Lutherans Find That Life after Disaster Is Difficult, Not Hopeless

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "It is difficult but not hopeless," said the Rev. Gilbert B. Furst, director for Lutheran Disaster Response, about the recovery efforts in North Carolina ten months after Hurricane Floyd destroyed 5,000 homes and damaged about 18,000 others there. Lutheran Disaster Response is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS).
Furst met July 24-26 with hurricane survivors, disaster relief coordinators from Lutheran Disaster Response and Lutheran Family Services in the Carolinas, volunteers, pastors and others helping to lead recovery efforts in North Carolina.
Hurricane Floyd killed more than 50 people in an area from the Bahamas north to the New England area, causing destruction in eight states in September 1999.
"It is difficult to put into words the sensation of walking into an abandoned house next to the Tar River," said Furst. "It is difficult to put into words the sad silence of what was once someone's home, to describe the strong smell of mold and mildew, to characterize hardwood floors no longer flat but bowed and sunken like the waves that once covered them. It is difficult to be here."
Since Hurricane Floyd, only 10 percent of families and individuals living in eastern North Carolina have been able to return to their homes, Furst said. About 1,255 mobile homes and travel trailers set up by the Federal Emergency Management Agency are still occupied, he said. "Many others are living with friends or relatives, or in damaged houses."
George Strunk, a coordinator for Lutheran Disaster Response, said Lutherans have sent more than 50 teams of volunteers to help provide recovery efforts in areas like Greenville and Princeville, N.C.
More than $250,000 in direct cash grants and assistance have been provided, Furst said. He said the amount was announced at a local steering committee meeting held July 25. The committee is made up of local pastors; staff from the ELCA North Carolina Synod and LCMS Southeastern District; and representatives from Aid Association for Lutherans, a fraternal benefits organization based in Appleton, Wis., and Lutheran Brotherhood, a fraternal benefits organization based in Minneapolis.
In Greenville, one mile from the Tar River, entire blocks of houses still stand in disrepair. Furst reported that one family was busy hauling moldy insulation and wallboard to the curb. "Across the street, the pastor of West Park Church of Christ, Portsmouth, Va., and 44 members of the church were busy repairing walls and ceilings," he said.
"There is tremendous need, and recovery will take a long time," said Furst. "It is difficult but not hopeless -- for we are people of faith, and we can see beyond the death scenario of Good Friday to the empty resurrection tomb of Easter. We are committed to be here for the long haul. We are committed to offer help and hope in this difficult situation," he said.

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DOMESTIC DISASTERS:

Editors: When listing organizations receiving funds for aid to survivors
of major disasters inside the United States, Puerto Rico or the U.S.
Virgin Islands, please include:

Lutheran Disaster Response
P.O. Box 71764
Chicago, IL 60694-1764
800-638-3522

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html