NASHVILLE (BP) – Rivers and lakes stand above flood stage from west Florida up into northeast Georgia and predictions of flooding continue through the Carolinas as what was Hurricane Debby makes its way north. At least six deaths are being blamed on the storm.
The storm is slowly churning up the East Coast dumping significant rainfall. The National Weather Service predicts the storm will still be a Tropical Depression as late as Saturday when it arrives in Maine.
Debby crossed the Florida panhandle over the weekend, trekking across the Southeast to Charleston, S.C., Wednesday before reversing course, coming back on land and turning north.
“High winds and tornadoes have already damaged communities in the Lowcountry,” said Tony Wolfe, South Carolina Baptist Convention executive director-treasurer, “Disaster Relief teams stand at the ready to serve affected communities with skilled experience and Gospel readiness.”
Coy Webb, Send Relief crisis response director, told Baptist Press, “Send Relief continues to work with SBDR (Southern Baptist Disaster Relief) and national partners to coordinate response to Hurricane Debby.”
Webb says the main impact seems to be flooding and power outages.
“Assessments by SBDR teams in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina are just beginning as teams have had to wait for the storm to pass and waters to recede to begin assessment of needs and anticipated flood recovery work,” he said.
Wolfe led a prayer call on Wednesday morning for pastors, church leaders and disaster relief workers. “SCBaptists are a tight family of Baptist people, churches, associations, and ministry partners who take seriously the privilege of serving our state through seasons of crisis,” he said.
He asks all Southern Baptists to join them “in prayer that God will minimize damage, preserve life and elevate the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Rob Heath is pastor of Redeemer Fellowship on Edisto Island, a South Carolina barrier island southwest of Charleston.
For old timers on the island, a Category 1 is no reason to get too worked up, he said. And sure enough, Debby’s winds “were not that intense.” It was the tornadoes spawned around her that proved destructive.
As he’s driven around his community the last couple days, he’s seen large trees snapped “like toothpicks” and friends’ businesses destroyed.
“These are moments when we are reminded about the enormous power and energy of God’s universe that we can’t contain much less predict,” Heath said.
Redeemer Fellowship meets at the local civic center and intentionally does not own a building.
“This is one of those occasions where we’re really happy about that,” he said. Rather than worry about a church building, members can focus on helping friends and neighbors.
The next few days could see more damage as the Edisto River is expected to take on rains from farther north and crest at 3-4 feet above flood stage. Already, many streets and even the Heaths’ front yard are holding water.
“We will take stock and ID things of need and make necessary contacts,” Heath said. And he knows from experience they’ll get the help they need.
“There’s an excellent history around the Lowcountry of South Carolina Baptists and Southern Baptists sending food, water, batteries, candles” as well as volunteering for cleanup and mud-out jobs, he said.
“I’m very confident that whatever we discover in the coming days, there will be those who will probably be calling us before we call them to see if they can come help. That’s a great thing about being a Southern Baptist.”
