Hurricane Ian, a historic monster storm that raged ashore in Southwest Florida near Fort Myers on September 28, has devastated scores of communities in the Sunshine state and all along the east coast with high winds, rain and floods. Ian, which made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm, has wiped out much of the state’s infrastructure, with millions of people still without power or access to clean drinking water.
And there are other immediate needs to address: emergency food support, medical care and temporary shelter. The UCC “Hurricanes 2022” appeal will be used to help those impacted by Hurricanes Ian and Fiona – and storms still to come.
WCM’s Global H.O.P.E. team has already sent $20,000 to partner church Iglesia Evangelica Unida de Puerto Rico as an initial response to support those affected by Hurricane Fiona. That Category 1 storm swamped the island on September 17, leaving millions of homes and businesses in the dark and bringing life-threatening floods. UCC Disaster Ministries reports that Fiona left 35 inches of water on the entire island and practically devastated the progress of the electrical system in many areas of the island and the highway system.
People of Puerto Rico were still recovering from Hurricane Maria, which all but destroyed the island’s power grid five years ago. The solidarity grant from Global H.O.P.E. will assist with immediate needs in Puerto Rico while basic infrastructure is repaired and more complete assessments can be made.
The Rev. Alan Coe, pastor of Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ in Naples, is disaster coordinator of the Florida Conference. He is participating in daily statewide disaster response calls. Reached early Thursday, he noted major damage across the state as he began his assessment of emergency needs.
“There are volunteers from many organizations coming to Florida or are already in the state doing — feeding people, clearing roads, removing trees, and soon will be mucking out,” Coe said. “This a huge disaster that will affect the state in multiple ways for years to come.”
With your help, the UCC will be ready to support those caught in its path, assess the damage left behind and give thanks for those spared the more devastating consequences.