Team Rubicon offers free aid to flood victims in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster response organization, is providing support to St. Louis and the surrounding area in response to heavy rains that dumped over eight inches of rain in some areas.

Team Rubicon will provide site surveys, muck out homes, and remove debris in affected areas starting Tuesday. Approximately 25 Team Rubicon volunteers from various Midwest states will be working out of a Forward Operating Base in Florissant, Mo.

The volunteers are working closely with emergency management directors throughout the region. Incident commander Carl Adams says those directors have given Team Rubicon maps of the affected neighborhoods.

“If the walls are damaged, we’ll help cut the drywall out and air it out, pull the carpet out of the floors, take furniture out that’s been water soaked,” Adams says. “Help try to get them to the next phase to get their place put back together again.”

Homeowner Albert Dixon says he’s thankful Team Rubicon came to his neighborhood after having his basement completely flood on Tuesday.

“The companies that I had called were overwhelmed, so they couldn’t get to me anytime soon,” Dixon says. “It was left up to me to do it. my friends can’t do it because they’re old like me. I’m still not finished with what just happened.”

If you’re in need, Adams says to call your local emergency management director to ask for help.

The services from Team Rubicon are completely free, which Dixon says will make a huge difference for him.

“My insurance is helping, but that’s gonna run over what I got from my insurance to alleviate that problem the next time it happens,” Dixon says. “Because it’s going to happen again.”

The response from Team Rubicon is expected to last until August 10.

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