click on the “Donate” tab, “Give Now” and indicate that your gift is toward “Hurricane Irma Recovery”.

Thank you so very, very much!

David

Trees on perimeter of ECHO's Global Farm had to be cut for emergency response vehicles to pass.

Trees on perimeter of ECHO's Global Farm had to be cut for emergency response vehicles to pass.

A large tree fell on the Appropriate Technology shop

A large tree fell on the Appropriate Technology shop

Snapped power pole...it looks like we'll be without power for a while

Snapped power pole...it looks like we'll be without power for a while

A tangle of trees are down right in the middle of the Global Farm

A tangle of trees are down right in the middle of the Global Farm

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ECHO exists to reduce hunger and improve the lives of small-scale farmers worldwide.

We provide agricultural and appropriate technology training and resources to development workers in more than 165 countries.  

ECHO creates opportunities for community leaders to network with one another to share experiences, ideas and solutions.

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ECHO

Reducing Hunger, Improving Lives, Worldwide

ECHO is much more than a farm! Founded in 1981, we are an agricultural support agency to the world.  ECHO resources include a large knowledge base of specialized information, technical support based on years of experience, and an extensive seedbank focused on highly beneficial, underutilized plants.  We work to identify, validate, document and disseminate best practices in sustainable agriculture and appropriate technology. ECHO creates opportunities for community leaders to network with one another to share experiences, ideas and solutions. 

ECHO's International Headquarters | 17391 Durrance Road, North Fort Myers, FL 33917, USA

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