Louisiana Gov, Christian Agencies Seek Prayers
''That would be the best thing to calm our spirits and thank our Lord that we are survivors.'' -- Gov. Kathleen Blanco
Flooding, looting and shooting erupted in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, prompting the governor of Louisiana to call for an immediate evacuation of all those still stuck in New Orleans on Wednesday.
"We've sent buses in. We will be either loading them by boat, helicopter, anything that is necessary," Gov. Kathleen Blanco said.
Meanwhile, large church-based relief organizations rushed alongside government agencies and non-governmental organizations to provide what physical and emotional help to the tens of thousands still stranded in roof-tops, attics and make-shift shelters.
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“UMCOR is making the necessary preparations to respond immediately to this powerful hurricane,” said Tom Hazelwood, disaster response executive of the United Methodist Committee on Relief.
Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast twice on Monday morning as a Category 4 storm with winds as high as 140 mph. It swept through Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, leaving behind a trail of destruction and death. In Mississippi alone, there were 110 confirmed deaths.
However, the worst came on Tuesday when two levees broke and spilled water into the streets of the below-sea-level New Orleans, rendering much of the city uninhabitable for weeks or months. Some 80 percent of the bowl-shaped city was flooded and its water made undrinkable without boiling.
Shelters began opening their doors, and according to the Red Cross, about 40,000 people were housed in some 200 shelters across the area in one of the biggest urban disasters the nation has ever seen.
Louisiana’s United Methodist conference center, known as the Wesley Center, housed some 200 guests.
“I am so proud of our staff. As always they are working hard to meet the physical and spiritual needs of these people who have been displaced from their homes,” said the Rev. Richard Bushnell, director of the Wesley Center.
In addition to offering shelter and food, staff members were counseling guests.
“Many of them came to us not knowing whether they would have a home to go back to,” Bushnell said.
Trinity United Methodist Church in Ruston, La., was also serving as an overflow shelter for the American Red Cross. Program staff, pastors, church members and community volunteers were feeding and housing more than 150 evacuees in the church gymnasium.
“We expect to have upwards of 250 people before this is over,” said Terri Russell, administrative assistant to the Rev. Fred Wideman, church pastor. Wideman was en route to an area Presbyterian camp that was lending mattresses to Trinity for the evacuees.
Meanwhile, the largest make-shift shelter, the Superdome, which had become a last-resort home for about 20,000 people, was ordered to be evacuated within two days. The Superdome, which lost parts of its roof from Katrina, also lost its air-conditioning. The toilets there were broken, and the water was also rising in the dome.
"The logistical problems are impossible and we have to evacuate people in shelters," the governor said. "It's becoming untenable. There's no power. It's getting more difficult to get food and water supplies in, just basic essentials."
Meanwhile, in regards to the larger and longer-term needs of the refugees, Christian organizations said they need at least a week’s time to assess how to best respond.
Relief agencies from the Methodist, Southern Baptist, Lutheran and Episcopal denominations all responded by assessing the damage and giving their prayers.
And for those wishing to save parish records – including commercial insurance documents - from molding, the Episcopal disaster relief agency encouraged a process of freezing items or airing it in the sun.
"Once the items are frozen, the parish can assess the extent of damage and plan the recovery operation." A simple "at-a- glance" summary, explaining which media can be frozen and how to dry them, is available at the Western Association for Art Conservation.
Gov. Blanco also sought prayers for those still stranded in the city as well as those wishing to help.
"That would be the best thing to calm our spirits and thank our Lord that we are survivors," she said. "Slowly, gradually, we will recover; we will survive; we will rebuild."
