As Hurricane Irene swirled toward the East Coast with heavy rains whipped by 110 mph winds at press time, its potential to produce disastrous property damage prompted a deluge of news reports and a constant hum across social media.
In the midst of this slowly developing potential disaster, Baptist relief agencies were moving response teams into position near enough to be there quickly but far enough to be safe as the storm passes.
Disaster relief teams have been put on alert, and several churches have been identified as response sites, said Dean Miller, who leads Virginia Baptist disaster-response efforts.
Mel Johnson, disaster relief strategist for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, said state disaster relief directors were planning to remain in constant contact over the Aug. 27–28 weekend as state and national authorities and relief agencies prepared for Irene’s impact.
“As many as 12 states and six state Baptist conventions lie in the path of a potential impact zone,” he said at press time. “Coupled with the hurricane force of wind will be the added element of storm surge and heavy rainfall. Some forecasters are predicting a potential rainfall that may yield as much as 15 to 20 inches.
“The threat of flooding and wind damage will result in mass evacuations from coastal communities,” Johnson said. “State conventions (have) joined together in preparation and coordination for Irene’s landfall. Feeding units, chain saw units, chaplains and additional Alabama resources are at the ready to assist our neighbors, many of which responded to help us earlier this year.”
On a wider scale, Hurricane Irene already has blasted through the Caribbean and Paul Montacute, director of Baptist World Aid for the Baptist World Alliance, as of Aug. 26 was waiting to hear from member churches about damages.
Irene passed mostly north and, apart from the Bahamas, the Caribbean was “not badly hit,” he said.
As North Americans are consumed with the relentless movement of Irene toward the coast, Baptist World Aid, working through member conventions and churches, is still active in the Horn of Africa, where food shortage
puts people “in dire need” (see story, page 16). (ABP, TAB)
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