Atlanta flooding: Presbyterians pitch in
By Edward Terry, The Layman, September 25, 2009
More rain is in the forecast for the saturated Atlanta area this weekend – and that’s the last thing it needs. See the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s flood photo gallery
Classified as a 500-year flood by the U.S. Geological survey, the damage from the natural disaster is estimated at $250 million to $1 billion with the worst found in 17 Atlanta metro region counties. Thousands of homes have been destroyed and at least nine people in Georgia have died, according to the latest reports.
On edge as the weekend begins with fresh flash flood warnings, affected residents end the week cleaning up and assessing the damage.
As of Friday morning, the Rev. James Harper of First Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) in Douglasville, Ga., was still checking on members of his congregation.
“So far, damage has been limited to flooded basements,” he said. “Our focus is turning now to how we can help folks in the community who suffered damage.”
Residents of the area also are busy reaching out to their neighbors.
At the height of the flood, Clairmont Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) in Decatur, Ga., was called to be an American Red Cross emergency shelter. The church hosted evacuees throughout the week as one of four designated Red Cross shelters in Atlanta.
One of the most touching moments came as a single mom and her six children arrived at Clairmont with nowhere else to go.
“She had gone to pick up her child at school and ended up unable to go home,” the Rev. Tom Pipkin said, adding that he found the family of seven the next morning huddled together sleeping on two cots.
Even though some planned events had to be canceled to make room for the shelter at Clairmont, the congregation was glad to make the accommodation.
“We want to be that type of church – all the time,” Pipkin said.
Across the Atlanta area, churches are collecting relief supplies and offering help to those affected by the flood.
At Grace Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Douglasville, members already have mobilized for one of the church’s elders. Administrative Assistant Lillie Seymour said that families from the congregation have pitched in to help clean out that member’s home, which had 4 to 6 feet of water in it. The church also is using its online prayer chain to organize requests for help.
“It’s great to see how people reach out and help,” Seymour said.
Several congregations have started assembling clean-up and hygiene kits, which appear to be among the greatest needs at this time.
Though the flooding missed the area around First Presbyterian Church in Dalton, Ga., about 90 minutes northwest of Atlanta, its members are busy responding as if it had. Its associate pastor, the Rev. Tyler Downing, said that his office is filled with flood clean-up buckets that members have dropped off. Each bucket kit contains supplies such as disinfectant, work gloves, trash bags, insect repellant, dust masks and cleaning solutions. Each bucket costs about $60 to assemble, a church staff member said.
PCUSA’s Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has been in contact with the Cherokee Presbytery and Greater Atlanta Presbytery in Georgia to offer assistance. National Response Team (NRT) member the Rev. Ken McKenzie is working with the affected presbyteries to help in their response. Additional NRT members will be arriving to assist.
McKenzie is pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) in Rome, Ga. Westminster will be the distribution site for 860 hygiene kits, 500 emergency clean-up buckets, 200 emergency blankets, 2,010 school kits, 4,600 protective latex gloves and 1,500 protective masks from Church World Service. The estimated value of these material resources is $81,322.
One of the first prompts on the phone system at Greater Atlanta Presbytery directs callers to a PDA hotline, which is gathering offers of assistance. The recording asks those wishing to help to leave their contact information and the name of their congregation. To contact the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, call 404-898-0711. More information on the PDA’s efforts is available on its Web site.