Tornadoes and flooding
Tornadoes and torrential rains affected several
southern states the weekend of May 1, 2010.
Nearly 20 inches of rain in a two day period
caused severe flooding and forced thousands of
residents to flee their homes - by cars if
possible, but often by rescue boats. At least 19
people have died as a result of the storms.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has been
in contact with the Presbytery office in
Arkansas and learned that the tornadoes hit in
areas where there is no Presbyterian presence.
The Presbytery will let us know of any
identified needs that we can be a part of.
In Middle Tennessee, the Presbytery Executive
indicates that the flooding is extensive, and
probably not over yet. The presbytery is
requesting PDA assistance and a National
Response Team visit to the area as soon as the
water recedes and access to the area is
possible.
Information on Tennessee Presbyterian churches
affected by flooding can be found on Synod of
Living Waters online publication,
The Presbyterian Voice.

Gulf Coast oil spill
Efforts are underway by many experienced
organizations to minimize damage from the huge
oil spill caused by last week's rig explosion in
the Gulf of Mexico. A report from the Church
World Service Emergency Response Committee
states, “ This type of clean up needs to be
carefully supervised by experts — no one should
just go out and try to do something, as it is
very dangerous to human health.”
The following phone numbers from the Louisiana
Environmental Action Network (LEAN) are provided
to help area residents:
To report oiled or injured wildlife, please call
1-800-557-1401.
To discuss spill related damage claims, please
call 1-800-440-0858.
To report oil on land, or for general Community
and Volunteer Information, please call
1-866-448-5816
LEAN has been established in Louisiana for many
years. Following Hurricane Katrina, the United
Church of Christ worked with the network on
environmental issues related to an oil spill –
everything from personal protection equipment
for home owners to working with a scientist to
test land impacted. Visit
LEAN’s website.
The Environmental Ministries Office of the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has a blog,
Eco-Journey, that includes information on
the oil spill.
PDA will hold a conference call on Friday, May
7, 2010 with all affected presbyteries to
discuss the situation and determine an
appropriate Presbyterian response. |