Church of God in Caribbean Enduring Hurricane
It’s too early to give a full report, a Church of God World Missions spokesman said today, but so far no deaths of church members have been reported and property damage does not seem to be as severe as expected. With communications down throughout much of the Caribbean area, it may be a couple of days before an extensive report is available.
Puerto Rico experienced lashing rains that lasted for hours, causing widespread mudslides and debris that left nearly 70 roadways closed and caused portions of the island territory to be without electricity, reported World Missions Assistant Director Víctor Pagán. The only known death so far was that of a 62-year-old woman—not associated with the church—who drowned while trying to cross a flooded river.
News sources in the Dominican Republic reported two deaths and pervasive flooding throughout the country. High winds and rising waters caused property damage, but only two men among the approximately 10 million inhabitants were killed. Some Church of God congregations worship in wooden structures, so it is expected that damage will be reported.
Parts of earthquake-ravaged Haiti experienced as much as six inches of rain, but major flooding and further damage were avoided, since the nation did not suffer a direct hit from the storm.
In the Bahamas, Irene is only the third hurricane in nearly 150 years to track the full length of the archipelago, hitting the Turks and Caicos in the south and moving slowly up the line of islands toward the United States. The islands to the south of Nassau—Eleuthera, Crooked, Rum, Mayaguana, and Long Islands—were affected by flooding and wind, and extensive property damage has occurred. Cat Island rises to 206 feet at the highest point in the chain, but many of the smaller islands are just a few yards above sea level. Flooding is the major culprit for causing damage.
The storm bypassed Nassau, the capital, and except for minor flooding, it has remained safe. Bishop John Humes, Bahamas national overseer, expects to get news of damaged churches and parsonages on the Out Islands, but telephone cables are cut and cell towers are still inoperative in many places.
World Missions will continue to monitor the situation and further updates will posted on Faith News. The movement of Irene up the U.S. coast will be monitored this weekend.
