Disaster Response

DONATE HERE - 100% of your gift goes directly to disaster relief

Hurricane Zeta

Hurricane Zeta made landfall near Cocodrie, Louisiana, as a Category 2 storm in the late afternoon of October 9, 2020, with winds of 110 mph (just below a Category 3 storm, which is 111 mph). Zeta is the fourth hurricane to hit the Southern District in two months. Truly unprecedented! Donations and volunteers for the recovery efforts in the aftermath of all hurricanes are greatly needed.

Donations

Donations for disaster relief may be made online or by mailing a check to the Southern District office. 100% of your gift will go directly to the recovery of congregations and church members affected by a disaster. Please give as you are able, to help us help those directly impacted by destructive and devastating storms.

Donations may be made online here.

Donations by check may be mailed to the Southern District office:

100 Mission Drive
Slidell, LA 70460

Please write “Disaster Relief” on the memo line.

Thank you for your prayers and generous outpouring of financial support!

Recovery Updates

Volunteer Information

The Southern District Disaster Response Team is working on a plan for recovery work in the areas affected by Hurricane Zeta. Volunteers will have opportunities to serve in the affected area at the appropriate time, after first and second responders have done what is needed to prepare the area for volunteers.

Volunteer information will be posted here at the appropriate time.

Hurricane Zeta Photo Gallery

* Photos courtesy of Shepherd’s Heart Disaster Response Ministry.
** Photos courtesy of Mercy in Action Disaster Resources.

11/21/20 ** 11/20/20 ** 11/19/20 **

Tree #1 is down.

Tree #2 is down.

Limbs and the trunk are cut, waiting for the Bobcat to pick them up and take them to the street.

Ricky beginning work on the stump.

Gary watching Ricky at work.

Kathy watching Ricky working.

And it is taking shape.

Making the final cuts.

Pastor inspecting the new cross.

While the tree was damaged from Hurricane Sally and Hurricane Delta and had to be cut down, notice the sprout coming out of the middle of the stump. Pastor, I think there is a sermon illustration there!

Working on the church neighbor's tree.

Pastor Ed and team putting the final touches on the cleanup.

This is as close as we got to hitting the sights in NOLA.

Had to stop for lunch at The Shed, I-10, exit 57 in MS. Great BBQ!

The Shed is a very interesting, eclectic arrangement of stuff! We spent some time looking around at all the interesting things.

Saw this old chainsaw at The Shed. I don't think we can add it to our saw inventory!

Starting out taking out the tree at Ms. Dana's house. Marrero, Louisiana.

Pastor Ed and ground crew at Ms. Dana's house. Marrero, Louisiana.

Getting the top branches at Ms. Dana's house. Marrero, Louisiana.

Ms. Dana's tree almost down. Marrero, Louisiana.

Ricky taking out a large broken limb that had been over the neighbor's fence and on the phone line. Marrero, Louisiana.

Taking out the tree trunk.

All cleaned up!

What is left of the tree.

Hurricane Delta

Hurricane Delta made landfall in Creole, Louisiana, as a Category 2 storm on the evening of October 9, 2020, with winds of 100 mph. This is the third hurricane to hit the Southern District in just over a month. Unprecedented! Homes and businesses were destroyed, and churches damaged. Southern District President, Rev. Eric Johnson, reports: “We are still reeling from the destruction caused by hurricanes Laura and Sally hitting the Southern District in a two week period; now we have Hurricane Delta to contend with. Because we have been hit with an unprecedented THREE HURRICANES, we are stretched incredibly thin with over $100,000 dollars in unmet financial need for disaster relief and response in the impacted areas. Please help as you can.”

Donations

Donations may be made online here.

Donations by check may be mailed to the Southern District office:

100 Mission Drive
Slidell, LA 70460

Please write “Disaster Relief” on the memo line.

Thank you for your prayers and generous outpouring of financial support!

Recovery Updates

See the photo gallery below for updates!

Volunteer Information

If you are able to volunteer in the Hurricane Delta recovery efforts, please contact Southern District Disaster Response Coordinator, Rev. Ed Brashier:

Pastor Ed
205-296-3714 (call or text)
Email

Hurricane Delta Photo Gallery

10/13/20

Hurricane Sally

Hurricane Sally made landfall near the border of Alabama and Florida as a Category 2 storm on the morning of September 16, 2020, producing widespread and catastrophic flooding for the communities that were in its path. With maximum sustained winds of 105 mph, the eye of Hurricane Sally made landfall over Gulf Shores, Alabama, at 4:45 a.m. CDT.

