Storm recovery just beginning as frigid temps remain
NASHVILLE (BP) – Storm recovery continues across the U.S. as the death toll rises and hundreds of thousands of people are without electricity Tuesday (Jan. 27) afternoon.
According to the Associated Press, at least 30 people have died due to the weekend storm that affected nearly three quarters of the country. More than half a million are still without electricity.
CBS News says snowfall in some parts of New York is record-setting ,and KXAS-TV in Dallas reported overnight wind chills in the single digits Monday night.
SBC compassion ministry Send Relief is working with local disaster relief crews across the U.S.
“Chainsaw teams are beginning to respond in Mississippi and Tennessee as we seek to offer help and the hope of Christ to those impacted by this massive storm,” Coy Webb, Send Relief crisis response director, told Baptist Press Tuesday (Jan. 27).
Send Relief has a webpage where people can get information and make financial donations to help those in need.
“In St. Louis, single-digit temperatures and dangerous wind chills have led the ministry center to expand daytime warming support as the state remains under a declared emergency,” the website says.
Financial gifts are often most valuable in meeting needs during a crisis, according to Send Relief.
“One of the ways churches and individuals can help right now is by giving to Send Relief,” said Josh Benton, Send Relief vice president.
“Those resources allow us to come alongside local churches and disaster relief teams to meet immediate needs like food and warming support, and to continue caring for communities even after the storm has passed,” he told Baptist Press.
Forecasts indicate millions of Americans will face daytime highs below freezing for the next week.
Buildings also need protection from freezing temperatures. Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company’s cold-weather checklist is designed to help church leaders better protect their building in extreme cold.
Weather affects Lifeway trustee meeting, SEBTS convocation
NASHVILLE – Lifeway Christian Resources trustees have postponed their meeting that was to take place today (Jan. 27) due to inclement weather and power outages.
Trustees had already decided to meet virtually rather than in person after a severe winter storm made travel to Nashville difficult. But the storm’s impact on electrical grids in much of the country made even that backup plan unworkable.
“Due to the recent winter storm and widespread power outages, we have postponed our regularly scheduled trustee meeting,” said trustee chairman James Carroll.
“We look forward to rescheduling and meeting in the next couple of weeks.
“We are praying for all those who have been impacted by the ice and freezing temperatures and for the many SBDR volunteers who are ministering around the country.”
Longtime Lifeway executive Joe Walker, is serving as the entity’s interim president, while a search team is actively working to find the right leader to fill the role.
Search team chairman Billy Stewart told Baptist Press earlier this month the group had received “an abundance of resumes and applications” and was compiling a list of applicants for in-person interviews.
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary’s convocation service, which was to kick off the spring semester today (Jan. 27) was also canceled due to weather. The campus was closed Monday and opened at noon today.
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