The Eastern PA Conference’s Disaster Response Coordinator asks for prayers but also patience as Hurricane Ian wreaks havoc and extensive damage in Florida and heads north on course to attack other states–including South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

“Please keep all the people who are in the midst of this storm in your prayers,” writes Bob Simcox, who was contacted by Florida’s Conference Disaster Response Coordinator Wednesday morning. “Be ready to respond in the weeks and months to come.” Ian landed as a Category 4 hurricane and barreled northward across the gulf coast.

“Already 2.5 million Floridians are without power,” Simcox reports, and many have evacuated from their homes. .  “The Governor and The President of the United States have declared a state of emergency.”  But, he asks, “please do not deploy teams to the area until the conference in the affected areas requests response teams for assistance.”  

Presently, the areas being hit by the hurricane are in the emergency phase of the disaster, Simcox explains. “Trained first responders, such as search and rescue teams, fire, police and military personnel are the people in charge at this time.  An uncoordinated response can hinder the community’s emergency response you are trying to help.”  

Simcox recommends seeking more information from the disaster response page on UMCOR’s website.You can also visit the Florida Conference Disaster Recovery Ministry website and give to the Florida Conference
Or you can contact him at drc@epaumc.org to learn more about Florida Conference response needs.    

More cleaning kits needed  

As Floridians prepare for Hurricane Ian’s impact and eventual recovery efforts, the Florida Conference is in need of UMCOR cleaning kits. They ask UM churches to collect and assemble kits to be shipped to hurricane victims and relief workers. See a list of supplies and instructions to assemble the kits.  View this video to assemble cleaning kits. Contact Trish Warren, Florida Conference Disaster Response Coordinator, at pwarren@flumc.org or (863) 661-4939, to coordinate shipping.