Hurricane Sandy aftermath A man carries his wife through the floodwaters in Hoboken, New Jersey, October 31, 2012. The U.S. Northeast began crawling back to normal on Wednesday after monster storm Sandy crippled transportation, knocked out power for millions and killed at least 45 people in nine states with a massive storm surge and rain that caused epic flooding. (PHTOT: Reuters/Gary Hershorn)
Originally published in Charisma News
One day after Hurricane Sandy slammed the East Coast of the United States, international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse began deploying disaster relief units and staff to help victims of the storm.
The disaster relief units–tractor trailers stocked with emergency supplies including chainsaws, tarps, and generators–will serve as the base of operations for Samaritan’s Purse staff and volunteers during the duration of the relief efforts. The relief crews will help families with emergency repairs by putting tarps on roofs, cleaning up storm debris, removing mud and water from flooded homes and treating for mold.
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“We want to help people recover from this tragedy and let them know that God loves them and they are not alone in their need,” says Samaritan’s Purse President and CEO Franklin Graham. “We want to help get them back on their feet as soon as possible by meeting their physical, spiritual and emotional needs.”
Samaritan’s Purse has five relief experts assessing damage in storm-ravaged communities in New York and New Jersey. By working closing with local churches, Samaritan’s Purse is able to identify areas where the relief crews can be most effective.
Samaritan’s Purse has mobilized thousands of volunteers to work with its Disaster Relief Teams to provide emergency aid to disaster victims in the United States. Since 1998 when the organization equipped its first Disaster Relief Unit, Samaritan’s Purse has helped more than 25,000 victims of natural disasters by quickly providing emergency supplies, repairing, cleaning and rebuilding homes. Last year, Samaritan’s Purse helped more than 3,200 households affected by storms in 10 states through the efforts of more than 20,000 volunteers.
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As the world watched the tragic events we can only believe that God’s in control of the weather – even though many losses occured – we will see good things happen as a result of the hurricane Sandy.