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1999 NCC News Archives

Church World Service Readies Hurricane Floyd Response

September 15, 1999,. NEW YORK CITY -- Church World Service, the relief and development agency of the National Council of Churches, has put its volunteer Disaster Consultants on alert in anticipation of any damage caused by Hurricane Floyd, which is bearing down on the southeastern United States and is described as a potentially catastrophic hurricane.

Trained volunteer Disaster Consultants are organized along the lines of the 10 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Regions and facilitate the work of CWS's state and community partners as organizers, technical advisors, and links to outside resources. They assist local faith-based groups organize for pastoral-care needs and long-term work that includes housing reconstruction and rehabilitation.

The Regional Facilitator for the southeastern United States (FEMA Region IV) is Morganton, North Carolina-based Charles Moeller of Lutheran Disaster Response. "It's wait and see with a lot of apprehension," Moeller said. "This could be one for the decade. It's a very, very dangerous storm." One problem, he pointed out, is that Hurricane Danny in North Carolina leveled sand dunes on barrier islands just a few weeks ago. This creates the possibility of flooding in coastal areas.

Also being put on alert are CWS Regional Facilitators in the northeastern United States, FEMA Region I and II Facilitator Joann Hale in Grand Island, New York, with the United Church of Christ, and FEMA Region III Facilitator Shirley Norman in Markleysburg, Pennsylvania, with the Church of the Brethren.

Church World Service has also been in contact with Habitat with Humanity about working in partnership on housing reconstruction through local interfaith groups in devastated areas, and is prepared to provide material assistance as needed, including CWS cleanup kits, blankets and tents.

Address for contributions: Church World Service, 28606 Phillips Street, PO Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515. Telephone: 1-800-297-1516, ext 222. For more information and updates and/or to make an on-line contribution, go to http://www.churchworldservice.org.

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