Your Daily Dish

Feeding Outrageous to you Daily

Hide Advertisement
  • Animals
    • Farm
    • Pets
    • Zoo
    • Wildlife
  • Family
    • Grandparents
    • Kids
    • Parents
  • Health
    • Exercise
    • Food
    • Medical
  • Humor
  • Lifestyle
    • News
    • Science & Tech
    • Travel
  • Videos
Site logo
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
News

Airbnb Opens Its Doors to Hurricane Matthew Evacuees for Free

By Robin Milling 3 min read
  • # Airbnb
  • # disaster relief
  • # Florida
Advertisement - Continue reading below
Source: Airbnb.com
Source: Airbnb.com

In anticipation of the fury of Hurricane Matthew whipping its way through the Caribbean on Thursday, with its 145 mph winds hitting the southern Atlantic coast millions of people were urged to evacuate their homes – for those living in the coastal areas it was mandatory. The hurricane devastated parts of the Southeast U.S. from Florida to the Carolinas with record-breaking flooding.

The devastation to people’s homes left them uninhabitable and many have had to seek shelter in homes and apartments that are not designated as standard disaster relief.

Source: CNN.com
Source: CNN.com
Advertisement

Airbnb has put out the welcome mat and opened its doors, offering over 3,000 accommodations in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina to Hurricane Matthew evacuees – absolutely free. Hosts have responded to the crisis by offering housing to displaced homeowners and relief workers deployed to help. In order to participate in the program, the homes must not be in the path of the dangerous storm and allow guests to stay with them rent free until they get the all-clear that the danger has passed. South Carolina predicts October 11, Florida anticipates October 12 and Georgia the 13th for residents to safely return.

It’s favorable news for Airbnb, which has been in the eye of the media storm for not properly vetting its hosts in the past.

Airbnb set up this emergency housing as part of their Disaster Response service, which began in 2013 when Hurricane Sandy hit New York a year earlier. About 1,400 New York Airbnb hosts came to the aid of hurricane victims of their own accord. Since then the organization enforced the program during an emergency, taking it upon themselves to email local hosts with information about how to help and how to offer their extra space to affected community members. Their disaster response tool makes it easy for hosts to list their accommodations and connect with people stranded by disasters.

Source: CNN.com
Source: CNN.com

According to the website they have partnered with several government agencies, “Collaborating with regional disaster relief organizations in advance of an event allows us to reach a broader audience and help more people during the actual event. That is why we are pleased to partner with local government agencies and disaster relief organizations to help the Airbnb community and the cities prepare for local emergencies.”

Accommodations for those fleeing the storm can range from a couch to a whole villa, but in situations like these, it’s all about safety.

In a statement given to ABC News, Airbnb spokesman Nick Shapiro said, “We encourage hosts in safe, inland areas to aid in this effort by listing their available rooms or homes on the platform to help the growing number of evacuees. This is the first major hurricane threat this area has seen in years, and we are hopeful that Airbnb can help play a small part in making the evacuation process easier for residents and their families.”

Source: Airbnb Host- Tampa Bay
Source: Airbnb Host- Tampa Bay

Patrick Meier, a humanitarian technology expert who consults for the World Bank, the Australian Red Cross, and Facebook told Wired Airbnb’s humanitarian response is way ahead of other tech companies reaching out to lend a hand.  “We’ve seen time and time again how these technologies and social media platforms have been used in disasters. It saves lives and helps restore livelihoods and so on. But only Airbnb has hired a full-time disaster response person who understands our information needs, the pressures we’re under, how we work as an international humanitarian community.”

Since the program began, Airbnb hosts have helped house people displaced by more than 20 disasters, ranging from flooding in Louisiana to earthquakes in Ecuador and Japan, to the terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels.

Of course there’s no place like home but in times of trouble staying in someone else’s home free of charge is priceless.

Advertisement - Continue reading below

Magic Becomes Reality in Newest ‘Doctor Strange’ Trailer From San Diego Comic Con
Apple
Jason Owen 1 min read

Magic Becomes Reality in Newest ‘Doctor Strange’ Trailer From San Diego Comic Con

Hilarious Viral Video Explains Why Men Never Do Laundry…or Dishes…or Anything
Trending
Jason Owen 1 min read

Hilarious Viral Video Explains Why Men Never Do Laundry…or Dishes…or Anything

New Flexible Material Can Turn Any Surface Into a Solar Panel
Lifestyle
Kenny Servera 1 min read

New Flexible Material Can Turn Any Surface Into a Solar Panel

Grandma Texts Wrong Number, Ends Up Inviting New Guest to Thanksgiving Dinner
Trending
Margo Gothelf 2 min read

Grandma Texts Wrong Number, Ends Up Inviting New Guest to Thanksgiving Dinner

Man Sits at Piano After Devastating Flood; Haunting Song He Plays Inspires Thousands
News
Jason Owen 2 min read

Man Sits at Piano After Devastating Flood; Haunting Song He Plays Inspires Thousands

Twitter Is Roasting Mike Pence for Using a Private AOL Email to Conduct State Business
Apple
Steven Lerner 2 min read

Twitter Is Roasting Mike Pence for Using a Private AOL Email to Conduct State Business

Watch What Happens When Molten Copper is Poured on a Big Mac
Trending
Lauren Boudreau 2 min read

Watch What Happens When Molten Copper is Poured on a Big Mac

Video of Massive ‘Dinosaur’ Gator Goes Viral
Wildlife
Brian Delpozo 1 min read

Video of Massive ‘Dinosaur’ Gator Goes Viral

Viral Video Shows a Man Punching a Kangaroo in an Unlikely Matchup
Trending
Margo Gothelf 2 min read

Viral Video Shows a Man Punching a Kangaroo in an Unlikely Matchup

Dog Hilariously Fails at a Game of Cups
Videos
Lauren Boudreau 1 min read

Dog Hilariously Fails at a Game of Cups

Apple Announces New Water-Resistant iPhone 7, Wireless ‘Airpods,’ and More
Apple
Brian Delpozo 4 min read

Apple Announces New Water-Resistant iPhone 7, Wireless ‘Airpods,’ and More

Key Takeaways From Pope Francis’ First Ever Papal Speech To Joint Session Of Congress
News
Jason Owen 6 min read

Key Takeaways From Pope Francis’ First Ever Papal Speech To Joint Session Of Congress

Subscribe to our newsletter

* indicates required

sidebar

ADVERTISEMENT
Latest

12-Year-Old Shuts Down Autism-Vaccines Link in Brilliant Video Demo
Apple
Jason Owen 2 min read

12-Year-Old Shuts Down Autism-Vaccines Link in Brilliant Video Demo

Omar Sharif Dies At Age 83 – As Celebrity Support Pours In
Entertainment
Sara Wilkins 1 min read

Omar Sharif Dies At Age 83 – As Celebrity Support Pours In

Bob Dylan Not Attending Nobel Prize Ceremony
Apple
Sara Wilkins 2 min read

Bob Dylan Not Attending Nobel Prize Ceremony

Subscribe to our newsletter

* indicates required
ADVERTISEMENT

sidebar-alt

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • For Advertisers