The Campus Recreation Facility as a Disaster Relief Shelter

April 05, 2011

George Brown
Director of University Recreation
University of Alabama

As Hurricane Katrina wrought damage previously unseen from a natural disaster on U.S. soil, the ensuing shelter relief efforts that local agencies and organizations put into place were evidence of the comprehensive attempts to assist those most dramatically affected by the devastation. Working in continuous concert with The University of Alabama (UA) Emergency response team and the guidance and assistance of the American Red Cross, the Student Recreation Center (SRC) served as a shelter for over 500 victims of the August/September 2005 hurricane for a period of almost 2 weeks. Key administrators and staff of UA and the American Red Cross were in early planning within 24-48 hours before the worst of the Hurricane hit the Louisiana and Mississippi gulf coasts. The SRC transformed into a medical, childcare, job placement, communication, food and housing hub within 48 hours of the worst damage from the breaking of the levees in New Orleans.
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