As a Synod executive based in Texas and now Florida, Valerie Young is exceedingly familiar with Hurricanes. The striking thing about the one-two punch of Hurricanes Helene and Milton is the breadth of the area severely impacted by the storms.
The Rev. CeCe Armstrong and the Rev. Tony Larson, Co-Moderators of the 226th General Assembly (2024) , joined members of Foothills Presbytery and two staff from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance for a time of sharing on Tuesday at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina.
Hurricane-damaged Westminster By-the-Sea Presbyterian Church in Daytona Beach Shores has been a blessing to its community and to other PC(USA) churches by Mike Ferguson | Presbyterian News Service DAYTONA BEACH… Read more »
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.
On Wednesday, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance spent the first day of a 10-day solidarity tour with staff from the Synod of South Atlantic and Peace River Presbytery hearing from some of the faith communities affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
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.
In the midst of organizing hurricane relief to secure the physical well-being of neighbors, PC(USA) leaders recognize the spiritual effects of trauma. With back-to-back hurricanes striking Florida within less than two weeks and disasters in general becoming more intense because of climate change, “there is so much loss of life, so much stress,” said the Rev. Dr. Kathy Riley, Associate for Emotional and Spiritual Care for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA).
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.
