Volunteers from state and nationwide organizations are in Marshalltown to assist residents with damaged homes from the Aug. 10 derecho which devastated much of Iowa. Thousands of Marshalltown residents are still without power.

Groups of volunteers from Habitat for Humanity, Americorps and Team Rubicon are on the ground in Marshalltown, helping clear debris.

Team Rubicon began in 2010 after the earthquake in Haiti and is formed of military veterans and first responders. The team gets deployed to places ravaged by disasters to help homeowners and residents pick up the pieces.

“Our primary mission is to help the homeowner,” said Rich Locke, a Team Rubicon volunteer. “Help the homeowner in their worst time.”

A Team Rubicon volunteer lugs a large branch to the curb. Volunteers from around the midwest are coming to help Iowans in the aftermath of the storm.

Habitat for Humanity, Americorps and Team Rubicon volunteers worked together at a house on Woodbury Street. The house, owned by Anna and Neil Hartgrave, sustained major damage during the 2018 tornado and the derecho knocked down several trees which threatened to cause more damage to the home.

The Hartgraves are on oxygen, and they have not gotten power restored to their home. One of the trees in their backyard fell on their patio, but overall their home was relatively unscathed.

“It brought back a lot of memories from the tornado,” Anna said.

She has seen her neighbors get power. Luckily, they have been able to get oxygen refills from the hospital.

“I want to sell my house and move,” Anna said.

Team Rubicon members use an extended chainsaw to help take down a tree damaged by last week’s derecho. Volunteers from around the midwest are coming to help Iowans in the aftermath of the storm.

Seeing all of her neighbors get power while she goes without has been rough for Anna.

“We’re the ones that have health issues,” she said.

Michael Rojas, Habitat for Humanity mobile response team member out of Marshalltown, has helped Anna in the past, such as picking up the pieces after the 2018 tornado.

Rojas’ group was established after the tornado to help service the county after disasters.

“We’ve been working on tornado damaged homes,” Rojas said.

He helped repair and replace all of the windows in the Hartgrave house.

Since the derecho hit Rojas has been going back to homes and making sure people are OK. He has worked with other volunteer groups coming into Marshall County.

“We have a team of five Americorps members typically that are out,” Rojas said.

Those members teamed with Team Rubicon, which has mobilized and will have up to 20 people helping around Marshall County.

After Monday’s storm, Rojas started working with families and others doing a damage assessment.

Team Rubicon sent out a reconnaissance team late last week and as of Monday has sent out groups to help homes owners.

“Team Rubicon has a great amount of experience when it comes to disasters,” Rojas said.

They had groups of volunteers with chainsaws helping residents clear trees and debris from their yards.

Volunteers are coming from surrounding states and traveling hundreds of miles to help people in their time of need across Iowa.

Randy Carmichael, a Team Rubicon volunteer, was working with others to help take down a tree threatening Hartgrave’s home Monday afternoon.

“We were here a couple years ago, and there’s still some damage left over from that,” Carmichael said.

The devastation seems typical to Carmichael.

“It’s bad, but it’s worse for the homeowner,” he said. “It’s their worst day regardless of the amount of damage.”

Team Rubicon and the other volunteers plan to stay there until “We run out of people or run out of work,” Carmichael said.

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Contact Thomas Nelson at 641-753-6611 or tnelson@timesrepublican.com