Responding to Rita

It looks as if those of you in the Houston area will be in the same position that we have following Katrina. We were just missed by the severity, so we had the ability to respond. One significant difference is the amount of federal response that was staged prior to the landfall of Rita. I hope that makes a significant difference to those experiencing the worst of Rita now.

As you get ready to respond, here are a few tips.
1. Know what you can and can't do. You will have people telling you what you should do, and if you listen to them all, you will be doing everything. Look at your resources and make a strategic decision about what you can do best, and think in terms of weeks, not days. If you can set up housing, great. If you can set up mobile feeding stations, great. Maybe it's rescue teams, chainsaw teams or in our case, collecting and distributing supplies. Whatever it is, choose wisely.
2. Get your plan to your leadership. Leaders lead, and if they do not know your plan, they will create on of their own. You can't afford to have an internal struggle over limited resources right now.
3. Announce your plan to your church or community. Let them know that they are not going to see a repeat of the Katrina response, and that people are counting on help.
4. Invite others to join your effort. Find every way possible to let those in your church and community know what you are doing, and ask them to be a part of that effort. Have sign ups for those interested in helping and work the list. Do not use the same people that you always can count on. Disaster response reaches people on a level that may have never had an interest in serving before. You will be amazed at the gifts they will bring.

Remember, this is potentially a long commitment. With the resources stretched so thin with Katrina, Rita's victims will need you.

Pray

As the day has unfolded, Rita has slowly started to weaken. My prayer is that it continues to do so - and my prayers are with those in her path.

For those preparing, get ready for a rough ride. There will be times that you are sure the house or building is coming apart. Seek a strong place, and do not forget to pray.

Pray for those you love, those you know and for those who have no real way to escape the storm.

Pray that God will use you as the new day arrives, and guide you to the right places at the right time.

Pray that God will sustain you through the days and weeks ahead as you look at things no one should ever have to see

And pray that you may be the last one on your family to ever go through this.

I will pray for you.

To the pastors

As a hurricane approaches, a pastor has many responsibilities. There is the checklist of things to do for facilities, the concerns about the members, staff and not to mention personal safety. As a pastor, I have struggled with these same issues. We have a progressive Hurrican Plan that calls for certain actions at certain hours prior to landfall. That has helped with the facilites and staff issues. In the past, we have called our church members prior to storms to see what they plan on doing. In the case of Katrina, we called after the storm to see how they were, and if they had family needs.

The Pastor has a responsibility to their church. Part of that responsibility is to survive the storm and be able to minister after its passed. I have seen the struggle close up- that desire to stay and be able to get out and check on those in need quickly, opposed to the need to find a safe place for self and family away from the impact zone.

My advice, after having gone through Ivan and now Katina, is to find a safe place and be able to come back in a minister after the storm has passed.

In the hours immediatley after the storm, there is very little you can do. In the days and weeks after, there will be more than you can possibly imagine. Most of us have gone for three weeks with no days off and way to much to do.

Get safe- get rested- get ready. The church and your community will neeed you more than you know.

Matt

Rita Relief boxes

As Katrina passed, our church had family members in the impacted areas. As they went in to check on them, we sent boxes of food. Very quickly, we discovered a great demand for those boxes, and began to assemble and distribute them in mass quantity.

Our Prodisee Panty provides food every week for people in need, so that group decided what a family of four would need as a first reponse box. Here is what they put in the boxes for those who were not able to cook (no power, water etc.)

Peanut butter
Crackers
Apple juice
Tuna
Pop top cans of peaches or applesauce
Cereal bars or cereal
pudding
water
toliet paper
hand sanitizer (not soap - but alcohol based)

Again, we contacted a local box company that supplied boxes (8x12x14) for us to fill. Within a few days we had gone from loading individual vehicles to sending out Penske box truck with 3 pallets of these food boxes.

We did change what was in most of the boxes after a couple of weeks, but still send some of these even today.

For those expecting Rita

As a church or community, you can be prepared to assist when a hurrican hits nearby. It won't happen unlesss you prepare ahead of time. Here are some notes I have made as we have worked through Katrina.

Find a large facily tthat can work as a warehouse. You will be amazed at how many people want to send items in to help

Secure a fork lift (or 2) and pallet jacks to move supplies

Get several cases of stretch film and packing tape

Arrange for a number of box trucks (we use Penske 14 foot) They will be hard to find 3 days after the storm

Print fliers to put in the windshild of the trucks on on the back designating "Hurrrican Relief"

Print tshirts for those going in with your organization and "Hurricane Reief Team"

Set up collections areas for your community

Get volunteers to sort items.

Get drivers for your trucks.


Initally, you want to collect water, nonperishable food, flashlights and batteries. This list will change within the first two weeks.

You can respond faster than any national organization. BE READY!

Stretched

In the middle of this effort, I now have the weather channel on again. This time it is not for Katrina, but for her sister Rita. Apparently, they like the Gulf coast.

My concern is that when Rita makes landfall as a major hurricane, that the resources that are stretched so thin - will completely collapse. The national organizations are finally in place here, but just barely have the resources to help. I cannot imagine the impact that Rita will have.

It will take huge resources to get first responders into Texas and still carry on the operations in LA, MS and AL. Many of the first responders are just now getting to rest as the relief phase gets into full swing. If those same people are called upon to TX, they will arrive weary and shell shocked.

My experience here has taught me many things. Over time I will be able to put those in written form and hopefully help other communites as they step into response mode.

Pearlington

Rick just got back from one of our delivery trips into MS. He went to a town called Pearlington, that is close to the LA state line. According to FEMA, Pearlington was 99.9% destroyed. The only thing left standing was the ATM. According to sources, FEMA said that the ATM could be saved, and therefore the town was not a total loss. Interesting.
The people there have gone without much assistance during the past three weeks. A church inour community (Bay Community Church) set up a feeding station, a fed the first hot meal a few says ago. We have agreed to supply drinks for the meals, and worked to provide "something with color and or flavor" to the battered people there.

Just yesterday, a chef from Los Angles arrived with two friends. They are lifting the spirits of the people with food and humor. One friend put a towel on his arm as if he were ina fancy restaraunt, looked at the people he was serving and asked "should I expect any good tips here?'

The people are pretty sharp too. They have built a tent city in the woods, and laid it out in the pattern of the town. If Jim's house was behind you, now his tent is behind you. That way everyone knows where everyone else is. "We are ready for the mail service to begin!"

In the middle of complete (sorry FEMA) destruction, people find a way to cope. I'm glad to be a part of helping this community.