News & Stories
Field reports, impact stories, and updates from the communities we've helped connect.
Melissa Aftermath: If We Make It To 2026, Watch Out World
A look back at the extraordinary scale of our Hurricane Melissa response, and what it means for ITDRC's capacity heading into the new year.
Hurricane Helene: What We've Learned After a Year of Recovery
One year after Hurricane Helene, we reflect on the lessons learned from one of our most complex multi-state responses.
Ice Storm From Hell
A massive ice storm knocked out power for over 319,000 Michigan residents. ITDRC deployed satellite internet to restore communications for Greenwood Township after all other options failed.
Connect Neon
In flood-ravaged Neon, Kentucky, ITDRC supports students with technical education programs including 3D printing, coding, and drones — helping the next generation build back stronger.
Reconnecting Hope: ITDRC and AT&T
ITDRC and AT&T partnered to restore communication networks in Maui after devastating wildfires, deploying microwave technology and Cell on Light Trucks to reconnect the community.
New Disaster Response Investments Help Communities Bounce Back
Walmart unveils investments in new disaster response mobile units, including an ITDRC mobile charging station and Wi-Fi hotspot, to help communities recover from natural disasters.
The Power of Partnership: AWS and ITDRC
During Hurricane Ida, ITDRC and AWS volunteers collaborated to restore connectivity in Louisiana, demonstrating the power of partnership in disaster response.
The Key Bridge Collapse -- Through the Lens of Community Lifelines
After the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse, ITDRC provided telecommunications connectivity to stranded cargo ship crews and supported interagency communications for recovery operations.
Connecting Carbon After Deadly Wildfire
After the Eastland Complex Fire burned over 54,000 acres in Texas, ITDRC provided power and WiFi connectivity to help the small town of Carbon begin its recovery.
Emergency Call Center Helps Kentucky Rescuers Locate 167 Missing Persons
After a devastating tornado outbreak in Western Kentucky, ITDRC established an emergency call center that helped locate all 167 missing persons within five days.
A Survivor Story: How a Family Escaped the Taliban
ITDRC met an Afghan family while providing WiFi connectivity at Marine Corps Base Quantico during the Afghan resettlement efforts and heard their harrowing story of escape.
ITDRC Offers Lifeline for Virtual Disasters
When ransomware attacked the twin cities of Texarkana, ITDRC responded with over 200 laptops, servers, and expert volunteers to help the cities recover from the encryption event.
BookNook Begins New Chapter for Detroit Students
ITDRC provided tablets and laptops to Central Detroit Christian's afterschool program, enabling a literacy platform called BookNook to grow from 30 students to around 100.
Riding Out the Hurricanes
The Calcasieu Parish School Board's network team sheltered inside their data center for weeks to protect critical data during Hurricanes Laura and Delta, with ITDRC providing connectivity and technical support.
Tech Task Force Helps Quinault Nation Avoid Constitutional Crisis
ITDRC built a complete communications infrastructure in a remote forest to enable the Quinault Nation to hold their constitutionally required General Council election during the pandemic.
White Swan Organizes With Newly Connected WiFi
ITDRC volunteer Blessing Booth traveled to the Yankton Sioux Reservation in South Dakota through the projectConnect initiative, bringing WiFi connectivity that transformed community organizing and daily life.
The Show Must Go On
When the entertainment industry shut down, IT roadies from TOURtech found new purpose through ITDRC's projectConnect initiative, installing WiFi hotspots in underserved communities across America.
2020 in Review: The Year in Pictures
A look back at ITDRC's unprecedented 2020, from earthquake response in Puerto Rico to wildfire damage assessment in California, dam failures in Michigan, and WiFi hotspot installations across rural America.
More Than Books -- The Pottsboro Library
The Pottsboro Library in rural Texas transformed from a struggling institution on the brink of closure into a vital community technology hub, bridging the digital divide through ITDRC's projectConnect initiative.
Returning the Favor
After ITDRC helped save his community during Hurricane Florence, North Carolina firefighter Noah Hoffer became an ITDRC volunteer and deployed to Lake Charles after Hurricane Laura to return the favor.
Held Together By Faith, Connected by the Internet
After Hurricane Laura devastated Lake Charles, Louisiana, Christian Life Church in Vinton became a lifeline for survivors. ITDRC provided WiFi connectivity that transformed the church into a comprehensive disaster relief hub.
ITDRC Brings Communications Lifelines to MI Recovery
When catastrophic dam failures struck Michigan during the COVID-19 pandemic, ITDRC deployed volunteers to address critical communication gaps and help communities navigate the path to recovery.
Reservation Finds Future For Youth After ITDRC Connectivity
The Hoh tribe in Washington State gains internet access for the first time after eight years of waiting, as ITDRC's projectConnect initiative bridges the digital divide for tribal youth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ITDRC Works To Keep Rural America Together
In Tatums, Oklahoma -- a small farming community founded by freed Chickasaw slaves -- ITDRC and Dish Network partnered to install satellite internet at the local church, creating a homework hotspot through projectConnect.
Rural America Braces As Pandemic Peaks
As COVID-19 reaches small-town America, ITDRC provides critical technology to the Southeast Texas Regional Emergency Operations Center, enabling a call center to track infections across rural counties.
ITDRC and Merit Team Up to Help Michigan Communities
ITDRC and Merit Network form a partnership to strengthen disaster preparedness in Michigan, focusing on protecting anchor institutions like hospitals, libraries, and schools during emergencies.
Force Against the Storm
Microsoft and ITDRC's Tech Task Force partner to aid communities devastated by Hurricane Michael, deploying skilled volunteers and technology across 69 sites in Florida to reconnect survivors.
Technology After Traumatic Events: California Wildfires
ITDRC mobilized over 50 Tech Task Force volunteers to reconnect communities devastated by California's Camp Fire and Woolsey Fire, establishing recovery centers and managing wireless communications across 25 sites.
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