ATLANTA,GA-Indian-Americans here pooled in their resources to help several million people from Florida who were affected by Hurricane Irma that plummeted parts of the coastal state with wind speed of more than 100 miles per hour. About 120,000 Indian-Americans live in Florida, thousands of them residing in the now-dangerous zones of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and even Tampa, according to 2010 census. While a large number of...
Indian-Americans stayed inside Florida, several thousands drove out of the state and reached out to their community members in nearby Atlanta.
Given that Florida has a significant Indian-American population and a favorite destination of Indian tourists because of Disneyland, the Indian ambassador to the U.S., Navtej Sarna, rushed his New York Consul General to Atlanta to oversee the relief operation and coordinate with the local community leaders.
Led by New York Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty, Atlanta consulate officials visited several evacuee shelters housing people mainly from Tampa, Florida, to ascertain their welfare and wellbeing.
With the help of local residents, Sewa International has created a pool of houses where evacuees can stay till the time of improvement in situation in Florida.
In the forefront in assisting the people affected by Hurricane Irma, the American Telugu Association made accommodation and food arrangements for more than 600 people in the entire Atlanta area.
At least four temples in Atlanta region have opened up their doors for people fleeing from Florida.
The Hindu Temple of Atlanta in association with other major Indian organizations, including Indian Friends of Atlanta and Sewa USA, have provided boarding and lodging facilities for over 100 people. Indian Americans in and around Atlanta opened up their homes for the Florida evacuees and prepared extra meals for them. Many hoteliers have opened their unserved rooms in hotels and many changed their banquet halls into dormitories to provide shelter to victims of the Hurricane Irma.
In FL People Stay Put
MIAMI,FL-A large number of Indian-Americans in Florida decided to stay back despite officials calling for a mandatory evacuation ahead of hurricane Irma’s landfall on the coastal parts of the state.
“We have put the shutters, made all the precautions for any onslaught of the hurricane, because we have gone through these types of hurricanes every two years, so we know how to prepare,” said Vivek Swaroop, who has his own consultancy business in Fort Lauderdale, where a mandatory evacuation was ordered.
According to the 2010 census, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West palm Beach area of Florida -- has an Indian American population of more than 40,000. Swaroop said there was a lot of anxiety among Indian- Americans.
“Most of the Indian Americans that I know of, barricaded their houses with shutters and essentials. Some of them who live on the East Side, which is near the ocean, vacated,” he said.
Hotelier Danny Gaekwad said that most of the Indians are well off and live in good quality single-family homes, can easily withstand wind speed up to 120 miles per hour. Gaekwad, who himself lives in Ocala area of Florida, was busy in evacuation of some 200 campers from his campground to a hotel of his own.
Every hotel till several hundred miles out of Florida was full to their capacity, he said.
Gaekwad said Indian-American hoteliers opened up their hotels for people.
Even banquet halls were used to provide shelter to people who have left their homes. Community leader Chandra Kant Singhania, from Miami, said that most Indian Americans decided to stay in their homes and are taking all precautions to stay safe.
However, not all are stayed put with a number of Indian-Americans leaving their homes for safer places, as far as Las Vegas and New York. Chandra Kant Patel, a resident of Tampa,said,he could not leave us. Many temples and community centres have opened up for shelter. Some of the temples in Florida and other neighbouring states were conducting special prayers.
Given that Florida has a significant Indian-American population and a favorite destination of Indian tourists because of Disneyland, the Indian ambassador to the U.S., Navtej Sarna, rushed his New York Consul General to Atlanta to oversee the relief operation and coordinate with the local community leaders.
Led by New York Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty, Atlanta consulate officials visited several evacuee shelters housing people mainly from Tampa, Florida, to ascertain their welfare and wellbeing.
With the help of local residents, Sewa International has created a pool of houses where evacuees can stay till the time of improvement in situation in Florida.
In the forefront in assisting the people affected by Hurricane Irma, the American Telugu Association made accommodation and food arrangements for more than 600 people in the entire Atlanta area.
At least four temples in Atlanta region have opened up their doors for people fleeing from Florida.
The Hindu Temple of Atlanta in association with other major Indian organizations, including Indian Friends of Atlanta and Sewa USA, have provided boarding and lodging facilities for over 100 people. Indian Americans in and around Atlanta opened up their homes for the Florida evacuees and prepared extra meals for them. Many hoteliers have opened their unserved rooms in hotels and many changed their banquet halls into dormitories to provide shelter to victims of the Hurricane Irma.
In FL People Stay Put
MIAMI,FL-A large number of Indian-Americans in Florida decided to stay back despite officials calling for a mandatory evacuation ahead of hurricane Irma’s landfall on the coastal parts of the state.
“We have put the shutters, made all the precautions for any onslaught of the hurricane, because we have gone through these types of hurricanes every two years, so we know how to prepare,” said Vivek Swaroop, who has his own consultancy business in Fort Lauderdale, where a mandatory evacuation was ordered.
According to the 2010 census, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West palm Beach area of Florida -- has an Indian American population of more than 40,000. Swaroop said there was a lot of anxiety among Indian- Americans.
“Most of the Indian Americans that I know of, barricaded their houses with shutters and essentials. Some of them who live on the East Side, which is near the ocean, vacated,” he said.
Hotelier Danny Gaekwad said that most of the Indians are well off and live in good quality single-family homes, can easily withstand wind speed up to 120 miles per hour. Gaekwad, who himself lives in Ocala area of Florida, was busy in evacuation of some 200 campers from his campground to a hotel of his own.
Every hotel till several hundred miles out of Florida was full to their capacity, he said.
Gaekwad said Indian-American hoteliers opened up their hotels for people.
Even banquet halls were used to provide shelter to people who have left their homes. Community leader Chandra Kant Singhania, from Miami, said that most Indian Americans decided to stay in their homes and are taking all precautions to stay safe.
However, not all are stayed put with a number of Indian-Americans leaving their homes for safer places, as far as Las Vegas and New York. Chandra Kant Patel, a resident of Tampa,said,he could not leave us. Many temples and community centres have opened up for shelter. Some of the temples in Florida and other neighbouring states were conducting special prayers.
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