Oklahoma volunteer returns home after helping victims of Hurricane Sandy

The 51-year-old Cleveland County resident recently spent 17 days leading American Red Cross volunteers from across the nation as they picked up the pieces of a state ransacked by the superstorm.

Klapp, Oklahoma Red Cross' disaster assessment manager, was flown to New Jersey to collect data that revealed which parts of the state needed food, shelter or tools to clear away the debris left by Sandy.

He used a system called reverse batch geocoding.

“We were able to do a house-by-house assessment of the damage that was done and produce reports that led others to provide the necessary relief that people needed,” Klapp said.

Klapp said the task included working 14-hour days and spending three nights in a hotel room with no power or hot water.

“Ninety percent of the state was without power,” he said. “The hurricane dumped a lot of water and did a lot of damage.”

Klapp, who volunteered to help to victims of Hurricane Isaac in August, said he was prepared for what he would encounter in New Jersey.