NEW ORLEANS (ABP) — Baptists continued to respond Sept. 4 to needs throughout the south-central part of the country in response to Hurricane Gustav and its windy, drenching aftermath.
The storm made landfall Sept. 1 between Grand Isle and Houma, La., about 75 miles south of New Orleans, as a Category 2 storm. Both its strength at landfall — much weaker than 2005’s Hurricane Katrina — and its location helped prevent a repeat of the utter disaster that Katrina wrought.
But Gustav’s effects included widespread power outages, flooding and the evacuation of nearly 2 million people from coastal parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Baptist disaster-relief teams headed into the affected area Sept. 2. Officials estimated Sept. 3 that, in some hard-hit areas, full restoration of power could take up to a month.
Originally destined for work in McComb, Miss., several units from the Baptist General Association of Virginia were redirected to Baton Rouge Sept. 3.
“Because disaster responses are dynamic situations and power had been restored to much of the McComb area, these units were diverted to Baton Rouge, where there was greater destruction and, therefore, greater remaining need for assistance,” noted Paige Peak, the Virginia Baptist Mission Board’s spokesperson.
Virginia Baptist volunteers are staffing a mass feeding unit capable of providing 15,000 meals each day, as well as a water purification unit.
Virginia’s recovery unit, equipped with chainsaws and other tools, is assisting with debris removal and clearing mud. They also have provided a shower unit with laundry service for use by storm-relief volunteers. Two chaplains have accompanied the Baton Rouge team.
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship leaders are working with a number of partners, including the American Baptist Churches USA and the Save the Children Foundation, according to Charles Ray, CBF’s disaster-response coordinator.
Reid Doster, Louisiana CBF coordinator, noted minor damage to some homes is being reported. Ray said CBF officials would assess reconstruction needs as soon as people are allowed to return to their homes.
Disaster-relief coordinators also are preparing for the possibility of additional deployments as they keep an eye on the progress of Tropical Storm Hanna and Hurricane Ike, both of which are expected to affect the Eastern Seaboard over the coming week.
“Our leaders are on the phones setting up volunteers to be prepared…looking at teams…and putting people on standby,” Page said.
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