Hurricane Beryl made landfall July 8 near Matagorda, Texas, as a Category 1 hurricane with 80 mph winds after wreaking havoc in the Caribbean as a Category 5 storm, where it claimed the lives of at least 12 people. Southern Baptist Disaster Relief and Send Relief are helping survivors.
“Send Relief has been assessing the needs in the Caribbean and Mexico through our partners on the ground,” Coy Webb, crisis response director for Send Relief, told Baptist Press. “Leaders with Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams in Texas have also deployed resources near areas of greatest impact.”
Teams from Texas, Illinois, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, South Carolina and other states are helping those dealing with the aftermath of the storm that ripped across the center of the country.
“Already this year, SBDR has been active in responding to what has been a significant year for tornadoes and wildfires through the U.S.,” said Webb. “Send Relief has supported SBDR’s efforts with funding and other resources, and we’re preparing for this year’s hurricane season as volunteers gear up to do what they do best: offer help and hope in Jesus’s name.”
Hurricane season officially begins June 1 and runs to Nov. 30 every year.
When Beryl strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane, though, it set the record as the earliest storm to reach that intensity, a potential forecast of what experts expect to be an overly active hurricane season this year.
“South Carolina Baptist Disaster Relief units are always ready to respond to disasters here and in other states,” said Sue Harmon, operations manager for SCBaptist Disaster Relief.
In Iowa, relentless rains in late June surged river levels to record-breaking heights, breached levees, and impacted thousands of homes. Mud-out units from South Carolina were deployed to give families help and hope in the town of Spencer, northwest of Des Moines.
Hurricane Beryl caused tree damage and flooding in Texas, and SCBDR volunteers have been asked to send chainsaw units to Huffman on the northeast side of Houston.
“We put the word out to our unit leaders, and those who are able to pull teams together will go,” Harmon told The Baptist Courier July 15.
It’s already been a busy year for South Carolina Disaster Relief.
Two SCBDR chainsaw teams — Kershaw and Columbia Metro associations — went to Oklahoma to help with tornado cleanup in early June. A Waccamaw Association chainsaw unit went to Kentucky for tornado clean-up, followed by the Rebuild unit, Harmon said.
Closer to home, in the past few months chainsaw units have helped residents after severe storms in Rock Hill, Anderson, and Summerville.
“Disaster Relief volunteers are trained in advance so that they can work safely and effectively to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of disaster survivors,” Harmon said. “SCBaptist Disaster Relief offers a statewide training event every six months.”
Send Relief also provides resources to local churches to help them better serve their communities following a disaster. Send Relief recently launched a virtual course — “How to be a Disaster-Ready Church.” The resource offers insight into how best to connect with local partners to prepare for disaster and gives churches the opportunity for their volunteers to receive training.
— Brandon Elrod writes for the North American Mission Board. Todd Deaton is chief operating officer for The Baptist Courier.