Hurricane Gustav, the first major storm system to send thousands of evacuees running toward Alabama since 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, had state emergency responders scurrying into action Aug. 29.
And for one week, responders, including hundreds of Alabama Baptist disaster relief volunteers, worked around the clock to care for the more than 12,000 evacuees who took up residence across the state.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Gustav made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane around 10 a.m. Sept. 1 near Cocodrie, La., about 70 miles southwest of New Orleans. The storm, packing 110 mph winds, continued its northwestern track into central Louisiana at about 15 miles per hour.
Initial reports indicated that both wind damage and storm surge were less than originally feared. Earlier weather forecasters predicted that Gustav would make landfall as a Category 4 hurricane and bring a storm surge 13 to 18 feet above normal. Instead, Gustav weakened Aug. 31 to a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds at about 115 mph and dropped to a Category 2 storm just before landfall.
An estimated 2 million people left Louisiana in anticipation of the storm. By Sept. 5, everyone was allowed back in the state.
At press time, damage estimates were ranging from $2 billion to $10 billion. Thirty-four of Louisiana’s 94 parishes were declared federal disaster areas, and electricity remained off for thousands of people.
The death toll was 16 in the United States and 94 in the Caribbean.
Gustav devastated the western end of Cuba Aug. 31 when its winds were still above 200 mph. Affecting everything from Havana to the tip of the island, an estimated 130,000 homes were damaged, crops were wiped out and power lines were down.
A Baptist leader from Cuba reported, “More than 700 of our families suffered the partial or total loss of their houses and things. There are church buildings and chapels that are seriously damaged or destroyed.”
Haiti is also suffering from mudslides and flooding following Gustav as well as Tropical Storm Fay earlier and Tropical Storm Hanna Sept. 3.
An estimated 15,000 animals have died and nearly 25,000 gardens are destroyed. The storm also destroyed 34 churches and damaged another 64.
In Alabama, the picture is much brighter — no major damage.
“The Lord answered specific prayers for no serious damage,” said Thomas Wright, Mobile Association director of missions.
Larry Patterson, director of missions for Baldwin Association, said, “We had a lot of wind and a lot of rain but not a lot of structural damage. We came through it pretty well.”
And that is something that made Tommy Puckett, head of Alabama Baptist disaster relief efforts, happy because he needed “all hands on deck” to care for and serve the evacuees in the state.
“We maxed out all of our disaster relief units,” Puckett said, noting all four associational feeding units were dispatched. Those came from Birmingham Association, Morgan Association, Tuscaloosa Association and Limestone Association.
Nine of the 11 shower units were deployed, coming from Birmingham Association, St. Clair Association, Coosa River Association, Madison Association, Calhoun Association, Etowah Association, Morgan Association, Baldwin Association and the state convention.
While the four feeding units and teams were placed in only three of the 15 evacuation sites Alabama Baptists were assisting, several teams helped prepare and serve meals in all locations. They included volunteers from West Cullman, East Cullman, Marshall and Sand Moutain associations.
All total, about 75,000 meals were prepared during the week.
Two child-care units and about a dozen chaplains were also working throughout the effort.
While the laundry units were not deployed, volunteers in Rainsville found a way to help in that area by taking the evacuees’ clothes to the local laundry mat.
Evacuee Carol Crowell said, “The thing that really touched my heart is that strangers were willing to wash our dirty laundry, and not only that, it was folded when we picked it up.”
José Macias, an evacuee in Rainsville, said, “We were truly greeted with such southern hospitality. Everyone was so kind. It was love, love, love.”
Sydney Hoffman, director of the governor’s office of faith-based and community initiatives in Alabama, said, “Alabama Baptists are so amazing with their feeding operations and shower trailers. … Alabama Baptists do what they need to do, know what their assets are, do the work of the church.”
And Alabama Baptists are among 85,000 trained volunteers and 1,500 units.
During Gustav’s aftermath 127 Southern Baptist disaster relief units served at 54 sites and work will continue in Louisiana for weeks to come. Puckett said he purposefully held back from sending Alabama teams to Louisiana initially due to the teams having worked around the clock for almost a week.
“You have to be a little protective of your homefront,” he added, noting the approaching Tropical Storm Hanna and Hurricane Ike.
At press time Puckett did not anticipate any teams being called out after Hanna, but he was watching Ike closely and had urged the volunteers to rest up and be ready.
To donate to Alabama Baptists’ disaster relief efforts for hurricane relief, send checks to the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions at P.O. Box 11870, Montgomery, AL 36111-0870. Mark the check for hurricane relief efforts. (TAB)
Share with others: