Storms and Fires hit States

Tuesday, January 3, A.D. 2006

Winter storms along the Pacific West Coast and wildfires across the US Southwest have brought misery and worry to scores of communities at the beginning of this New Year.

Heavy rains and flooding in northern California and southwestern Oregon have flooded up to a thousand homes, and several rivers are at their highest level in years. Warm temperatures and high winds continue to fuel grass fires in drought stricken Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. Several hundred homes have been destroyed, including 90 houses in the small Texas town of Cross Plains. Two western Texas villages - Ringgold and Kokomo - also fell to flames on Sunday, leaving about 125 people homeless. Firefighters in Texas were battling at least 32 wildfires on Sunday - including a 22,400-acre blaze that threatened 200 homes near Carbon, some 125 miles west of Dallas. About 200 families near Oklahoma City were evacuated yesterday as fires threatened their homes.

Week of Compassion is contacting regional offices and congregations about any impact on Disciples families and facilities. Thus far, the news is good news but local assessments continue. WOC is also awaiting a response report from Church World Service and will support any ecumenical relief and recovery efforts that develop in response to the floods and the fires.

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For congregations that have now received the new WOC interactive map\poster and would like to begin using it, please check out the 2005 Response Fund Report on the WOC website: www.weekofcompassion.org. The report contains a list of the countries where WOC\Disciples responded to various disasters and emergencies in 2005, along with a list of countries where we supported a variety of sustainable development projects. For a complimentary copy of the map\poster e-mail Elaine Cleveland: ecleveland@woc.disciples.org or call the WOC office: 317.713.2442. The maps are free but the supply is limited.