Group quenches Haiyan relief need with water filtration

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A local Brevard County group just got back from visiting the hardest hit-area of the Philippines destroyed by a massive typhoon.

Air Mobile Ministries spent more than a week in the area, bringing water purifiers to the victims.

The group's leader told Channel Nine's Marisa Mendelson that the devastation left behind by this storm is hard to compare to any other.

Joe Hurston of Air Mobile Ministries has been helping disaster survivors for 40 years but he says the wreckage in the Philippines was unlike anything he's ever seen.

"This disaster was like a combination of a hurricane, a typhoon, tornadoes, a tsunami and a tidal surge. It was all wrapped up together," Hurston said.

After disasters like Typhoon Haiyan, Hurston said the No. 1 need is always water.

"Whether it's an earthquake, or cylone or volcano erupting -- water. You have to have water," Hurston said.

Hurston climbed aboard a plane and took 15 water purifying systems to the Philippines.

He said each one can give water to 1,000 people per day.

"And I can take the most contaminated water, raw sewage, water with bodies floating in it and make that water extremely pure," Hurston said.

The water goes through a filtration device, that contains ultraviolet and ozone. Then the water comes out clean.

"And it runs on the same electricity as a lightbulb," Hurston said.

Although Hurston saw many heartbreaking things while in the Philippines, he said his heart is full knowing he can help.

"People want to show up at a disaster and help but what do you do? What do you do? Where do you begin? And when you show up with water, you hit the target every single time," Hurston said.

WFTV