Prayers and Financial Assistance Needed for Those Affected by Hurricane Dorian
CLEVELAND, TN: As the massive storm moves along the eastern coastline of the United States, Dr. Timothy M. Hill, General Overseer of the Church of God, issued the following statement, calling for urgent prayer and financial assistance for those devastated by Hurricane Dorian:
“Hurricane Dorian has left unprecedented damage across the Bahamas and now is skirting the coastlines of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. For 40 straight hours, the massive storm pounded Grand Bahamas Island, leaving behind widespread devastation. The scope of the destruction is still being learned as rescue workers try to reach some of the outlying parts of the islands. With hurricane winds and rains pummelling the islands for almost two days, it is unquestionable that damages will be substantial. The initial pictures that we have been seeing out of the Bahamas are just heartbreaking.
And now, according to the National Hurricane Center, the huge storm is moving at a snail’s pace up the eastern coast of the United States. Hurricane Dorian has mostly stayed far enough offshore to spare Florida from the worst of its wrath, but the predictions are that Georgia and the Carolinas may not be as fortunate. While Hurricane Dorian is currently not packing as strong of winds as when it hit the Bahamas, it has actually expanded in size, with hurricane force winds extending more than 60 miles from the center and tropical force winds extending outward up to 175 miles.
I say all this to simply note that the Church of God family in the Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, and along the coastlines of Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and even the Virginia Tidewater and southern Delmarva Peninsula areas needs your prayers like never before. The impact of this storm will continue to be felt for days, but the after-effects will linger for months and years to come.
In addition to your prayers, we need your immediate financial assistance. All of the Church of God resources are being mobilized to assist in this effort. Church of God World Missions, Operation Compassion, Men and Women of Action, God‘s Pit Crew, and our other disaster relief efforts are already working to be of help. Although the international airports in the Bahamas are closed and may remain closed for days, representatives from Men and Women of Action and God’s Pit Crew are preparing to fly into the Bahamas immediately on a private plane to begin the assessment process. But we cannot do what we need to do without your immediate financial assistance. The need is too great and the costs are too high. We need your help today.
Join with me in prayer for all those impacted by Hurricane Dorian. But also join with me in giving to support this massive need.”
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Operation Compassion Prepares for Hurricane Dorian Relief
In anticipation of Hurricane Dorian moving away from the Bahamas, Operation Compassion has been preparing to send relief aid and assistance. Operation Compassion has over twenty years of experience sending disaster relief aid and assistance to the East Coast of the United States as well as many island nations in the Caribbean.
For the past three days, Hurricane Dorian, the largest hurricane ever to strike the Bahamas, has devastated the island nation. The islands of Grand Bahama and Abaco were the hardest hit with almost complete destruction. As much as twenty feet of water covered the airport as power lines, palm trees and buildings were destroyed or devastated by flood waters.
The archipelago of the Bahamas consists of approximately 700 islands, islets and cays spread out across 500 miles of the Atlantic Ocean. About 30 of the islands are inhabited and are very low and flat. The highest points rise no more than 50 to 66 feet above sea level.
Operation Compassion has been in touch with one of their partners that operates a barge company capable of ferrying 20 containers at a time. The first barge is scheduled to be sent on Saturday, September 7. Feed the Children (FTC) and God’s Pit Crew (GPC) and other partners are sending additional containers to be shipped as well. In addition, a container company has donated containers and does not expect them to be returned. The product being sent will be distributed from local churches that were not destroyed as locals will be coordinating the relief effort.
David Lorency, President of Operation Compassion has been in touch with Church of God leadership as reports from the Bahamas started coming in. Of sixty churches located throughout the Bahamas, the ones not destroyed had severe flooding.
“Hurricane Dorian is now taking aim for the United States eastern coast,” Lorency stated. “From Northern Florida up through North Carolina and all points between, people are being advised to evacuate and take necessary precautions. Relief and recovery from Hurricane Dorian is going to be a long protracted endeavor, not to mention there are three other storms brewing right behind Dorian.”
Operation Compassion needs financial partners relief efforts can continue as long is necessary. There are several ways to give:
Online: www.operationcompassion.org (givedirect button)
Phone: 423.728.3932
Mail: Operation Compassion, 114 Stuart Road, NE PMB 370, Cleveland, TN 37312
