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How a stolen cat named Dundee brought a wildfire-ravaged community together in Paradise, California
In the town of Paradise, California, a place familiar with tragedy, the story of a stolen cat named Dundee has become a symbol of resilience and community spirit.
The small town was devastated by the deadliest wildfire in California’s history in 2018, which claimed 85 lives and destroyed thousands of homes.
Despite experiencing significant loss during the Camp Fire, the people of Paradise rallied together when Susan Heffernan’s truck was stolen. Inside the truck was her loyal companion, Dundee, a feral cat, who was visiting a vet.
“It was just so quick, off they both went,” said Heffernan.
Dundee was not just any cat; he had been by Heffernan’s side since she rescued him six years ago, surviving the fire’s destruction together. She lost almost 1,200 acres to the fire.
The community’s response was immediate. Pamela Bezley, known for her dedication to feeding feral cats, was among the first to act, searching a homeless camp in Chico after receiving a tip.
Tara Ramelli, Jocelyn Dunning and Carol Curtis quickly joined what became known as “Team Dundee,” spreading the word online and scouring the area for any sign of the stolen truck or Dundee.
“In the process, everybody was out searching. Pam was going back with her connections that she made at the homeless camp. Jocelyn was helping Susie, you know, drive around because we were getting calls that possibly it was Dundee,” said Ramelli.
Police found the truck, 20 miles from where it was stolen. Inside the truck were medications that Dundee needed but no Dundee.
Ramelli offered a $500 reward, and more people responded to the post.
“One fellow put on Facebook that he would give a thousand dollars of his own money,” said Ramelli.
The momentum, and even offers of money, kept on. Bezley kept searching those encampments.
Their efforts paid off four days later when they received a call from a woman claiming she had Dundee. The reunion was emotional, with Dundee purring as soon as he was back in Heffernan’s arms.
Dundee is home again with Heffernan. Team Dundee agreed the money that came in should pay for food so Bezley could feed more feral cats. And for this place that has survived the deadliest wildfire in state history, “Team Dundee” is not going away. It has become more than just a search party; it represents the enduring spirit of Paradise, a community that, despite the massive wildfire, continues to showcase immense character and unity.
“I think ‘Team Dundee’ probably came about long before Dundee got lost. I mean, there’s always going to be certain members of a community that have a purpose for whatever it might be,” said Curtis.
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FEMA administrator: “I don’t know that anybody could be fully prepared for the amount of flooding” from Helene in North Carolina
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said on Sunday that the “historic flooding” in North Carolina from the remnants of Hurricane Helene has gone beyond what anyone could have planned for in the area.
“I don’t know that anybody could be fully prepared for the amount of flooding and landslides that they are experiencing right now,” Criswell said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
Helene made landfall in Florida as a powerful Category 4 storm late Thursday, before sweeping through states in the southeast. Criswell called the storm “a true multi-state event,” adding that her team on the ground has seen “significant impacts in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee.”
Asheville, North Carolina, was particularly hard hit as rising floodwaters damaged roads, led to power outages and cut off cellphone service.
For North Carolina in particular, Criswell said the agency has had teams in the area for several days and is sending more search and rescue teams. She said water remains a “big concern,” and the Army Corps of Engineers is working to see what can be done to get water systems back online. And she noted that the agency is also working to bring in satellite communications.
“We’re hearing significant infrastructure damage to water systems, communication, roads, critical transportation routes, as well as several homes that have been just destroyed by this,” Criswell said. “So this is going to be a really complicated recovery in each of these five states that have had these impacts.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has received reports of multiple fatalities across five states, Criswell said. She encouraged people in the affected areas who are looking for someone to call 211 and register the information.
Criswell said in Florida, there was up to 15 feet of storm surge in Taylor County, where she traveled to at the direction of President Biden, adding that there are record storm surges across the Big Bend area. She said in North Carolina, “we’re still in active search and rescue mode,” with ongoing flooding issues and landslides. The administrator will travel to Georgia and North Carolina to assess the impact of the hurricane in the coming days.
In terms of resources for the affected states, Criswell said “we absolutely have enough resources from across the federal family” and can draw from other federal agencies to support the response and recovery.
“We will continue to bring those resources in to help them,” Criswell said. “We want to work with them to rebuild in a way that’s going to help make them more resilient and reduce the impacts from the increased number of storms that they’re experiencing.”
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