The Southeast continues to be pounded by heavy rains and flooding after Hurricane Debby made landfall on Monday (Aug. 5) as a Category 1 hurricane before being downgraded to a tropical storm. At least 6 deaths have been attributed to the storm that is causing widespread flood damage in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
In response to the storm, Baptist volunteers are mobilizing and responding to the storm as more flooding is expected throughout the week and thousands have lost power. Send Relief — a compassion ministry of both the North American Mission Board and the International Mission Board — also sent a truck of relief supplies and pre-staged them in central Georgia for Disaster Relief teams in the state.
“In its wake, the system is leaving behind flooding conditions with limited wind damage,” reported Coy Webb, Send Relief crisis response director. “Areas most affected are the Florida west coast and interior from Fort Myers north to south of Tallahassee.”
Florida Baptist volunteers have begun assessing the damage and anticipate opening one feeding unit in Perry and partnering with The Salvation Army and Florida Baptist churches to provide feeding sites.
“It will take time for response to the flooding to begin as most of the primary rivers that are being impacted drain to the west coast,” Webb shared from his discussions with David Coggins, Florida Baptist Disaster Relief director.
‘Eager to serve’
Coggins noted earlier this week, “Our volunteers are eager to serve and bring the hope of the gospel of the Lord Jesus once again to a community that has been devastated by another hurricane. We have had good response to our callout with many volunteers making necessary preparations to come and serve this community and share the love of Christ.”
A better picture of the flooding needs and response will be more clear by end of week, Webb said.
Meanwhile, Disaster Relief teams in Georgia and South Carolina are also preparing to respond to damage caused by severe flooding.
“It is anticipated that a flood response for southeast Georgia will develop but the needs and locations are ‘To Be Determined’ as initial assessments could not begin until rains end and waters recede,” Webb shared on Wednesday.
Six preliminary sites, Webb noted, have been planned for Georgia teams, but no feeding teams are needed at this time as teams continue to monitor the situation.
For more related coverage, check the following links:
Florida Baptist Disaster Relief on ‘active’ status in Hurricane Debby response -Florida Baptist Convention
Disaster Relief responds to Debby, prepares for flooding -Baptist Press
Debby Lingers Off East Coast; Flood Risk Continues – The Weather Channel
Tropical Storm Debby live updates: South Carolina forecast for storm’s 2nd landfall – ABC News
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was compiled by Shawn Hendricks of The Baptist Paper, with reporting from Send Relief and the Florida Baptist Convention.
