Tropical Storm Rachel brought flooding and heavy damage to Maneadero, just south of Ensenada. Amy Carnall shares how local pastors and partners are coming together and how you can help families rebuild.
The sign on the gate is handwritten:
“Casa Hogar. Los niños estamos en la casa de las mujeres (aquí arriba). Gracias.” The children are at the women’s house, just up here. Thank you.
On the weekend of October 10, Tropical Storm Rachel brought two days of heavy rain to Baja California. Flooding hit all of Ensenada, but Maneadero and the communities just south of it were hit hardest, with flash floods from the hills and storm surge from the ocean.
When the water came down on this children’s home, every caregiver I spoke with told me the same story. One moment they thought everything was okay. The next, they were running for their lives. They got all 22 kids, 10 children and 12 teens, out through a window and up to high ground. Most of the home washed away. Two families who lived just below it died in the flood, and their houses were swept away with them. We grieve with this community.
But that is never the whole story here. The caregivers also told me this: God has provided for 26 years. When this home was built, it was built piece by piece, in faith. Today the kids are safe with the women’s shelter across the street, and the military and the government have helped clear the land.
That same faith is at work all across Maneadero. Pastor Leal and his young church in El Salitral were already helping their neighbors. Pastor Leal knows these streets and these families, and he is bringing other local pastors together to identify the families most in need. Through our partnership with Convoy of Hope, families are receiving food, hygiene supplies and kits to tarp their roofs. Local churches lead, Convoy of Hope provides relief, and Amoveo supports with logistics and long-term rebuilding.
But a tarp isn’t a roof. Basic roof and structural repairs cost $1,100 to $3,300 per house. Relief helps a family get through the first week. Recovery is what lets them stay home.
Everyone has a part to play. Local churches are leading, Convoy of Hope is bringing relief, and we’re walking alongside them with logistics, carefu, and the long-term work of rebuilding.
But a tarp isn’t a roof. Rebuilding is the longer work, and it’s where we need your help. We estimate basic roof and structural repair at $1,100 to $3,300 per house. Relief helps a family get through the first week. Recovery is what lets them stay home.
These are neighbors helping neighbors, and every repair is coordinated by local churches who know these families. Will you help a family in Maneadero get back under a safe roof?
Amy Carnall
