Hurricane Irma: Military Volunteers Come To The Rescue Of Turks And Caicos Residents

Lives have been totally devastated after Hurricane Irma struck the Turks and Caicos Islands causing widespread and catastrophic damage.

A team that harnesses the experience of military veterans to aid disaster relief missions is helping families hit by Hurricane Irma using the skills they honed in the armed forces.

Team Rubicon UK’s volunteers are providing essential aid to keep people alive while helping to clear trees that have fallen on buildings like schools.

In the Turks and Caicos, evacuation orders were issued at the beginning of September and shelters were opened.

Crucially the residents were warned of the impending hurricane in English, Creole, and Spanish via social media, radio, SMS text, and WhatsApp.

The hurricane has caused at least 101 deaths, including 44 in the Caribbean and 57 in the United States.

Team Rubicon volunteers are using water purifiers donated by Airmobile Rescue at a school being used as an emergency shelter in Turks and Caicos. In six hours, 590 litres of water can be purified.

The average person can survive for weeks without food but water is a different story. A body needs regular hydration to survive so purifying water after a disaster is life saving.

The volunteers, some former British Armed Forces, residents and members of the Mission of Hope Haiti charity repackage a shipment of food from Haiti to distribute on the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Pictures: Team Rubicon UK