Samaritan's Purse Aids Families in N.C. after Hurricane Florence Leaves Massive Damage
- Updated Sep 17, 2018
On Saturday, Samaritan’s Purse North American Ministries sent two disaster relief teams and staff members to North Carolina to assist residents who were “hit the hardest” by Hurricane Florence.
The Christian organization wrote on their website that they have sent the two teams to pre-stage in the towns of New Bern and Wilmington, N.C. As of Sunday, the first relief base was established at Port City Community Church in New Bern. The New Bern mayor is reporting that approximately 4,000 homes were damaged in the storm.
Samaritan’s Purse staff and volunteer teams will start work on Monday aiding homeowners with cleanup in a variety of ways including “tarping roofs, chainsaw work, and mud-outs.”
A representative for Samaritan’s Purse wrote on their website, “Our task is to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus for those in need in the hardest hit areas.”
Florence is now a tropical depression but is continuing to drop large volumes of rain in the Carolinas. Reportedly, some parts of North Carolina have already received almost 35 inches of rain. The town of Swansboro has reported nearly 34 inches. This is the most rain to ever be deposited from a single tropical system in North Carolina.
Though the property damage that has occurred as a result of the storm is great, it is not the only concern for N.C. Because of Florence, sections of both I-95 and I-40 have been closed, around a million people have lost power, and 18 people have lost their lives as a result of the storm.
Over the next couple of days, volunteers and Samaritan’s Purse staff are going to be concerned with the threat of flooding as flash flood warnings are in effect across the state.
The Cape Fear River at Fayetteville has risen and is continuing to rise, measuring to be at almost 40 feet already. According to the National Weather Service, the river is predicted to rise to more than 62 feet by Tuesday morning.
So far more than 900 people have had to be rescued from rising waters in North Carolina and the state is likely facing billions of dollars in damages.
“Please pray for residents in Florence’s path and for our staff as they serve in Jesus’ Name,” Samaritan’s Purse concluded on Saturday.
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