Blog Posts

When disasters strike, Week of Compassion is here to help:
before, during, and after.

In order to protect volunteers and communities we serve during the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our partners have limited their volunteer disaster recovery operations. Volunteers should use caution, heed the guidance of public health officials, and pay close attention to protocols required on site and prior to serving. If volunteering is not a safe option for you right now, we encourage you to take this time to prepare for future mission opportunities by 1) becoming more disaster-ready as a household or congregation; 2) developing your skills in home repair; and 3) advocating for local, state, and federal policies that promote adequate and equitable disaster recovery.

Week of Compassion offers resources and training opportunities to help congregations prepare for and respond to disasters. Immediately following disasters in the United States and Canada, Week of Compassion works through local congregations and regions to provide guidance, connections, and resources for navigating disaster response. We invest the majority of our disaster response resources in long-term recovery, primarily for the purpose of repairing and rebuilding homes. In coordination with Disciples and ecumenical partners, Week of Compassion also supports opportunities for Disciples to offer hands-on assistance.

Learn more about our ongoing responses below; click here for volunteer opportunities; or click here to prepare for disasters.

ONGOING RESPONSES
Hurricanes Sally and Zeta
West Coast Fires
Hurricanes Laura and Delta, Louisiana*
Derecho, Iowa
Tornadoes, Tennessee
Tropical Storm Imelda, Texas
Tornadoes, Ohio*
Hurricane Michael, Florida
Hurricane Florence, North Carolina*
Carr Fire and Camp Fire, California
Hurricanes Irma & Maria, Puerto Rico
Hurricane Irma, Florida*
Hurricane Harvey, Texas

*limited volunteer opportunities available, with COVID-19 precautions

EMERGING RESPONSES
Week of Compassion is in conversation with local churches and partners in these areas where disasters are ongoing or have recently occurred. As needs are emerging, we are assessing potential avenues for response.

Severe Weather Outbreaks and Tornadoes
Winter Storm (Feb. 2021)
COVID-19

2019 California Wildfires

11/8/2019

updated: 01/22/2020
Event Summary: The 2019 wildfire season has, as of early November, already been active. While the multiple incidents so far have been less destructive to homes than those of previous years, they have necessitated widespread evacuations and have damaged or destroyed over 700 structures. Additionally, utility companies have enacted fire prevention measures across the state, including prolonged blackouts during high fire danger conditions. The Kincaide fire in Sonoma County near Geyserville required the evacuation of areas around First Christian Church; thankfully the church did not sustain damage.

Tropical Storm Imelda, Texas

9/21/2019

updated: 11/25/19
Event Summary: After a very rapid development in the Gulf of Mexico, Imelda made landfall in southeast Texas as a Tropical Storm on Sept. 17. It lingered over the region for several days, dropping record-breaking amounts of rain--over 40 inches in some areas. Communities from the greater Houston area east to the Louisiana border saw catastrophic flooding. As of this writing, approximately two dozen Disciples households had reported damage. Some churches are reporting minor damage, but none are known to have flooded at this time. As of November 25, over 10,500 households had been approved for Individual Assistance from FEMA, and many more households were affected but did not qualify for federal assistance.

Hurricane Dorian, Bahamas and Southeast U.S. Coast

9/1/2019

updated: 09/21/19
Event Summary: After passing over the USVI and Puerto Rico with limited damage, Hurricane Dorian strengthened to a Category 5 storm and stalled over the northern islands of The Bahamas in early September 2019. Damage to the islands of Grand Bahama and Abaco is incredibly severe. The storm then tracked the eastern coast of Florida, remaining a short distance offshore, and causing some damage due to strong winds and storm surge. That track continued along the coast of Georgia and the Carolinas, with the storm closer to shore. After making landfall near Cape Hatteras, NC, the storm continued up the Atlantic. The storm made landfall again in Nova Scotia on on Sept. 7. Structural damage in the U.S. and Canada was less severe than predicted, though many communities experienced extended power outages.

Tornadoes, Ohio

5/27/2019

updated: 01/08/2021
Event Summary: 21 tornadoes struck Ohio on Memorial Day, 2019, including 11 in the greater Dayton area, damaging or destroying thousands of homes. Federal disaster declaration: DR-4447-OH

Tornadoes, Missouri

5/23/2019

updated: 01/31/2020
Event Summary:
In May, 2019 a series of tornadoes wrought damage across Missouri, including an EF3 tornado in Jefferson City, which caused severe damage at Community Christian Church, and an EF1 tornado in Eldon. Also among the many damaged buildings in Jefferson City were many rental and affordable housing properties.

Flooding, Oklahoma and Midwest US

3/14/2019

updated: 01/31/2020
Event Summary
Throughout the spring and summer of 2019, several bouts of rapid snowmelt and heavy rain caused multiple and recurring flood events across Oklahoma, Nebraska, Missouri, and elsewhere in the Midwest. Thousands of buildings, homes, and farms were inundated with water, ice, and mud.

Tornado, Illinois

12/2/2018

Updated 01/31/2020
Event Summary: On December 1, 2018 an EF3 tornado hit Taylorville, IL, damaging nearly than 700 homes. Many of those homes were in middle- and low-income areas of the rural town.