[1]ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)–Southern Baptist disaster relief units continued to respond Sept. 20 to flooding in the wake of Hurricane Floyd, a natural disaster that has continued to worsen since the storm itself dissipated over Canada days earlier.
“Rivers continue to rise all over the eastern half of North Carolina and are not expected to crest until later this week,” said Richard Brunson, North Carolina Baptist Men director and state disaster relief coordinator. “Thousands of people remain in shelters. There are a number of areas where we cannot gain access. More roads are being closed by the hour because of flooding.”
The first units in place have been feeding units, which prepare meals in central locations for delivery by the American Red Cross to affected areas. More than 40,000 meals had been prepared as of the evening of Sept. 18 by the 14 feeding sites in four states staffed by Southern Baptists. Previously five Georgia feeding units assisted with feeding evacuees before the storm hit.
Cleanup and recovery units have begun clearing debris in Hoary County, S.C., and “mud-out” units are on standby but not expected to respond until early next week, according to South Carolina disaster relief director Cliff Satterwhite. Other states had yet to move beyond the immediate need for food preparation.
Feeding units began operating Sept. 17 and were still being deployed in new locations as of Sept 20.
In South Carolina, units were operating at First Baptist Church of Murrells Inlet and First Baptist Church of Loris.
North Carolina units are based at First Baptist Church Activities Center in Wilmington; First Baptist Church of New Bern; First Baptist Church of Rocky Mount; and Inglewood Baptist Church in Lumberton. Out-of-state units also operating in North Carolina include a Kentucky unit at First Baptist Church of Wilson, a Tennessee unit at First Baptist Church of Kingston, a Missouri unit at Memorial Baptist Church in Greenville, and a Georgia unit at Tarboro High School in Tarboro. A shower unit and water purification unit operated by the North American Mission Board and a Georgia Baptist Convention water purification unit also were being deployed to North Carolina.
A Virginia unit was activated Sept. 18 and is serving at Franklin High School in Franklin, Va.
In New Jersey, the Ohio feeding unit is serving at the Emergency Management Command post in Somerville; an Illinois feeding unit is based at Wayne Valley High School in Wayne; and the Northeast Consortium feeding unit was expected to be assigned a site Sept. 20, reported Mickey Caison, national Southern Baptist disaster relief coordinator and an adult volunteer mobilization associate with the North American Mission Board.
Contributions to help defray the costs of the relief effort may be sent to Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, North American Mission Board, 4200 North Point Parkway, Alpharetta, Ga. 30022. Further information also is available through the www.namb.net/dr web site and by calling 1-800-462-8657.