{"id":2784,"date":"2024-07-15T13:48:38","date_gmt":"2024-07-15T17:48:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/?p=2784"},"modified":"2024-07-15T13:53:29","modified_gmt":"2024-07-15T17:53:29","slug":"christian-organizations-response-to-hurricane-beryl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/2024\/07\/15\/christian-organizations-response-to-hurricane-beryl\/","title":{"rendered":"Christian Organizations Support Gulf Coast in Response to Hurricane Beryl"},"content":{"rendered":"

A hurricane siren is one of the most feared sounds along the Gulf Coast because of the potential devastation caused by natural disasters like Hurricane Beryl this July.<\/p>\n

Regardless of damage and loss, the Church always activates its faith and commitment to service for those impacted by unthinkable moments like Beryl caused. Thousands of volunteers partnered with U.S. disaster relief efforts such as the American Red Cross, Samaritan’s Purse, Catholic Charities, and Convoy of Hope.<\/p>\n

The Category 1 hurricane took out power to over 2.5 million homes in southeast Texas. Facing triple-digit heat and heat indexes climbing toward 80%, some are sgointo their second week without power or air conditioning.<\/p>\n

From Galveston to Houston and into Louisiana, at least eight people<\/a> have died. The loss of life and property is paramount to the minds of these ministries, whose efforts continue to be heroic for those affected by the treacherous storm.<\/p>\n

Ministries in Action for Hurricane Beryl Effort in Texas<\/h2>\n

When Hurricane Beryl first made landfall with 80 mph winds in Matagorda, Texas, ministries began filling portable storage units and gas tanks with relief supplies.\u00a0Below is a small collection of stories from national ministries focusing on southeast Texas for service and Gospel outreach.<\/p>\n

Catholic Charities<\/h4>\n

Catholic Charities, an organization with a vast outreach among predominantly Texan communities with a majority of Hispanic citizens, was one of the first early responders, said Cynthia Colbert,\u00a0CEO of the Galveston-Houston branch<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“If they have damage to their home, they\u2019re going to need repairs. We\u2019ll be calling on the community to help with repairs [in the] longer term,\u201d she said. \u201cWe provide case management that helps people get back on their feet to pretty much how life was before the storm…We are a resilient group. We know how to get together to help the community recover.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Send Relief provided a sizable shipment of water to Texans on Mission to mitigate the impact of those affected by Hurricane Beryl. (Image credit: Texans on Mission via Send Relief)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Convoy of Hope<\/h4>\n

Convoy of Hope shared its experience in a\u00a0<\/a>compelling timeline<\/a> detailing<\/span>\u00a0what volunteers did and witnessed. The global organization first served the people of St. Vincent and Grenada, then Jamaica, and on into Texas.<\/p>\n

The ministry made stops in smaller Texas communities surrounding Houston, such as Corrigan (population 1,478), Livingston (population 5,784), and Humble (population 16,336). Their efforts focused on food, water, and other necessities since grocery stores could not open.<\/p>\n

American Red Cross<\/h4>\n

The southern Texas chapter of the American Red Cross reported<\/a> over 500 volunteers and staff offering 24-hour support as Texans fight without power. With organization reports of “725 people in 18 emergency shelters,” its efforts concentrated on critical shelter for households in Red Cross-managed facilities.<\/p>\n

Texans on Mission<\/h4>\n

The evangelical outreach, formerly known as Texas Baptist Men, partnered with Send Relief and provided<\/a> up to 15,000 meals each day during the Hurricane Beryl relief effort. In one regional city, Wharton, Texas (population 8,736), they’re prepared to deliver 5,000 meals daily.<\/p>\n

“Send Relief has supported SBDR\u2019s efforts with funding and other resources, and we\u2019re preparing for this year\u2019s hurricane season as volunteers gear up to do what they do best, offer help and hope in Jesus\u2019s name,” said Coy Webb, crisis response director.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Samaritan’s Purse<\/h4>\n

The relief ministry launched by Franklin Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelical Association deployed its teams across southeast Texas. Working with numerous local churches, Samaritan’s Purse helped clean up city streets and neighborhood homes.<\/p>\n

“U.S. Disaster Relief volunteers are getting to work in Brazoria County this week in southeast Texas where Hurricane Beryl toppled large trees and dumped nearly a foot of rain. Our teams are cleaning up debris, cutting up trees, patching damaged roofs, and mudding out homes,” stated a post<\/a> on its website.<\/p>\n

The Great Commission Moves Across Texas<\/h2>\n
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Downed power lines and flooded streets in the wake of Hurricane Beryl in New Caney, Texas (Image credit: Jill Carlson via Wikimedia Commons)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

CoreLogic, a global property analytics company, estimates<\/a> Hurricane Beryl caused nearly $1.5 billion of insurable flooding and wind damage losses. And that was before it hit Texas. Their report continues that damages could reach $3.5 billion in the Lone Star State.<\/p>\n

That startling price tag from Hurricane Beryl and Alberto in mid-June already\u00a0exceeded 2023 damages, which was\u00a0the least costly U.S.<\/a><\/span>\u00a0hurricane season<\/a> in close to a decade.<\/p>\n

The utility company chiefly responsible for energy in the majority of impacted areas, CenterPoint Energy, advised that Hurricane Beryl’s impact was greater than anticipated. A couple of days after Beryl made landfall, over 1.3 million customers still didn’t have power.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe storm veered off the originally expected course and more heavily impacted the company\u2019s customers, systems, and infrastructure than previously anticipated, resulting in outages to more than 2.26 million customers at its peak,\u201d the utility said to CNN<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To support these ministries and help those impacted by Hurricane Beryl, consider the following:<\/p>\n