wfn.org | Hurricane damage, North Carolina

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS" by SUSAN PEEK on Aug. 11, 1991 at 13:58 Eastern,
about FULL TEXT RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (3162 notes).

Note 3161 by UMNS on Sept. 10, 1996 at 16:21 Eastern (4707 characters).

SEARCH:   Hurricane, Fran, UMCOR, relief, Raleigh
Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of
the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New
York, and Washington.

CONTACT:  Joretta Purdue                         447(10-71B){3161}
          Washington, D.C.  (202) 546-8722          Sept. 10, 1996

North Carolina Conference
assesses hurricane damage

by Bill Norton and Dawn Hand*

     RALEIGH, N.C. (UMNS) -- On Sunday morning while the Rev. Carl
Frazier was baptizing an infant who survived having a tree blown
down over her crib the previous Thursday evening, United Methodist
Bishop Marion M. Edwards of the Raleigh Area handed out water in
eastern North Carolina to victims of Hurricane Fran.
     Almost 750,000 customers across North Carolina remained
without electric power on Monday, Sept. 9. 
     Public school systems in many areas were closed as residents
removed trees from houses, and efforts were made to determine the
extent of Hurricane Fran's destruction.
     The death toll statewide reached 17. Fresh water, ice, D-size
batteries, chain saws and generators remained in short supply.
     When a tree crashed through the roof of Bill and Laura
Leary's Apex residence Sept. 5, they feared the worst. Tree limbs
covered the crib where their four-month-old daughter, Christine,
was asleep. Fortunately the infant was not hurt, but their home
was destroyed. On Sunday, Christine was baptized.
     Also Sunday -- the third day after the storm -- many church
services were held outdoors. White Plains United Methodist Church,
near Raleigh, had three well-attended outdoor services in spite of
difficulties people had in getting there.
     At rural Rock Creek (N.C.) United Methodist Church, exhausted
power company line workers who had been laboring nearby took a
break to join in Holy Communion before they returned to restoring
electricity to the area.
     At Warsaw (N.C.) United Methodist Church, the pastor was
surprised by the return of power just before the service started.
As the air conditioning began to dry the mugginess, he announced
that the church would open its doors to members and neighbors if
they wanted to sleep in the carpeted areas.
     Seven days after he became the spiritual and administrative
leader of the North Carolina Annual Conference, Edwards assisted
in distributing 2,600 gallons of fresh water as the church began
offering relief assistance.
     All of the 34 North Carolina counties, which were declared
disaster areas, are in the North Carolina United Methodist Annual
Conference. There many residences are without telephone service.
It is expected to take seven to 12 days after the storm to restore
service to the area.
     The United Methodist Building in Raleigh sustained roof
damage and has limited telephone service. Edwards and most
conference council on ministries members have no electrical
service at home. Trees have fallen on several conference staff's
residences, and at least one required a crane for removal.
     Preliminary reports from churches indicate water damage,
steeples blown off and broken glass.
     The conference disaster preparedness committee is determining
the extent of damage and the best response.
     "Presently we need work teams for debris removal and for
temporary repairs," said the Rev. Butch Huffman, work team
coordinator.
     Disaster preparedness chairman Jerry Jackson said an
information and response telephone line for the conference had
been established. The telephone number, which will be active
Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. beginning Sept. 11, is (800) 454-7780.
     United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) personnel and
conference officials are assessing damage across the conference.
The bishop has scheduled meetings throughout the conference to
gather information from pastors and to offer encouragement and
recovery support.
     The relief agency, a part of the United Methodist Board of
Global Ministries, also sent in Fred Toland of Theodore, Ala., a
UMCOR disaster response field consultant, to help the conference
disaster personnel. 
     UMCOR has assisted in obtaining generators and chain saws
from the Virginia and Florida Conferences.
     "We know the need is great, but we encourage volunteer work
teams and anyone with materials to donate to arrange it through
our disaster relief office at (800) 454-7780," Jackson said. 
                               # # #

     * Norton is North Carolina Conference communicator, and Hand
is the Western North Carolina Conference communicator. They are
serving as the communications liaison between UMCOR and the
Southeastern Jurisdiction.

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