Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday night on the Florida coast and left a trail of disaster across the southeast as it moved through Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Many residents remain without water, power, and access to cell phone networks. The death toll has already reached 84 and will likely climb as emergency crews clear roadways and restore communication service.
Several PCA congregations were impacted, most having to cancel or alter their normal Sunday morning activities, and some already joining the relief work.
The western region of North Carolina appears to be particularly devastated. Scott Stewart pastors Crosspoint Church (PCA) in Boone, North Carolina. His home suffered water damage and downed trees, and as of Sunday night, his family still did not have power or water. He knows of one family from the church that was stranded at their home after their road washed out. Stewart said the family managed to hike a few miles to neighboring homes to access power and water.
The church opened its doors on Sunday for an informal service of prayer and worship.
“It was really just a chance for our people to see each other and pray for one another,” Stewart says. “People lingered for quite a while after the service.”
While the town of Boone had extensive flooding, mudslides destroyed multiple homes outside of town. Crews have not been able to determine the full extent of the devastation. Boone sits just a few miles from the headquarters of the disaster response ministry Samaritan’s Purse, and Stewart is thankful for the church’s close proximity to help.
“This event has also brought churches in the community together, finding ways to collaborate as we help the town recover,” he says.
Many towns in the mountains of North Carolina appear to have suffered flood damage. An aerial photo of Waynesville, North Carolina, shows Hazelwood Presbyterian Church surrounded by flood waters. Patrick Womack grew up at Hazelwood Presbyterian and served as its pastor for 10 years.
He told byFaith, “My family has been in Haywood County for eight generations, and I listened to many, many stories when I was growing up. I never heard about a flood this severe.”
Many PCA churches in the pathway of the storm canceled services due to storm damage or no electricity. Congregations like Redeemer Presbyterian in Valdosta, Georgia, New Covenant Presbyterian in Aiken, South Carolina, and Downtown Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina, all canceled services. Friendship Presbyterian Church in Laurens, South Carolina was forced to cancel services due to downed power lines and trees across the church property.
At least 10 churches in South Carolina held worship services without power. Churches like New Hope Presbyterian in Abbeville met indoors, and Mitchell Road Presbyterian Church in Greenville met outdoors while dealing with a lack of electricity. Members of North Augusta Fellowship in North Augusta gathered at the home of their pastor, Jason Cornwell, for a backyard service. A number of congregations shortened their worship services to accommodate having fewer volunteers available to help with Sunday school and nursery ministries.
In Florida, Seven Rivers Church invited church members to use their Sunday for service projects. People were invited to come to Sunday morning worship service with a packed lunch and work gloves. Afterwards, the church sent out teams to assist community members with clean-up.
Redeemer in Valdosta is also serving as the base camp for the Rebuilding Hope Ministries’ relief work in Valdosta.
Mission to North America’s Disaster Response has deployed first responder teams to multiple locations across the region, bringing with them critical supplies from the Disaster Response warehouse in Rome, Georgia. Teams of trained “chainsaw armies” have also been mobilized to assist in some of the harder hit areas, including out of Antioch PCA in Greer, South Carolina and First Presbyterian Church in Augusta, Georgia. Disaster Response is sending flood relief kits to churches like St. Pete PCA in St. Petersburg, Florida, hit by flooding. The team also delivered a mobile generator and mobile showers to churches that will host relief crews.
Churches in need of assistance can contact Sherri Lanier.
According to its most recent email, the best way to help Disaster Response right now is “a financial gift to facilitate the movement of mission critical assets. … The funds will be used to transport mission critical supplies and equipment to support PCA congregations, to provide staff support to congregations affected, to meet insurance deductibles, to purchase relief supplies, etc.” Donations can be made here.
Andy Jones is editor of byFaith