Among the damage was Ridgecrest Conference Center in North Carolina. The conference center was forced to temporarily close after some of its facilities were left damaged by flooding.
“It has been a catastrophic afternoon,” said Randy Davis, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board executive director. “Our hearts are broken for the people in Cocke, Washington, Unicoi, Greene and other counties that may be affected.”
The damage caused by Hurricane Helene when it tore through southern Georgia early Friday morning was widespread and indiscriminate. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said that the death toll in the state stands at 11.
Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday evening (Sept. 26) as a Category 4 storm with winds reaching 140 mph in Florida before weakening to a tropical storm. On Friday, the storm continued tearing its way through Georgia.
As Hurricane Helene intensifies and sets its sights on Florida with possible life-threatening impact, Florida Baptist Disaster Relief leaders are on “standby status,” preparing to respond immediately as needed.