Title: Lutherans Respond To Flooding In Northeast United States ELCA NEWS SERVICE
June 30, 2006
Lutherans Respond To Flooding In Northeast United States 06-091-KH*
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in the northeastern part of the United States are experiencing the impact of the storms and flooding in June. Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR), a ministry of the ELCA and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, is organizing initial relief and recovery efforts there.
Reports from Delaware and Maryland indicate that most of the flooding has occurred along the Atlantic coast, reported LDR. The full extent of the damages has not been determined. LDR coordinators have been in contact with all affected areas in Delaware and Maryland, and at this time synod offices are not aware of any affected congregations, said the Rev. Kevin A. Massey, assistant director, ELCA Domestic Disaster Response.
Ohio
At least three Ohio congregations of the ELCA sustained flood damage from the storms. Thousands of homes and businesses remained without power after heavy rain and 110-mph wind gusts struck many parts of the state. Northern Ohio received some of the heaviest rain and most pronounced flood damage.
Flood damage has been confirmed at St. Lucas Lutheran Church, Toledo; Grace Lutheran Church, Toledo; and Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church, Brecksville. Both St. Lucas and Grace experienced basement flooding. St. Lucas is one of the oldest churches in the region and has extensive archives. Due to precautionary measures, the damage to the archives was limited, said Mary Woodward, LDR state coordinator.
Pennsylvania
According to LDR, six counties in Pennsylvania have made disaster declarations. Main damage reports are coming from the counties along the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers. The Rev. Susan Folks, St. John Lutheran Church, Pottstown, reported that they were evacuated. There was water damage to the church and parsonage. The Red Cross has a staging area at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Pottstown.
In Upper Bucks County, LDR task force members are staffing an emergency operations center to assist with evacuations there. Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, Yardley, is preparing to assist residents in low lying areas. The borough of Yardley is mostly under water, said Robert Fisher, director for communications and technology, ELCA Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod.
The Palisades Lutheran Cluster is working with officials on evacuation efforts. Initial assessments indicate that Raubsville, Upper Black Eddy, Point Pleasant and New Hope counties experienced significant flooding. Riegelsville has seen less flooding than initially expected, Fisher said.
St. John Lutheran Church, Phoenixville, is preparing to render assistance to the low lying areas across the Schuylkill River near Phoenixville once the waters recede.
When Brandywine Creek in Downingtown overflowed, low lying areas of Messiah Lutheran Church's property flooded, leaving three to four feet of water in the basement of the church. While the Ft. Washington/Upper Dublin area was hard hit with flooding, the floods did not affect nearby Upper Dublin Lutheran Church or Christ's Lutheran Church, Oreland. Other areas that have experienced significant flooding include areas of Chester County along the Brandywine Creek, portions of West Norriton, Perkasie and Philadelphia, said Fisher.
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Information about Lutheran Disaster Response is available at http://www.ELCA.org/disaster on the ELCA Website.
*Katherine R. Hinck is a senior journalism and religion major at Augustana College, Sioux Falls, S.D. This summer she is an intern with the ELCA News Service.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog