DR Storm Updates

Team Leaders, DOMs AMSs and Secretaries

I want to bring up to date on some of the needs that are in the DR world.

Zeta:

Louisiana is still assessing, and the Grand Isle area looks like it took the brunt of the storm and storm surge.  They may need Chainsaw and Tarping teams.  They do not know about Flood Recovery teams yet.

Alabama and Mississippi believe they can handle things within their respective states. Continue reading

Alert – Hurricane Zeta

Team Leaders, DOMs, AMSs and Secretaries,

Just when you thought there could not be another hurricane, along comes ZETA!

As you may be aware, Hurricane Zeta is scheduled to hit the coast of Louisiana today.  Our bucket truck team that was working in Alabama was sent home after work yesterday.  The storm that was supposed to hit land as a Tropical Storm and then a Category 1 is now supposed to be a Category 2 when it hits land just to the west of New Orleans.  Please pray for the folks in Louisiana, especially as this is 3 out of 4 storms in a row that have pummeled the same areas.  They no sooner pick up from one storm when another one comes in.  I know they are getting tired mentally, emotionally, and physically. Continue reading

A Quick Note About Hurricane Delta

Team Leaders, DOMs, AMSs, and Secretaries,

I am putting ALL teams on ALERT for possible response needs as Hurricane Delta approaches the gulf coast.  We will probably not know anything until late in the weekend but want you to be thinking and planning.  If, by the mercy and miracle of God, it does not hit, we are still looking for more chainsaw teams in all three states.

I will keep you updated as I have more information.

In Christ Serving Together,
Wes Jones

Hurricane Laura and Sally – Units on Alert

Team Leaders, DOMs, AMSs and Secretaries,

Photo: NOAA

I just want to give you a quick update on what is going on with the response to Laura and the new storm Sally.

LAURA-We continue to send Chainsaw teams to Louisiana.  We have been working in Winnfield.  That work is slated to close this weekend and we are moving our future teams to Alexandria.  All teams that are scheduled at this time should have received an email from Elizabeth today giving the address and contact change of information.  If you have not received this information, let us know. Over 800 chainsaw jobs have been completed from the SBDR volunteers.  That is huge. Most importantly, 256 have trusted Christ as Savior during the response.   Keep sharing your faith. Continue reading

New Information About Laura Response

-Photo: NASA

Team Leaders, DOMs, AMSs and Secretaries,

Things change fast in DR and today was one of those days.  I received a call about 1 PM while driving to Chattanooga, requesting a couple of Chainsaw Teams to go to Louisiana ASAP.  Without being able to put the word out to all teams from the car, I contacted a few teams that had already contacted me about sending teams. Continue reading

Year-to-Date

click to view

DR Team Leaders, DOMs/AMS, Secretaries,

It has been a while since I updated you on what is going on in the DR world and so I want to share a few things with you.

  1. Praise God things have slowed down on the Disaster Response side of things.  There are some that are still assisting with COVID 19 response items but, by and large, we are slower at the moment.  Praise God for this.  Many needed a break because of the huge amount of work you and the other volunteers have been doing the last 5 years and especially this year. (more about this down below)
  2. Please lift up your local churches, associations and also TBMB as they navigate the pandemic and yet continue on with making Christ known to a lost and dying world.
  3. Please lift up the DR staff at NAMB (Send Relief).  At the beginning of this month, we were informed that they were cutting 4 of the 6 DR positions at NAMB due to the “expected downturn in the amount of money given to the Annie Armstrong Offering.”  This was a shock to the state directors.  People who were let go are, Eddie Blackmon, Cathy Miller, Beth Bootz and Duane Dannis.  With the loss of these, we lost a lot of experience in their specialty areas.  The two that remain are Sam Porter and Cindy Henderson.  Pray for those who were let go and those who remain.

Continue reading

Chattanooga Update and Need

DOMs, AMS, Team Leaders and Secretaries,

The work continues in after the storms in the Chattanooga area.  I am so grateful for all the work so many people and teams have done.  Between Bradley and Hamilton counties, teams have completed nearly 600 jobs. That is a tremendous amount of work.  Thanks to everyone making that happen. Continue reading

DR Volunteers Serving in Bradley, Hamilton Counties

From Baptist & Reflector

Tracie Frazier, right center, and her daughter, Faith, of Parkway Baptist Church, Cleveland, minister to homeowners Danny and Ann Adcock who lost their home during the recent tornado which struck southeast Tennessee.
– Photo by Phil Taylor

CHATTANOOGA — Baptist disaster relief volunteers are beginning to provide help to those affected by EF-3 tornado and severe storms that struck southeast Tennessee and particularly Hamilton, Bradley and Marion counties.

According to local news reports, at least three people were killed and several others were injured and hospitalized. Several hundred homes were severely damaged in the two counties, according to reports.

DR volunteers were out in both Bradley and Hamilton counties on April 14 as people were just beginning to be able to reach the hardest hit areas, which included the Brainerd and East Ridge communities of Chattanooga and moved toward Ooltewah and Cleveland.

Dennis Culbreth, director of missions for Hamilton County Baptist Association, said chain saw teams were going into communities during the afternoon of April 14. “We have not been able to get into the area because of severe damage. Roads were closed,” he reported. Continue reading

Tenn. Baptist DR Teams Fan Out

From Baptist & Reflector

Marlin Curnutt, left, of FBC Morristown, talks with Sharon Wildner, the director of God’s Warehouse Coronavirus Plan, as they organize boxes for delivery from God’s Warehouse in Morristown.

FRANKLIN — Wes Jones is accustomed to dealing with the unpredictable. It’s his job.

He’s been involved with flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, fires, power outages and all in between.

But even Jones, the Disaster Relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, admits that the current confluence of instability, uneasiness and confusion — created by the COVID-19 pandemic — has been a major challenge.

“It’s different than anything we’ve dealt with before,” said Jones. “It’s very unusual on a lot of fronts.” Continue reading