Relief

Federal government spending for disaster aid has increased significantly over the past several decades. Much of this aid generally does not appear in congressional budgets, making it a “stealth entitlement,” according to George Zanjani, associate professor of Risk Management and Insurance at Georgia State University.

Zanjani sat down with The Christian Post for an in-depth discussion on insurance and federal disaster issues.

Zanjani has conducted research, along with his co-authors, J. David Cummins, professor emeritus of Insurance and Risk Management at the University of Pennsylvania and Michael Suher, graduate student at Brown University, on federal disaster aid between 1989 and 2006. more >>

Harrison Bethel Baptist Church in Oklahoma City has burned to the ground as wildfires raged across the land Wednesday.

The wildfire, which began early Tuesday, has spread rapidly across several hundred acres due to extremely dry conditions and high winds.

Members of the church stood helplessly by as the 30-year-old church became engulfed in flames, Oklahoma’s KFOR reported. more >>

Many communities along the East Coast were spared major damage from Hurricane Irene, but with millions still affected, pastors are stepping in to make sure the church doesn’t stay cooped up and instead makes an impact in the storm’s aftermath.

The impact that Irene had on churches this past weekend varies from one area to another. After the skies cleared and the seas began to calm along the shore, some pastors opened up to describe what Irene left behind and what they are doing to help.

The North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church always keeps a disaster response plan in place, allowing them to quickly organize and mobilize in case of an emergency. more >>

The death toll from Hurricane Irene has jumped to 40 as more people were pulled out of floodwaters, according to new reports.

The latest number is nearly double what was reported on Sunday, according to ABC News.

Millions of residents in 11 states were affected by Irene as it roared across the East Coast after making landfall in North Carolina Saturday morning. Though it arrived on the U.S. coast as a Category 1 storm, Irene still left billions of dollars in damage and dozens of people dead. more >>

In the wake of Hurricane Irene’s damage to the U.S. East Coast and Canada, Christian disaster relief organizations began springing into action Sunday and are continuing efforts today.

Irene, which began as a category 3 hurricane and turned into a flood-damaging tropical storm, left 21 people dead, disrupted power to 6 million homes and businesses, and caused billions-of-dollars-worth in damages before crossing into Canada late Sunday.

Relief organizations such as Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) first sent help to North Carolina where the hurricane landed and are now assessing other parts of the country, gathering reports to determine where they will send teams next. more >>

The Salvation Army has mobilized teams of responders after Hurricane Irene caused widespread damage along the U.S.’s densely populated East Coast.

At least 21 people have been killed by the hurricane, which has been downgraded to a tropical storm.

Millions have been left without power and damage caused by the strong winds and widespread damage is estimated to be at least $8 billion. more >>