The devastation wrought by Hurricane Dennis added insult to injury for many Gulf Coast residents still recovering from Hurricane Ivan last September. Dennis followed much the same path as Ivan, striking homes left roofless 10 months ago. Representatives of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) are working in affected areas to assess damage and meet immediate needs.

UMCOR Disaster Response Executive, Tom Hazelwood, is traveling to Mobile, AL, today to help with relief and recovery efforts. Mobile is one of the many areas in the southeast affected by this category 3 storm.

Dennis Compounded the Destruction Left by Ivan
The Island Church Recovery Team, Inc., in Gulf Shores, AL, is an ecumenical long term recovery organization formed in response to Hurricane Ivan. It is now working to help people devastated by a second major hurricane. Philip Tyson Reed, executive director of the organization, disagrees with popular media headlines stating they “dodged a bullet” when Hurricane Dennis came ashore. “These are people whose homes are still a disaster from Ivan and whose homes are structurally unsound,” he said. “They’re still living in them because they have no place else to go. Now, throw Dennis on top of that. And that’s how the whole region down here has been affected. Not just Gulf Shores.”

The 2005 storm season has so far proved to be the most active on record. This, in combination with last year’s storms is taking an emotional toll on residents in Alabama and Florida in what is being dubbed “hurricane alley.” While preparing for Hurricane Dennis’ arrival, the Rev Russell Levenson, a priest at Christ Episcopal Church in Pensacola commented, “It brings up all the anxieties again. And we’re at least a year away from being back to normal.” UMCOR relief and recovery efforts include pastoral care to help people cope with the emotional trauma brought on by major disasters.

Inland Floods
As Dennis moves inland the swath of destruction grows. The storm is causing major flooding as it moves northward. Today, Atlanta residents began cleaning up after Dennis dumped six to seven inches of rain in streams and creeks already swollen from Hurricane Cindy’s rains. In approximately 10 days the area received a foot of rain and more is on the way. In areas of South Atlanta and Cobb County the water reached rooftops.

Jim Cox a consultant to UMCOR lives in the region. He reported that the flooding from the rising creeks and streams in some areas is unprecedented. As a result many people do not have flood insurance. This will cause great hardship for those whose homes sustained severe flood damage.

Haiti and Cuba Severely Affected
Last week Hurricane Dennis took 38 lives in Cuba and Haiti. The storm left a swath of destruction destroying homes, crops, and livestock. Reports on specific damage in both countries are taking time due to power outages and downed phone lines.

UMCOR released emergency funds this week to assist in Haiti’s recovery. In the Cayes area alone at least 200 homes were damaged, 30 were completely destroyed, and 700 head of livestock were lost in the storm.

Cuba also suffered extreme damage, especially in the eastern part of the country. Almost entire communities were wiped out by the storm surge and 150-mph winds. Additionally, several Methodist churches and home churches were destroyed. Rev. Ernesto Betancourt, pastor of the San Pablo Methodist Church in Camaguey asks for your prayers for the people in Eastern Cuba who are suffering so much. UMCOR is assessing the situation in Cuba for the most effective response to this urgent need.

You Can Help

• Give: Your financial gift to UMCOR Advance #982523, Hurricanes 2005 Global, will help those affected by Hurricane Dennis and in the storms to come in this already-active hurricane season. Your tax-deductible gift may be placed in United Methodist church offering plates or sent directly to: UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068. Checks should be written to UMCOR. To make a credit card donation, call 1-800-554-8583. If you would prefer that your funds to go to recovery in a specific region, please note that on your donation.
• Send: Flood Buckets filled with cleaning supplies that people use to clean their homes after floods and hurricanes. For assembly and shipping instructions, call UMCOR Sager Brown at 1-800-814-8765 or visit the UMCOR website at umcor.org. You may also give a financial donation to to UMCOR's Material Resource Ministry, Advance #901440 to purchase cleaning supplies that the Depot staff and volunteers will use to assemble flood buckets.
• Go: If you would like to volunteer to help in the Hurricane Dennis recovery call the Volunteer Hotline toll free at 1-800-918-3100.

	See Also... Topic: Christian love |  Donations |  Emergencies |  GBGM news |  Natural disasters |  UMCOR |  United Methodist Church |  Volunteers |  Mission updates |  Geographic Region: United States |  Source: UMCOR Press Releases
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Date posted: Jul 12, 2005