Gulf Coast Disaster Readiness is dedicated to collaborating with congregations, organizations and small businesses along the Upper Texas Gulf Coast that recognize the importance of preparing for natural disasters before they occur. We empower our Associate Members to support individuals, families, and communities affected by disasters by planning their response ahead of time. Our three core resilience strategies—recovering faster, recovering more effectively, and preventing damage—guide our commitment to building resilience and helping our communities bravely endure the challenges associated with living on the Gulf Coast.

All Faiths

We believe that a community is strongest when it collaborates. We encourage all faiths to work together, along with secular partners, to assist others during their most difficult times.

Planning

Time is precious when a disaster strikes, so it is important to consider how a congregation, organization or small business will respond, what they will do, and who will make decisions.  It is important to put that plan in writing.

Preparing

We provide strategies for recruiting and training response team leaders and members before a disaster so they can deploy quickly. We outline the necessary tools and supplies for a response team, including what needs to be purchased, what can be stored, and what can be borrowed. Sometimes, the training we provide can be utilized by an individual to address their own needs, as well as the needs of their neighbors and family. GC-DR does not require a coordinated response. The mission is to expedite relief and recovery, which can be accomplished in one home or a hundred homes.

Flexibility

Based on FEMA’s National Risk Index, residents of Harris County are exposed to more risks than 99.97% of the counties in the US. Only Los Angeles County has a higher risk level. The predominant risks in Harris County are related to hurricanes, tornadoes, and flooding, and these are the primary focus of our training.

All Response is Local

We encourage our Associate Members to plan their response in concentric circles. First, they should focus on their own leadership, first responders, response team leaders, and the most vulnerable members of their congregation, organization or small business. This will help build capacity for the second circle, which involves reaching out to the Associate Member’s members/staff then reaching out to the immediate community. Again, we rely on you to  know your community and the specific needs. Lastly, GC-DR will assist our Associate Members who wish to serve others by sharing unmet needs in other communities.

Independence

We encourage Associate Members to deploy whenever there is a need and to partner with others as necessary. There is no need to seek permission or guidance from GC-DR to deploy. Frankly, we do not want limits on our bandwidth to delay any response. Partnering with other GC-DR Associate Members is easy because we have all been trained on the same processes and to the same standards.

Scalable

Our model works when one or two homes are damaged and one Associate Member responds, when several homes are damaged and Associate Members respond, and when there is a larger disaster and multiple Associate Members respond. GC-DR Associate Members have confidence in their ability to respond because they have the right training, skills, and resources to help.

Spontaneous Volunteers 

In any disaster, many volunteers have not received training before the disaster. We train leaders who can be the on-site experts and ensure work is done correctly and safely.

Responding

When operating in “response mode”, GC-DR provides crucial information for our Associate Members. When we reach the third level of response, addressing the community’s unmet needs, GC-DR serves as a matchmaker, connecting willing teams with identified unmet needs. Our Executive Partners and other networks all coordinate responses under their own banners, not a GC-DR banner. GC-DR does not ask that its brand to be displayed on volunteers or that volunteers identify as GC-DR