Central Texas suffered devastating flash floods over the July 4 weekend when extremely heavy rainfall flooded the Guadalupe River, causing it to rise over 26 feet in one hour. The massive flood caused over 100 fatalities and heavy damage to homes, roads, and other property. Most of the devastation occurred in Kerr County, but Tom Green, Burnet, Williamson, Travis, and Kendall counties also experienced flooding.
Along the coast of South Carolina, Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall in the early hours of July 6, causing heavy rains and rough surf. As it moved inland, it weakened to a tropical depression, but still brought significant flooding, property damage, and widespread power outages to Alamance, Durham, Chatham, Orange, Moore, and Person counties in North Carolina.
On July 8, flash flooding also occurred in and around the remote village of Ruidoso, approximately 180 miles south of Albuquerque, causing at least three fatalities and washing away entire homes.
CERF+ is connecting with local partners on the ground to learn more about the needs of local artists and offer resources to craft artists who are affected by the storms. If you are a craft artist or artisan affected, please visit our studio protector resources and submit an application for our Emergency Relief program. For any inquiries regarding the application process, please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]. We’re here to assist you every step of the way.
Disaster Recovery Resources for Artists
In addition to our Emergency Relief grant, CERF+’s Studio Protector also has resources to support artists as they begin to assess and re-enter their damaged studios, including:
• CERF+ Webinars on Readiness and Recovery for Artists
• NCAPER Arts Field Guide to Federal Disaster Relief
• Nest Climate Guides for US Makers
The Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH) provides confidential, multilingual crisis counseling and support for anyone in the U.S./territories experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters, including COVID-19. Call or text the DDH at 1-800-985-5990, 24/7, which includes a “press 2” Spanish bilingual option, to reach a trained counselor 24/7, 365-days-a-year.
Please be safe, and let us know if we can do anything to help.
Finally, for those who are able to, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. Your support directly helps craft artists in the aftermath of emergencies and disasters.
