Alabama Baptist disaster relief teams mobilized after additional devastation surfaced from the severe weather that swept across central Alabama on and near May 7.
Many of these teams, joined by Southern Baptist Convention disaster relief teams from Florida and North and South Carolina, are working in Jefferson County.
The county is one of 31 Alabama counties declared federal disaster areas by the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA).
As of May 16 FEMA listed as federal disaster areas the Alabama counties of Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Chambers, Cherokee, Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Colbert, Coosa, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Jackson and Jefferson.
The counties of Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Macon, Madison, Marshall, Morgan, Randolph, Russell, St. Clair, Shelby, Tallapoosa, Talladega, Tuscaloosa and Walker were declared federal disaster areas as well.
Working in conjunction with the American Red Cross, Alabama disaster relief teams began mobilizing soon after the tornadoes of May 7, and more have been called in as needs become apparent, according to Tommy Puckett, director of Alabama Baptist disaster relief services through the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM).
“They’ve uncovered some pocket areas they
were not aware of at first,” Puckett said.
The Birmingham Baptist Association (BBA) feeding unit began cooking meals for victims and volunteers in the Birmingham area on the morning of May 9 and were still preparing meals on May 16.
The unit has cooked thousands of meals and the American Red Cross has delivered them off-site, Puckett said.
“We’re going to be here a while,” said Mark Lawley from his post at Huffman Baptist Church.
Lawley, who is the BBA coordinator of disaster relief, said, “We have local pockets of flooding and those are scattered out over a fairly wide area — some in Center Point, the Birmingham-Roebuck area and some in Trussville.”
Lawley said May 15 that they had three crews from North Carolina working and more crews were expected from that state soon.
Teams from Florida were also on the scene, removing furniture, appliances, carpet, Sheetrock, as well as debris and mud that the flood waters brought into houses, and sanitizing the houses where possible.
Baptist cleanup teams from Baldwin, Columbia, Walker, Etowah and East Cullman Baptist associations arrived in Jefferson County May 10 and in the days after. More associations may have since sent teams.
In addition to teams working in Alabama, Puckett said, “Two chainsaw teams from Alabama went to Jackson, Tenn., on May 10.” These were volunteers from the Tennessee River Baptist Association and the Limestone and Madison Baptist associations, which combined to form a team.
Though this was essential help, Puckett said the greatest need was and is for mud-out teams to clean and sanitize homes that were flooded.
Whether in Tennessee or Alabama the goal is to help people through their difficulties while providing help with restoring their physical environments.
“Our teams help to get the people back into a healthier environment. Floods can be the most damaging of all of the disasters,” Puckett said.
He explained that when drainage ditches, creeks or rivers overflow into buildings they can bring with them toxic substances. These present health hazards for the residents and the volunteers. Therefore, when volunteers clean and sanitize, it must be done correctly to reduce or eliminate the risks.
The Alabama Baptist disaster relief command and communications headquarters, a renovated and communications-equipped former Red Cross vehicle, was set up at Sharon Heights Baptist Church in Brookside. Its volunteers were coordinating efforts in Republic, Daisy City, Brookside, Cardiff, Graysville and Blossburg.
These areas in north Jefferson County were severely affected by flood waters, according to Liz Clayton, BBA volunteer administration coordinator and member of Hunter Street Baptist Church, Birmingham. John Hayes, site coordinator for Alabama Baptist disaster relief and a First Baptist Church, Adamsville, member, said the command and communication headquarters at Sharon Heights Church location would most likely be moved to Huffman Baptist Church during the week of May 18.
“They’ve still a lot to do over there. Some of the water in that area didn’t go as high, but when you’ve got a foot or so water in your house, you still have a lot of damage,” he said.
Mount Pisgah Baptist Church in Walker Association had minor flooding that could have been major, according to Pastor Dale Jacks. Patrick Johnson, associate pastor of Cave Spring Baptist, Huntsville, said the church escaped the area flooding there.
“We did help evacuate some of our members from their homes, which were flooded,” he said.
First Baptist Church, Huntsville, had severe flooding in its basement, which houses its fellowship hall, kitchen and some classrooms. Puckett strongly asks churches to report damage, because the extent of the damage can’t truly be known unless churches report it to him.
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