As floodwaters recede, Baptist relief efforts mount

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — With floodwaters finally receding, 28 Southern Baptist mud-out, feeding, shower and laundry disaster relief units are on site or en route to help people impacted in flood-­ravaged Kansas and Oklahoma.
In addition, the North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) disaster operations center in Alpharetta, Ga., is helping volunteers in the field manage and coordinate requests for assistance in the two hard-hit states. “The rain has backed off significantly in the last few days. The water is dropping and we can finally get into the affected areas,” said Mickey Caison, NAMB’s director for adult volunteer mobilization.

Kansas is still in need of mud-out units, with up to 400 homes in Coffeeville alone putting in requests for cleanup assistance. Another 200 homes in Neodesha are now ready for mud-out crews, while as many as 625 living units are affected in Osawatomie, Kan.

According to disaster operations center statistics for Kansas and Oklahoma, nearly 24,000 meals have been prepared and served to flood victims and disaster relief volunteers. The 12 states responding to the disaster operations center’s call for help so far include Kentucky, Mississippi, Illinois, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Arkansas, Alabama, New Mexico, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Missouri and Indiana.