Donations

Donations may be made online here.

Donations by check may be mailed to the Southern District office:

100 Mission Drive
Slidell, LA 70460

Please write “Disaster Relief” on the memo line.

Thank you for your prayers and generous outpouring of financial support!

Videos

It is unprecedented that an LCMS District would be hit by two devastating hurricanes in two weeks, but here we are.

Hurricane Sally brought damage and devastation to 19 of our congregations in Alabama and Florida. I hate to keep asking for donations after so many people opened their hearts to help after Hurricane Laura, but the devastation from Hurricane Sally is 100 times worse than Laura and we are in desperate need if we are to help. This raw video from one elderly member’s home exemplifies our need.

100% of donations go directly to disaster response and qualify for tax donation purposes. Donations may be made online here or mailed by check to: 100 Mission Drive – Slidell, LA 70460. Please write “Disaster Relief” on the memo line.

Recovery Updates

See the photo gallery below for updates!

Volunteer Information

If you are able to volunteer in the Hurricane Sally recovery efforts, please contact Southern District Disaster Response Coordinator, Rev. Ed Brashier:

Pastor Ed
205-296-3714 (call or text)
Email

Hurricane Sally Photo Gallery

* Photos courtesy of Shepherd’s Heart Disaster Response Ministry.
** Photos courtesy of Mercy in Action Disaster Resources.

11/17/20 * 11/14/20 * 10/21/20 *

The LERT Team at Ms. Charlotte's home.

Taking tree #1 off of Ms. Charlotte's home.

The tree that totaled Ms. Charlotte's home.

Ricky in the rental Bobcat, removing the log from Ms. Charlotte's home.

Ms. Jenny's tree.

Ms. Jenny's tree (with Ms. Jenny and the LERT team).

Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church's trees fell onto the neighboring business.

Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church hosted lunch for the team!

Thanks to LCMS Disaster Response and the Southern District LCMS, we were able to do this job.

Before the Nifty-Lift TM64 provided by donations to LCMS Disaster Response and Southern District LCMS, we would have had to pass the home by "on the other side of the road." Thanks LCMS for helping Shepherd's Heart Ministry be a Good Samaritan.

St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Elberta, AL: Storage building.

St. Mark's storage building after LERT team arrives.

St. Mark's parking lot.

Parking lot in operation again.

St. Mark's Lutheran Church.

Loading debris at St. Mark's.

Done at St. Mark's.

Tree on Bro. Wasp's home. Near Fairhope, AL.

Tree on Bro. Wasp's home.

Tree OFF of Bro. Wasp's home.

The LERT Team, Bro. Wasp, and his son.

Seymour, Indiana Team.

Indiana Team.

Tree on on house ... not for long.

Working at Pastor Marshall's home.

Hurricane Laura

Hurricane Laura made landfall on the border of Texas and Louisiana as a Category 4 storm in the early morning of August 27, 2020, ripping apart buildings, severing power lines and clogging streets with debris as a dangerous storm surge trailed behind. With sustained winds of 150 mph, Laura’s eye made landfall near Cameron, Louisiana, at about 1 a.m. CDT.

Donations

Donations may be made online here.

Donations by check may be mailed to the Southern District office:

100 Mission Drive
Slidell, LA 70460

Please write “Disaster Relief” on the memo line.

Thank you for your prayers and generous outpouring of financial support!

Videos

President Johnson visited Lake Charles, LA, on August 31, to see the devastation caused by Hurricane Laura. While in Lake Charles, President Johnson spoke with Rev. Charles Miller, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church; St. John was severely damaged by the hurricane. In this video, Pastor Charlie shares information about damage to the church, as well as homes of congregational members. Donations are greatly needed to support the work of hurricane recovery. 100% of donations made will go directly to disaster relief. Online donations may be made here.

Recovery Updates

- - 8/27/20: Southern District Response to Hurricane Laura

Also see the photo gallery below for updates!

Volunteer Information

If you are able to volunteer in the Hurricane Laura recovery efforts, please contact Southern District Disaster Response Coordinator, Rev. Ed Brashier:

Pastor Ed
205-296-3714 (call or text)
Email