For more than a century, the manse next to First Presbyterian Church in tiny Baird, Texas (population 1,600), served many functions: as the church’s first sanctuary, as a home for a string of pastors, and as space for vacation Bible School and adult Sunday school classes. In recent years, however, it had become an albatross, a dilapidated structure that was too expensive to repair and too expensive to demolish.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance helps Texans recover from flooding
It has been roughly a year of endless flooding for parts of Texas, challenging volunteers in their cleanup efforts. The seriousness of the high water took on new meaning last month with the deadly flooding near Fort Hood that claimed the lives of nine soldiers. Swift flooding swept the soldiers’ 2 1/2-ton vehicle from a low-water crossing. Three soldiers were rescued.
It has been a year of endless flooding for parts of Texas, keeping volunteers from making headway in clean up efforts. The last three months have been described by state and federal authorities as the wettest in Texas history.