Hurricane Response

Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 140 mph on September 26. Among the worst areas hit, the FEMA designated disaster area in North Carolina includes more than 20 counties in the western part of the state. Around half of the more than 230 people known to have died because of the storm were in North Carolina. As Helene flooded towns, destroyed roads and bridges, and swept away homes, thousands of lives were impacted across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Federal assistance requested for Hurricane Helene exceeds $210 Million.

And now, with Milton hitting some of the same areas before they even have a chance to recover, our neighbors need our help.  Please join us in our efforts to offer assistance, and keep those in affected communities in your prayers.
 

This will be a lengthy recovery that will take an enormous effort on the part of many.  The Texas Annual Conference is shipping a 1,000 Flood Buckets to North Carolina, and we stand ready to meet additional requests.  For all those wanting to help with the relief effort, monetary donations is what they need most. Adding shipping costs means supplies are more expensive to send, and it is more efficient use of donations when items can be purchased locally. This has a more positive impact both on the cost of recovery efforts and benefits the local economy.
 

Donate funds to help:

• Give through our normal giving portal using the link below.  Reference Disaster Fund.
• Give by writing a check to League CIty United Methodist Church. Write “Disaster Fund” in the memo line of your check and place the check in the offering plate.

For those volunteers who want to deploy, please let the search and rescue phase run its course, and assessments be completed. We have not yet seen any calls from Conference Disaster Response Coordinators for Early Response (ERT) volunteers. It will be some time before the logistics are worked out before they will be ready to receive non-specialized volunteers.  Rewmeber relief is just the first step toward recovery.  The ultimate goal is to make homes whole, and it is always a long, expensive, and arduous process. 
 

Also be aware that the Texas Annual Conference is currently responding to two Federal Disaster Declarations in Southeast Texas.  Thousands of homes suffered extensive damage caused by historic river flooding followed by the Derecho windstorm and Hurricane Beryl.  
 

The Texas Annual Conference Mission Center in Conroe is currently serving as the home base for the recovery effort In partnership with UMCOR, Hope Disaster Recovery, the Disaster Alliance of Greater Houston, and Mennonite Disaster Services.  The Tesas Annual Conference is on pace to rebuild 90 homes in Waller, Montgomery, Polk, Walker, Liberty, and Harris counties by the end of 2025.  In the past two months TAC has completed 13 rebuilds.