MDC Inc., a nonprofit organization in North Carolina, has partnered with The Community Foundation of South Alabama (CFSA) to deliver an emergency preparedness program targeting the Asian communities (Cambodian, Laotian, Thai and Vietnamese) in south Mobile County. Repetitive hurricanes and coastal flooding plague this rural community which has a large concentrated Asian population that works primarily in the coastal fisheries industries.

The project focus was to identify Asian community leaders as points of contact for emergency management organizations, link them to traditional recovery resources, and help them prepare for future disasters. 

A large number of the Asian Americans have limited proficiency with the English language. This language barrier reduces their ability to seek assistance during and after disasters. MDC and CFSA are working to ensure the Asian communities have emergency preparedness information translated into their native language. EMA has trained community leaders to use Reverse 911 to disseminate emergency information in Asian languages to community members. Weather radios will be distributed to community leaders so they can tune in for disaster information.

The partners have worked with FEMA, state, county and local emergency management associations to establish mobile disaster recovery centers to help the Asian population receive disaster assistance. An additional pickup location has been added in Bayou La Batre near Asian communities where transportation is provided to a safer location out of the path of the hurricane. Plus, a distribution center is being constructed near the Cambodian temple to provide water, ice, food and other available resources to the community immediately following a disaster.

The grant award will benefit everyone in the Asian population by assisting with the development of the much needed infrastructure and emergency preparedness planning that is so crucial to the health and safety of the community.

April 2009