wfn.org | Church World Service Readies Hurricane Floyd Response

[PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>]

16-September-1999 
99305 
 
    Church World Service Readies Hurricane Floyd Response 
 
    by the National Council of Churches Office of News and Information 
 
NEW YORK CITY - Church World Service (CWS), the relief and development 
agency of the National Council of Churches, has put its volunteer Disaster 
Consultants on alert in anticipation of any damage caused by Hurricane 
Floyd, which reached land at Cape Fear, N.C., on Sept. 16 and is described 
as a potentially catastrophic hurricane. 
 
    Trained volunteer Disaster Consultants are organized along the lines of 
the 10 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regions and facilitate 
the work of CWS's state and community partners as organizers, technical 
advisors, and links to outside resources. They assist local faith-based 
groups organize for pastoral-care needs and long-term work that includes 
housing reconstruction and rehabilitation. 
 
    The regional facilitator for the southeastern United States (FEMA 
Region IV) is Morganton, N.C.-based Charles Moeller of Lutheran Disaster 
Response. "It's wait and see with a lot of apprehension," Moeller said. 
"This could be one for the decade.  It's a very, very dangerous storm." 
One problem, he pointed out, is that Hurricane Dennis in North Carolina 
leveled sand dunes on barrier islands just a few weeks ago. This creates 
the possibility of flooding in coastal areas. 
 
    Also being put on alert are CWS regional facilitators in the 
northeastern United States, FEMA Region I and II facilitator Joann Hale in 
Grand Island, N.Y., with the United Church of Christ, and FEMA Region III 
Facilitator Shirley Norman in Markleysburg, Pa., with the Church of the 
Brethren. 
 
    Church World Service has also been in contact with Habitat with 
Humanity about working in partnership on housing reconstruction through 
local interfaith groups in devastated areas, and is prepared to provide 
material assistance as needed, including CWS cleanup kits, blankets and 
tents.   

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