Just a few days before visitors from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the Synod of South Atlantic, the Presbytery of Tampa Bay, together with the Executive Director and Stated Clerk of the General Assembly for the interim unified agency, the Rev. Jihyun Oh, arrived at Maximo Presbyterian Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Thursday, “this place looked awful,” said the church’s pastor, the Rev. Bobby Musengwa.
A spirit of solidarity and hope was evident throughout a prayer service hosted by the Synod of South Atlantic last weekend to comfort those trying to rebound from recent storms — particularly Hurricane Helene and its more recent cousin, Milton — and to lift up those assisting survivors.
It has been over a month since Hurricane Ian wreaked havoc across the Caribbean, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. But for those living in the wake of the storm, the challenges continue.
Mientras el Huracán Harvey todavía estaba en el suelo en Texas, el Programa Presbiteriana de Asistencia en Desastres (PDA) estaba preparándose para la próxima gran tormenta, el Huracán Irma. PDA ha estado ocupado continuamente con tormentas catastróficas en las últimas dos semanas.
While Hurricane Harvey was still on the ground in Texas, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance was preparing for the next big storm, Hurricane Irma. PDA has been busy with back-to-back catastrophic storms in the past two weeks. On Wednesday, the Category 5 Irma, packing winds of 185 mph, tore through the northern Lesser Antilles and Virgin Islands, as well as Puerto Rico. PDA has been in constant communication with communities in its path.
